From the Etsy Files...

Howdy! I still haven't come up with too many other kinds of posts to do for this month, mainly because I'm trying to get things straight so I can bombard you come October. So this'll be another collection of colors, items and styles that bring fall to mind for me. What inspires you for fall? 

Fall Wool Blanket as Scarf/Wrap/Shawl, $40

I had to start this one off with something comfy and versatile. It's actually a wool blanket, but you can style it as a scarf, wrap or shawl. This accomplishes my goal of wearing a blanket out in public. LOL I feel like this is one of those pieces that you could wear to bring some immediate class to your outfit. When I think of older wealthy ladies and see them in movies, they always have these simple, warm-looking shawls and wraps on, even if they're wearing jeans. I wouldn't know how to style this very well, but if I could properly figure out how to make it work for me, I'm gonna do it. 

Vintage 1970s Orange Sweater with Faux Ivory Belt, $19.99

Orange is another color that I'm drawn to during fall for obvious reasons. This is a very simple top and I like that as it allows the color to be front and center; other than the diamond detailing throughout the shirt and the ivory discs in the belt, there's nothing particularly dramatic or fussy about it. You can do a lot with the shirt because it's so simple and doesn't fall into a specific category of either casual or dressy, so you could just as easily wear this with high-waisted dark denim or a simple skirt. I love how vivid the color is and it suits the design of the shirt well. 

1970s Burgundy A-line Knit Skirt, $17.60

Dark purples look so gorgeous to me during cooler weather. I don't know if its because of the different colors in the surroundings, but I think the color looks so much more vivid then. I like brighter purples for the summer, but colors like plum really come to life for me during fall. I wouldn't know how to style this skirt though. I love the color, but the length and style of it makes it hard for me to come up with ideas on how to properly pair it with other items. What would you pair with this?

1960s Knee-Length Dress with Embroidered Leaves, $50.51

This is another lighter-colored dress that has more of a subtle take on the season; tiny little leaves are embroidered throughout this tan-colored dress. It also has pockets and I've always been a sucker for pocketed dresses. The material is thin which is good for those who live in an environment where fall is closer to summer temperatures than fall ones (like Texas lol). Even though I love my wool blankets and other cold weather outerwear, if I'm being realistic I know I won't be busting those out until sometime around Halloween. This is much better suited for Texas 'fall' than some of the other things I'm going to mention. It's also a more subtle vintage design; it's not so obviously '50s or '60s that people think you're a walking retro doll and want to take pictures of you like you're some kind of art exhibit. lol It thankfully hasn't happened to me, but I find myself irritated by that when I have to read about others experiencing it. 

Vintage 1970s Dark Floral Peplum Tie Top, $30

Darker floral prints are a favorite of mine especially during the fall. I'm not sure why, but darker florals are another thing that I find myself in love with during this time of year. Over the past couple of years I have started to slowly like peplum and I think the way this tie-top is styled in the photo is probably how I'd choose to wear it. I think it looks best with either dark blue or black denim and a simple shirt underneath. Because the top is so detailed, this can easily go overboard if not styled correctly. I like allowing one piece to be the focal point of an outfit rather than something that's busy all over so if I have a printed piece like this tie top, the rest of the outfit should be simple. 

Vintage 1970s Ribbed Knit Half-Sleeve Sweater
with Oversized Butterfly Collar, $30

I like the shirt, but I included it because of the colors. The way they come together in this shirt is another favorite of mine; I love the contrast of the colors in the collar and on the sleeves. Ribbed knit sweaters are some of my favorites to wear during fall; they're not crazy heavy, they aren't scratchy, but they still keep you warm. This would look good with a variety of bottoms, from skirts to denim, to even certain kinds of slacks. 

Downton Abbey-Inspired Wool Cloche, $144.50

I don't need to explain why this cloche is on the list today. This is a repro design but it's inspired by Downton Abbey and other shows of that time, and obviously I'm in love. I like that this is a simple design and the material of the flower is the same as the rest of the hat rather than a different type of flower sewn on to the cloche. It also looks like it would hug the head a little more closely than more structured cloches do. 

1960s Mod-Style Mini Houndstooth Double Breasted Wool Dress with Belt, $85

I love houndstooth print any time of the year, but I really like it paired with black or grey tights and long-sleeved shirts for colder weather. There's something very smart-looking about houndstooth in my opinion and you could wear this in a few different ways. You could wear it as is with some dressy sandals, you could take a cue from the mod style and pair it with some black knee-highs, or you could do what I said above and pair it with a thin black or gray long-sleeved shirt, the same colored tights and some flats. I also like that it's double-breasted and has the belt closure at the waist. 

'80s Does '40s Wool Short Wrapped Sweater, $44

What pulled me in with this little wrap sweater/bolero is the diagonal button closure going down the front. I liked the color, but the closure detail was what made me include it. I'd pair this with something simple; a white top and subtle slacks or something like that. You can make this look professional or simple and I like that. I know I've included a few lighter brown items at this point, but for fall outerwear, I like the lighter jackets. It's not until winter that I want all black everything. lol

Vintage Mustard Yellow Sweater with Little Men Pattern, $39.80

Finally, how cute is the little pattern on this top? A trio of little men stretch across this mustard yellow sweater and I think it's the majority of the reason why I chose this over the dress I'd been looking at. I was on the hunt for a mustard yellow dress similar to one I'd seen in ModCloth a couple of years ago, but no such luck yet. A few pages into the Etsy search and I came across this sweater. It looks warm, the print is cute and in the past couple of years, mustard has emerged as one of my favorite autumn colors. I won't wear it any other time of year; it, like eggnog, is one of those things that I only enjoy at certain times. lol
 

When I initially started this post, I was looking for darker floral prints and darker colors in general, but it ended up being a lighter color scheme instead. So if you're not a fan of lighter browns for fall, like tan or camel, you have my apologies. lol My style changes throughout the seasons, I've noticed. I usually like more masculine looks during the fall for some reason; that's when I feel the most drawn to pantsuits, pageboy caps, more structured coats and individual pieces, and solid, darker colors. But at the same time, I feel really drawn to looks that are all about comfort, like some of the pieces that I showed during last weekend's Instagram post. So basically, my style is all over the place but I do notice more leaning towards structured items during the fall. Does your style change with the seasons? Anywho, that does it for me for today. I hope you aren't getting tired of my posts yet; I know things have been dry this month. If my hard drive is still operational next month, I'm going to make up for it in spades, I promise. I hope you'll be watching TNT with me tomorrow and I'll see you soon!