The 4 Pieces I’m Buying (Fall Trends 2024, Amy’s Edit)

Okay, see, Fall Fashion doesn’t really work where I live. Not in the traditional sense, anyway. 

I’m always drooling over the latest coat silhouettes this time of year, adding just about every sweater to my online wishlists, but many (errr 99%?) of the classic fall trends are not something I get to partake in while living in San Diego (and I presume for much of the entire south, too).

But even if “the -ber months” are the hottest time of the year where I live, it doesn’t make me any less of an Autumn girlie (I’ll take that PSL over ice with my Gilmore Girls marathon, please!). 

vest (10) | jeans (28) | scarf | mules

Amy’s Fall Edit: Wearable Trends In A Warm Weather Fall

The best part about fashion, if you ask me, is making clothes work for YOU. And that’s exactly what I do when fall comes around. I scour through the list of trends not just to see what catches my eye or feels most in tune with the overall fashion climate, but I comb through all of the possibilities for what is ACTUALLY wearable in a warm weather fall.

The end result is always few, but still very exciting – and, well, actually practical, since being tempted by a billion other trendy things just simply – doesn’t work here.

But First: A Warm Weather Fall Mood Board

Dreamy fall inspiration is not just for the folks up north. I’m still obsessed with the quilted (everything) trend that’s been sticking around for a few seasons, but we just have to look to sleeveless vest versions. We can bare our legs with silk shorts to offset a lightweight sweater, and we can reach for tall boots, too – even if they are of the puddle jumping kind to go collect a harvest from the garden (or, uhm, the harvest of someone else’s at the farmers market).

I think what I’m most excited about is baring a little (or a lot) of skin with these main concepts in mind:

• Leopard (and lots of it)
• Deep autumnal hues
• Mixing a “cold layer” with a “hot layer”
• Earthy, countryside styling

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My Most Worn Fall Pieces

Before adding in any new pieces, it’s helpful to know the base of which we’re working with. Mine has been some version of the same things pretty much my entire adult life: oversized tops, casual denim, comfy shorts and easy shoes.

sweatshirt (L), jeans (27 tall), flats | sweater (M), shorts (M), clogs | matching set (L)

When I stop and think of my personal go-to’s for this time of year, it’s a little mix of practical and wishful thinking. Shorts get worn long through fall, but I do my best to offset them with some sort of cozy layer on top. I don’t necessarily pack away the denim cut-offs, but I do finally reach for silk or knit pairs – something I skip for most of summer so that there’s still an exciting shift in a new season.

I also opt for loose, comfy jeans in light washes, despite the colder seasons often tasking us with dark hues (this pair from Gap is phenomenal in every way), and I always mix in matching lounge sets, with this shorts + oversized top set being my fave for multiple years now (it’s ultra lightweight, helping with the sweaty weather factor – and restocks often).

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The 4 Pieces I’m Adding To My Closet For Fall

While I could have (and joyfully would have) filled this section with leopard print things only, I do actually have a few other key pieces I’m adding to my closet this fall.

flats | vest | cardigan | boots

There’s no question that shoes are the easiest thing to try out for fall if you’re living someplace warm. They don’t add a ton of heat if you choose correctly (ie: skip the shearling Uggs) and can add a whole new spice to a well-worn & beloved outfit formula. I also always try to pick one thing out of my comfort zone to spike my creativity, and it’s pretty much a given that I cave to some sort of new sweater (even if I have to get creative in wearing it until the temps start to cool off).

1. Steve Madden Leopard Flats

Leopard is easily my favorite trend of the season – and luckily, it can be found in EVERYTHING.

matching set (L) | flats

One of the most enticing ways to wear it (and don’t forget: practical for heat) is in a shoe. While there were some sneakers that almost pulled me in, it was the edgy buckles on the famous Steve Madden flat (okay, which is actually an alternative to the famous Ganni pair but for a deep fraction of the cost) that actually had me gasping out loud. 

The point toe is exactly what I was wanting in a fall shoe silhouette, but what I didn’t know is how long and lean the pointed aspect would make my legs look.

tee (XL) | pants (M) | flats

These are a magical sort of shoe that has worked with everything I pair them with – not even my buttery ballet flats work this well (is leopard the unicorn neutral?!).

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2. A Tailored Vest

For my something out-of-my-comfort-zone pick, I went with a vest. A tailored, textured version that really gives off a sense of fall rather than summer.

vest (10) | jeans (27, tall) | clogs

I rarely love showing off my full arms, but I blame the hotter temperatures we’ve been having lately for my initial caving in. There were a lot of cool options I debated, but when trying something new I prefer opting for a budget-friendly pick to test the waters. Turns out, the budget-friendly option is maybe the best option out there.

vest (10) | shorts (27) | flats

This vest from J.Crew Factory fits my broad upper body like a dream, and the tweed herringbone makes no mistake at adding just the right bit of autumnal excitement to my otherwise summer-like pieces.

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3. Hunter Boots

I’ve been very much pulled in by the English countryside rain gear concept. I’m seeing women all over social media pull out their wellies for fall, styling them in very bohemian, girly girl ways that catches my attention every time. While a pair has actually been on my wishlist for spring, I decided to go ahead and follow suit for this season.

button-down (XL) | similar top in blue | shorts (M) | boots

Do I have a garden to tend to in these boots? No. Do I care? Absolutely not.

The real reason these are so amazing is because they allow me to get in on the tall boot trend without my calf’s having to sweat in leather. We’re pulling these boots on with shorts and sweaters and lacy dresses (tip: an oversized button-down gives off the same perfect pairing as a long barn coat, but without the added heat + bulk), and if the breeze does blow your way? Add some knee socks!!

tee (XL) | similar skirt | boots

I’m wearing these right away, but I will admit, I’m most excited for the temperatures to fall back into 60s and 70s so I can add longer coats over my shorts + pull on these boots.

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4. A Ladylike Cardigan

When it comes to putting an entire fall outfit together for a warm weather climate, I try to always follow the rule of pairing a “warm layer” with a “cold layer”. If I’m wearing shorts, something I’d do in the summertime, I look to find a top that is more cozy that I’d wear in colder seasons.

similar cardigan | tank (M) | jeans

Slouchy sweaters and oversized crewnecks are always my first choice, but I wanted to try a more fitted cardigan this time around. I had been hunting down this kind of cardigan for nearly a year, actually finding a dreamy one in this years NSale, but naturally – it sold out.

So then I scooped up this budget-friendly version from Old Navy, that was well stocked in multiple colors, only for it to – yep, sell out.

Which means this is a look a lot of people are going for this season. Gap makes an incredibly similar version, one that I felt and tried on in store, and I can attest to being a good one.

similar cardigan | shorts (M) | clogs

In hindsight, I might lose the dainty jewels the next time I wear this cardigan – it’s a little too ladylike of a pairing. I think keeping the cardigan as a simple piece, or perhaps mixing it with edgier jewels would feel more on brand for me.

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Back to top

We’re in the midst of a sweaty heat wave as I write this, but I’m really looking forward to wearing these pieces all the way through fall, tweaking here and there when mornings cool off. The Hunter Boots are what I’m eager to spend more time with – crafting outfits for weekend farmers markets or early coffee runs. But all four of these items are the kind I am looking forward to wearing on serious repeat. Stay tuned for more to come with each one!

Xx
Amy

Let’s be friends on Instagram! Sharing life from a California beach town, daily style & beauty faves, and never-ending Taylor Swift dance-athons…all with a good dose of adorable toddler content, too.