How to Wear Summer Clothes Into Autumn | Curated by Lucie

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I’m not ready to pack summer away just yet. Instead, I’m changing how I wear the pieces I already own.

There’s always a point in August when I start thinking about autumn clothes.

Not because it’s actually cold. It usually isn’t.

But suddenly the linen, sandals and very summery outfits I was perfectly happy wearing a few weeks ago don’t feel quite right anymore.

In the past, this was normally the point when I started shopping.

A new jacket. A couple of jumpers. Maybe some new boots because apparently the ones already sitting in my wardrobe had somehow stopped existing over the summer.

I’m trying very hard not to do that this year.

Instead, I’ve been looking at my summer wardrobe and asking myself a much more useful question:

What can I keep wearing if I just style it differently?

The answer, it turns out, is quite a lot.

I’m Changing the Layers, Not the Wardrobe

This is probably the biggest difference in how I’m approaching autumn this year.

My white jeans aren’t going anywhere.

Neither are my wide-leg jeans, green trousers or the shirts I’ve worn throughout summer.

I’m just starting to add another layer.

My cream lightweight wool jumper can go over a shirt when the morning is cooler. My suede jacket works over a blouse, T-shirt or cami. And the blazers that have barely been touched during the warmer weather suddenly start earning their keep again.

One outfit I already know I’ll wear is my white broderie blouse, white jeans and cognac loafers with the brown suede jacket over the top.

It still feels light enough for August and September, but the suede and loafers completely change the mood.

And that’s really what I’m trying to do.

I don’t want to suddenly look as though I’ve dressed for November just because summer is starting to fade.

I’m Starting With the Clothes I Actually Wear

I’ve realised there’s very little point trying to transition clothes I didn’t particularly enjoy wearing in summer.

If I didn’t reach for something when it was warm, adding a jumper isn’t suddenly going to make me love it.

So I’m starting with my favourites.

My white jeans.

My wide-leg denim.

My navy silk shirt.

My green trousers.

My powder-blue shirt.

The things I already reach for without thinking.

Then I’m asking how I can wear each of them when the temperature drops a few degrees.

It sounds obvious, but it’s quite different from looking at an autumn trend and then trying to find something in my wardrobe that fits it.

I’m starting with my wardrobe, not the trend.

And I think that’s why it feels much more wearable.

I’m Changing My Shoes Before I Change My Clothes

This is probably the first change I make.

I can wear exactly the same jeans and shirt I wore in July, but the minute I swap my sandals for my cognac loafers, it somehow stops looking like a summer outfit.

My brown woven flats are brilliant for this in-between period too. They’re still light enough for a warm afternoon, but they don't feel quite as summery as a sandal.

Then the loafers come out more often.

And eventually the boots.

But the boots can wait.

I’m definitely not wishing August away that quickly.

What I like about this is that I’m not actually creating a completely different outfit.

I’m changing one thing.

That’s much more useful to me than having a separate wardrobe for every season.

I’m Letting Brown Creep Back In

This might be my favourite part of dressing for this time of year.

I’ve worn a lot more colour over the summer and I absolutely don’t want to pack it away and replace everything with black and grey because September is approaching.

Instead, I’m starting to mix those colours with warmer browns and cognacs.

Red with brown.

Green with cream.

Powder blue with cognac.

Denim with chocolate brown.

My brown suede jacket is going to do a lot of work here, as are my cognac loafers, brown woven flats and dark brown bag.

I love what brown does to brighter colours. It makes them feel richer and slightly more autumnal without dulling them down.

And after finally getting more confident with colour, I’m certainly not giving it up for six months.

Some of My Summer Shirts Are Actually Better in Early Autumn

My shirts are a perfect example of why I don’t really believe in putting everything away at the end of a season anymore.

My navy silk shirt can sometimes feel like too much on a genuinely hot day.

But give me a slightly cooler morning and it’s exactly what I want to wear.

The same goes for my powder-blue shirt and striped silky blouse.

