Never Too Festive: Parenting with More Joy & Less Mom Guilt

20. The 6 Fall Fashion Trends You Don't Want To Miss (Plus How to Wear Them with Pieces You Already Own)

• Elizabeth Hambleton

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Ready to transform your summer wardrobe into a fall fashion masterpiece without breaking the bank? This episode of Never Too Festive is packed with tips and tricks to help you do just that. Elizabeth Hambleton guides you through the hottest fashion trends of the season, from the timeless appeal of chambray and denim to the sporty vibe that adds a casual yet chic twist to your look. Delve into the "grandpa chic" trend and discover the myriad ways you can style sweater vests to elevate your existing wardrobe without a complete overhaul.

Get ready to embrace bold leopard prints and the rising popularity of wider-leg denim, specifically barrel legs. Elizabeth shares actionable advice on how to balance these statement pieces with more fitted tops, ensuring you look effortlessly stylish. Plus, learn how to sprinkle some glam into your everyday outfits with sparkly accessories and statement jewelry. Whether you're updating your basics or trying out new creative pairings, you'll walk away with practical insights that help you shine brighter every day. Grab your iced coffee and join us on this stylish adventure—because your most fabulous, joyful life awaits!

Speaker 1:

Can you believe that Labor Day is just a week away, the end of summer is officially here and it's time to start thinking about fall. If you are wondering what the hottest trends of fall will be for fashion and how to take what you currently have and transition it, this episode is for you. Hey there, mama, and welcome to Never Too Festive, the podcast where we celebrate the extraordinary in everyday motherhood. I'm Elizabeth Hambleton, your host and fellow mom, on a mission to help you rediscover your sparkle, redefine your style and reclaim your sense of self in the midst of motherhood mayhem. Do you ever feel like you've lost touch with the stylish, confident woman you used to be before kids? Are you tired of living in yoga pants and feeling like you've gone from thriving to just surviving? Well, mama, it's time to reclaim joy, creativity and style, while embracing the fabulous mom you were meant to be. So grab your iced coffee and join me as we embark on a stylish adventure together, because here on Never Too Festive, there's no such thing as too much sparkle, too much flair or too much celebration. Get ready to shine bright and live your most fabulous, joyful life, because you deserve it.

Speaker 1:

So, when I'm thinking about the fashion trends for a new season. There are a couple things that are always a priority for me. First, they have to be practical. It's still super hot here in Texas, so obviously, as much as I might like the idea of a sweater, I will not be needing sweaters for a bit longer. So, with practicality top of mind, we are going to be covering how you can add in touches of fall to your transitional wardrobe. And second, I know that most of us are not looking to completely overhaul our wardrobe. We just want to add in a few modern and current feeling touches. So we're going to highlight how you can take these trends, wear them with pieces you already have and feel really updated without breaking the bank. So, with those two things in mind, let's dive into some of the biggest trends.

Speaker 1:

Number one chambray and denim as a complete outfit is very hot. I saw a lot of this towards the end of summer, but I'm seeing even more of it going into fall. Pretty much every retailer, from Old Navy to Neiman's, has some version of a chambray dress right now. I've seen them as tunics. I've seen them long. I've seen all kinds. I think that this is a great trend because it's really wearable, super practical for moms. Chambray or denim is almost always machine washable. It's friendly to pretty much every size and shape, so I think this is a great one to incorporate If you want to take the trend even a little further. It's also one that you can pair with other trends that we'll be covering.

Speaker 1:

Because chambray is such a kind of blank canvas, you can dress it up for a more casual office. If you work in some place that I would say is like business casual, a chambray dress could be great with some pumps and nice earrings, or a scarf or a sweater. If you are more casual, then you could always pair it back to booties or sneakers. Even a cute sweatshirt on top would be a great layering piece. Sporty is going to be a big trend and I've seen that across a lot of different retailers as well. And when I'm saying sporty, I mean not necessarily full athleisure, not like leggings, but taking pieces that are a little meant to be a little dressier, like not for truly working out and giving them a sporty vibe. So this could be slacks with an elastic waistband layered in or a track stripe down the side, or a jacket that's cut like a bomber jacket and has that more varsity, sporty feel. It would be super cute to layer something like a bomber check jacket over a chambray dress and sneakers, if you're wanting to kind of combine some trends. So that would be great. Again, the sporty vibe is very practical for a lot of us. If it's a little too casual for your office or work environment, you could definitely still rock this on the weekends.

