September! The gateway to my favorite time of year: Autumn.
September in Washington D.C. is a tricky time of year. It is often still summer-hot, but there is something a little odd about wearing really summery clothes. And so we have the challenge of dressing for a temperature, time, and mood that aren’t squarely in sync.
We’ve been here before, literally.
I wear cotton and linen into the fall, but look for long (or longer) sleeves and pants. I also stop wearing sandals and most open-toe shoes.
Under my jacket, a summer top — just in case it’s really hot when I go out for lunch.The darker color transitions well to fall.
I love this type of print. It’s sort of like a bandana print, but maybe it’s more accurate to call it a naive or figurative floral. Not sure. Perhaps the art history majors will weigh in.
A khaki jacket and jeans is a no fail combination. I would generally wear it with a white blouse, but red is one color that adds to the combination.
What am I saying! Pale pink also looks terrfic with this combination as seen here.
I might wear a navy blue top, too. Maybe.
Just including a few photos to show how the jacket looks buttoned and unbuttoned. I like it equally well both ways; it looks slimmer when buttoned.
Part of the reason that I wear this jacket so often is that it is well-designed. Button tabs at the waist create shape. It’s also a wonderful shade of khaki — very pale and buttery, which may mean that it isn’t really khaki.
Finishing things off: a Marni bag that I bought in one of my rare forays on eBay.
I periodically get an idea about vintage jewelry or scarves and have purchased a few such items through eBay. Designer handbags seem like more of a risk to me; they’re expensive and the counterfeit industry is so insidious. But I took a chance on this bag and it is a genuine article.
I am very curious if any of you have purchased high-end labels through Vestaire Collective or TheRealReal. They seem to be well-organized, consignment mediators. If you’ve had good experiences, please share them!
Jacket: Benetton; Blouse: Anthropologie; Jeans: JCrew; Bag: Marni; Shoes: Coach
Directrice, I love your website and your attire, and your arch yet kind writing style, but I must raise one objection: I think you wear your jeans too long and too baggy. I believe going down a size and/or lopping an inch or two off the bottom will make the overall look sleeker. You are so adorable. Don’t hide your light under a barrel, as my mom used to tell me.
Thank you Missanthrope (great handle) for the generous praise! You are not the first to take issue with my loose jeans — which I had thought were sort of fitted, demonstrating that I am prone to delusion as anyone. In today’s post (9/5/16), I am wearing my skinny jeans — except I’ve been told readers that they aren’t really skinnies. But perhaps my version of skinnies will come closer to your vision for me? I will keep your advice in mind as I search for a new pair of jeans this fall.
Surely to be deemed khaki something must have at least a green tinge? I know monitors vary, but I would have thought against the red the green would show… If not stone, then I would have called that jacket buttermilk.
Still loving your blog; for the writing as much as your excellent style!
Hello Ursula — I’m not sure about whether green is a necessary part of khaki — think British army uniforms c. 1900, which read pretty straight tan — but buttermilk is a good name for the jacket and now I want a chocolate cake made with buttermilk. I guess khaki is technically a fabric and not a color, but I associate it with a range of tan colors that are often made of khaki.
I love that blouse! Gorgeous!
I, too, am sweating my a** off in DC, longing for cooler weather and a true autumn.
I think the pink with that jacket looks pretty springy. If you wanted to wear the pink in the fall I think I’d go with a brown jacket.
I do like Fall in DC. If the temperatures would settle into the 70s it would be perfect for my large wardrobe of dark cottons and scarves.
The bag is perfection…lucky girl!
I love your captions so.