With denim, loafers, sleeves pushed up and some gold jewellery, they suddenly make complete sense again.

And when it gets cooler, I can add the suede jacket or a blazer.

I’d much rather dress like this in September than rush straight into chunky knitwear.

There’ll be plenty of time for that.

I’m Keeping the Colour

For years, I think I subconsciously thought autumn meant camel, navy, black, grey and perhaps a bit of burgundy if I was feeling adventurous.

I still love those colours.

But I also love my red jeans and green trousers.

So they’re staying.

The difference is what I put with them.

Instead of thinking:

What are the autumn colours this year?

I’m thinking:

How can I make the colours I already love feel right for autumn?

That tiny change in thinking has opened up far more outfits than I expected.

A bright colour doesn't necessarily make something summery.

Sometimes it just needs a different supporting cast.

I’m Bringing Texture Back Before Heavy Layers

This is something I’ve started noticing more and more.

An outfit can feel autumnal without actually being particularly warm.

Suede does it.

So does leather.

A silk shirt with denim and loafers feels completely different from the same shirt with lightweight trousers and sandals.

Even my dark brown bag and gold jewellery add a little more richness.

This is particularly useful during that awkward period when the mornings look like autumn but by lunchtime you’re wondering why on earth you wore a jumper.

Rather than piling on layers, I’m changing the texture of what I wear.

It gives me the autumn feeling without the overheating.

I’m Not Buying for a Season That Hasn’t Arrived Yet

This is probably the part I need to remind myself of most.

It’s very easy to see new-season clothes appearing online in August and convince yourself you need them immediately.

Beautiful suede jackets. New knitwear. Perfect boots. Entire outfits in lovely shades of chocolate brown.

And suddenly everything hanging in your own wardrobe looks slightly less exciting.

Then September arrives and it’s 22 degrees.

So this year, I’m waiting.

I’ll wear what I have.

I’ll see which combinations work.

And, more importantly, I’ll notice where the genuine gaps are.

There may well be something.

I’m not trying to never buy clothes again. I love clothes far too much to pretend that’s going to happen.

But I want the next thing I buy to solve an actual wardrobe problem rather than one created by seeing a beautiful autumn campaign.

There’s quite a difference.

One Wardrobe, Just Worn Differently

The surprising thing is that approaching autumn this way doesn’t feel restrictive.

Quite the opposite.

I’m actually looking forward to wearing things differently again.

The suede jacket I haven’t needed for months suddenly feels exciting.

The loafers come back.

My silk shirts become easier to wear.

And combinations I wouldn’t have considered in June suddenly make sense.

Maybe that’s what I’ve been getting wrong about seasonal dressing.

I don’t actually need a summer wardrobe and an autumn wardrobe.

I need one wardrobe that gradually changes as the weather does.

Some things disappear for a few months, obviously. I’m not wearing sandals in November.

But right now?

My white jeans are staying. My shirts are staying. The colour is definitely staying.

I’m just adding loafers, a bit of suede, a lightweight jumper and seeing how long I can make everything else work.

And if I find a genuine gap along the way, I’ll buy it.

I’m just not going looking for one.

If you are inspired by any of the clothing here, I have tried to include similar items below:

Most of my new items for Autumn will be coming from Vinted or Preloved - see my future article on mixing second hand with new.

If like me, you're trying to build a wardrobe that works harder for you and are looking to only fill your wardrobe with quality pieces that fill genuine gaps, you might also enjoy reading:

10 Timeless Wardrobe Heroes I Wear Again and Again After 40 – the pieces that earn their place in my wardrobe year after year.
How to Make Simple Outfits Look More Expensive After 40– the small styling changes that make the biggest difference.
Why White Jeans Are My Most-Worn Item After 40 – why they've become one of the hardest-working pieces I own.
How I Wear Colour More Confidently After 40 – how I stopped avoiding bright colours and learnt to wear them with confidence.

How I’m Wearing My Summer Clothes Into Autumn (Without Buying a New Wardrobe)