When fall comes around, wardrobes change. People switch from shorts and T-shirts to jeans and sweaters. Like the leaves, the color palette changes, too. As the trees change from green to orange, yellow and reddish hues, closets go from light summery colors to burnt and dark colors. Tank tops become long sleeves and linen turns into leather.
Even though the weather in Athens does not match the changing leaves, people are ready to hang up their flip flops and exchange them for Uggs. Around campus, students have been wearing a mix of summer and fall outfits. It is an interesting time for fashion because it is no longer summer but still not quite cool enough for autumn, leaving people confused on what to wear.
The weather should be cooling down soon. Fall break is this weekend, when many students will be going home with their warm-weather clothes to return with their clothes for the colder weather approaching. So what are they returning with? Sweaters and jeans are obvious staples. However, other trends have been popping up.
Lauren Kincaid, a student at Ohio University, loves all things fall fashion.
“I’m always gonna be on board with suede,” she said. She loves the suede trends. Whether skirts, jackets or shoes, Kincaid is loving the look.
Kincaid also noted some “in” shoes this year. She loves the look of tall boots which pair with the season as well as kitten heels.
“I have seen a lot of kitten heels, specifically with pointed toes,” she said. These have been worn with jeans more frequently as of late, elevating simple outfits into something classy. They are perfect for a coffee run, dinner date or a night uptown.
Plaid is also a staple, especially with burnt oranges and golden yellows in the mix. Plaid used to be mainly only on flannel button ups, but now there are plaid skirts, pants and overalls which turn a plain shirt into the perfect pumpkin-picking outfit.
When wind picks up and temperatures drop, hair down is the way to go when trying to stay warm. In the summer, it is nice to have hair pulled back away from the face so it does not get stuck to the sweat and become uncomfortable. However, cooler weather means less ponytails and more styling. Heatless curls have erupted lately as an easy, less-damaging way to get the perfect curls. They offer a way to look like it took hours to get ready when it really took no time at all.
As there are less updos and more blowouts, different haircuts also come into play. Now is the time people start cutting bangs for the cute cozy look. As mentioned, blowouts are a huge fall hairdo which causes many people to get layers in their hair for the season. Men's hairstyles change as well, this is the time they start growing out their hair to keep their necks warm in the winter.
As darker colors move to the forefront of wardrobes, many people also dye their hair darker for the colder months ahead. Others will go auburn or other shades of red to match the aesthetic of the red leaves and apple orchards widely associated with the season.
Ballet flats have also made a comeback, they could replace flip flops in the coming weeks, though OU student Elle Alexander does not seem to think so.
“There have been lots of flip flops,” Alexander said. “I think that will continue until it gets really cold.” They have been styled with sweatpants, jeans and even dress pants.
OU student Michael Brown has noticed more Carhartt this year.
“I have been seeing more Carhartt beanies around campus lately,” Brown said. In addition to the beanies, Carhartt jackets and jeans will be popping up soon when it gets chilly.
Another trend emerging this season is Henley shirts. Men and women alike wear Henleys, pairing them well well with jeans or cargo pants. Henley shirts are a good choice because they have a bit more detail than a plain shirt while also maintaining versatility and trendiness.
Denim is a huge staple for the season, especially darker shades. Denim is also no longer limited to the classic blue jean. Brown, beige and burgundy can add a little sprinkle of autumn to an otherwise everyday outfit. Denim comes in many different forms too, not only denim jeans, but also denim jackets, vests and overalls.
Another popular trend is matching sets. When asked what trends have been showing up lately, Alexander mentioned seeing lots of matching sets around campus. Tied in with this, there have been a lot of patterns as well. Stripes and polka dots have been circulating recently in fall colors such as maroon and navy blue. Parke sweatshirts are also a huge trend lately as well as mockneck sweatshirts.
Autumn has its own color scheme, pumpkins, apples and trees acting as big drivers of the fall palette. Rich reds and browns bring apple orchards to a closet while oranges and greens provide all the fun of a pumpkin patch without even leaving the house. Golden yellows match the tree leaves and fall sunsets which fade into navy blue and black night skies. All of these colors make up the perfect closet for this season.
The fall season has so many ways to elevate the wardrobe. Jackets let students keep their favorite summer outfits while making sure they don’t freeze, matching sets keep students from having to try on everything in their closet to make an outfit and boots and heels elevate classic to classy. As Athens cools down it might finally be time to put the flip flops away to make room for boots, sweaters and everything in between.