Speaker 1:

Another very versatile trend that I'm seeing is sweater vests. Some people are kind of grouping sweater vests under the idea of grandpa chic. I've seen that kind of variations of that theme in different places Eclectic grandpa, grandpa chic, those kinds of things. So what I'm seeing in this trend is a variety of things, but one of the most popular are things like oversized plaid blazers, blazers with elbow patches, things like that tartans. I think some of those can be fun, but they are a little bit more of an investment to buy a plaid jacket with elbow patches if it's not something you're going to wear super often. So I think that's maybe a little bit of a harder way to incorporate this look.

Speaker 1:

One that I think all of us could do, because it's just a lot more versatile, is a sweater vest. You can wear it right now on its own, like wear the vest as your shirt with jeans or a pencil skirt, and then later on in the year you could layer a sweater vest over like a fitted black turtleneck or a button down for a little extra warmth as the temps really get a little bit cooler. So lots of grandpa inspired pieces. I think, personally, the easiest way to embrace this trend, if you're interested, is with a sweater vest. I have seen these at all price points Amazon, target, higher end places, tucker, nook just had a really cute sweater set, essentially, where it was a sweater vest and then a matching skirt in a kind of rusty pumpkin color and they styled it with, I believe, flats and then a silk scarf and it was very cute. So lots of different ways. You can make this lean a little bit more feminine. You can make it lean a little bit more 90s, depending on what you pair on the bottom and the chunkiness. A fine gauge sweater is going to be a little dressier. A chunky kind of baggier sweater vest is going to be more casual.

Speaker 1:

One trend that we saw in summer that is transitioning into fall is red. Red is still super hot. The take on it that I'm seeing now is that instead of like a true bright, patriotic type red. I'm seeing it often as an oxblood, a little bit more of a red burgundy, a little bit of a deeper red, essentially Though you definitely will see some true red out on the market still, and if you prefer that, that's totally fine. So anything in the dark red, dark burgundy type of color family is hot for fall.

Speaker 1:

If you are not a fan of wearing red or you feel like it can be a little bit overwhelming, there are lots of creative and easy ways to add in some red. If you only want to spend maybe five bucks on this trend, just buy a red nail polish or a red lipstick and just add in a little touch. I just bought some really cute beaded kind of I wouldn't say they're a true red, more of a oxblood a dark burgundy kind of red earrings from Target, and they were in the Sugarfix line at Target and they're very lightweight, which I always like. So something like a fun earring is a great way to try out this trend. I grabbed them on sale. I don't know if they're currently on sale, but they might be for Labor Day. Remember that Labor Day sales are a great time to stock up or try out any of these trends if you want them but maybe don't want to invest a ton in them. I also think that a red bag or shoe can be a fun way to add in a little pop of color, also great for the holidays, because, of course, red tends to feel festive in the holidays. So think about what you would wear now, but also what would help you jazz up. Maybe a plain black dress for a holiday party.

Speaker 1:

Speaking of things that are great as accessories, leopard is a huge trend for fall. I've seen a variety of animal prints, but I would say leopard is kind of the most trend forward one. Again, I've seen this in all kinds of different ways. People who are feeling more bold can wear something that's head to toe leopard. But if you aren't that kind of person or that doesn't sound fun to you, leopard is fantastic as an accessory. Tons of leopard flats, leopard boots, leopard belts, leopard bags even I've seen some headbands. So tons of different price points as well.

Speaker 1:

Lots of ways to incorporate a little bit of leopard. If you want to go even more minimal than a leopard shoe, I've seen some sneakers that have leopard accents, so it's even a little bit more toned down and there are lots of ways to both wear that. For weekends, say, a leopard sneaker with leggings and a chunky sweater would be super cute. Or you could wear leopard obviously to work with a more ladylike pump or a leopard skirt. I've seen in lots of places it's always a classic look paired with a black sweater, black jacket, something like that. So the fun thing about leopard is it is very work or weekend.

Speaker 1:

I think a lot of leopard pieces can be worn any day of the week, and black or cream is intuitive, I think, for most of us when we're thinking about what we'd wear leopard with. But leopard also looks really great with color. If you're feeling a little more bold, try something unexpected. I love a leopard, say, like a leopard slip skirt with a red sweater or purple or orange. Because leopard is kind of a neutral. You can wear it with lots and lots of different colors and pairing it with something other than black or cream is a little bit more creative, a little bit more fun and adds a little spice. Also, it just gives you more variety. You probably have sweaters and tops in colors other than black and cream, so this is a fun way to update those pieces you already own by adding in a touch of leopard.

Speaker 1:

I know that many of us invest in jeans for the fall and winter and the main trend I'm seeing in denim is wider legs. Specifically barrel legs are having a moment. I would say that it's pretty trend forward, depending on the version. I also think it's a little bit less office appropriate. A lot of them are acid washed or just a little bit baggier. For sure, there are definitely offices where it would work, but if you have a little bit more of a conservative workplace, barrel denim might not be quite the thing, but you could try it on the weekend.

Speaker 1:

When we say barrel in case you haven't seen these they're kind of fitted in the hips and then they bow out around the knees and then taper back in around the ankles. So as opposed to a wide leg that is wide and straight down, so it's wide at the ankles too, it tapers in a little bit at the ankle, so kind of like a flowy straight leg, almost between straight and wide. It's definitely something you're going to want to try on and see if you like it. I'm not sure it's my personal favorite trend. I don't know that I will be doing it, but I have seen people. It looks super cute on and it's definitely very of the moment. So if you don't like the idea of barrel or you want something that's a little more versatile wide leg, a straight wide leg is also an option.

Speaker 1:

The thing I'm not seeing a lot of is super fitted denim, like I am not seeing skinny jeans or super slim straights. Definitely the more current denim on the market tends to be a little bit wider in the leg right now, so that's something you can try. Obviously, if you want to wear denim, you already have no biggie. I will definitely be wearing some of my older pairs. I'm not personally always a huge wide leg denim fan, but I'm going to give it a try, kind of have an open mind. It is great to pair it back to a little bit more of a fitted top just to keep the volume under control. I don't recommend a really wide leg denim with a long wide top just because that can tend to make your frame feel a little swallowed or a little wide. So if you are feeling unsure about barrels, jeans or wider leg jeans, give them a try with a simple, more fitted top and see if you like that proportion better. Let the denim be the star of the outfit.

Speaker 1:

I will say that this is not a super specific trend, but I've seen it in multiple places, so I'm just going to throw it out. I've seen a lot of people talking about a more is more aesthetic for fall. I don't think that this is groundbreaking. As they would say in the Devil Wears Prada, because heading into holiday always gets a little bit more is more. But if you're into that and I am definitely into a more is more aesthetic myself I'm seeing a lot of bigger statement jewelry, kind of pre-holiday things with a little bit more shine, a little bit more sparkle.

Speaker 1:

Again, I think accessories are an easy way to incorporate this A sparkly bag or maybe a bigger statement necklace paired back to jeans and a sweater or a simple black dress. That's always an easy way to give closet staples you already own a little bit more life. Circling back to the chambray denim dress we talked about first, you could definitely give it a little bit of a dressier look by adding in a bigger or bolder accessory. So that's always a great way to take something you were wearing during the day at work and make it a little bit more fun for happy hour or a date night if you're trying to do a quick transition. So having a sparkly or just bolder accessory on hand is a great way to jazz up some of your wardrobe basics. So, just to recap, we talked about denim and or chambray dresses, or denim and denim paired together. If you don't like dresses, you could definitely do a chambray top with denim, sweater breast and grandpa chic.

Speaker 1:

Oxblood and red as the hue of the season, leopard definitely being the trendiest pattern on the market right now Wide leg and barrel leg jeans. If you are looking to update your denim wardrobe and more is more Feel free to add that extra pop or accessory to your outfit and really go for it this season to your outfit and really go for it this season. I hope that this was helpful and gives you a little inspiration on how you can add a few small updates to your wardrobe to freshen up what you already have and feel confident for the season ahead. If you are going to try any of these, I'd love to hear which one you are the most excited about. Just hit the link at the bottom of the show to text me back and tell me which trend you're trying out this season and I will see you in the next episode.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for joining me today on Never Too Festive. I hope you are leaving feeling inspired and refreshed. If you've loved what you've heard, don't keep it to yourself. Share this podcast with a friend who could use a little extra sparkle in her life. And hey, while you're at it, why not leave a review on your favorite podcast platform? Your feedback helps us continue to grow and inspire more women like you. Have questions or feedback you want to share directly with me? Simply click the link in the show notes to send me a text. I'd love to hear from you. Until next time, remember, all we have is today, so let's choose to live our most fabulous joyful life together.