Blue Striped Ruffle Top

I was digging through my pictures archive and stumbled across this look that I completely forgot to post about this past summer!  Oh well, September here in the San Francisco bay area is generally the hottest month of the season!  It's been well into the 90's over the last few days and I'm not complaining!  I love to throw on a pair of shorts and a cool top, such as this striped ruffled sleeveless button up from H&M.

I adore the ruffle detail around the neckline which gives this top a little bit of a retro style.  In fact, it reminds me of a white ruffle top that I wore under a floral dress in my 4th grade picture!  We won't talk about how long ago that was, but it's nice to see old fashion trends emerge again!  

  

The blue and white pin stripes are the finishing touch that give this top a little bit of a nautical flare.  I decided to wear it with a classic pair of white shorts such as these here and a simple pair of sandals such as these cute neutral ones that go with anything here.

I hope you are all having a great week so far!  Get out and enjoy the outdoors and savor the last bits of summer we have left!  Also, don't forget...H&M is having a sale up to 60% off!  Shop 1,000+ styles online and in-store and receive free shipping on orders of $40 or more using code: 0040.    

xoxoxo,

Hayley

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High Low Sleeveless Dress

I love versatility in my wardrobe!  This pink medallion printed sleeveless dress (similar option in blue found here) from H&M is a great way to show how you can take a summer look and transition it to fall very easily.  Once you open your mind to doing this, the wardrobe possibilities will be endless!  I suggest you look at all your spring and summer dresses and reevaluate their potential to wear again when the weather cools down.  A few simple tips will help you with this process.  

  

1.     Start with the dress…solid colors or simple basic patterns that don’t scream spring or summer will work best. For example, pineapples and flamingos may not be the best choice for this project.  This H&M dress (similar in blue here) is a color that can be used all year round.  The medallion grey pattern is simple and neutral which makes this dress a great choice as a transition piece.   Here are a few other similar options you can consider here, here, and here.  

2. Shoes...sandals, flip flops, espadrilles, and open toe heels are the perfect shoe to accessorize this dress in the spring or summer.  However, when the weather gets cooler you will need something warmer to keep your tootsies toasty.  Boots, oxfords, flats, and booties are my favorite shoes for fall and they can be worn with your spring or summer dresses!  In fact, I believe shoes are the most important element to create fabulous fall looks with your spring and summer pieces.  I'm wearing these booties which I picked up last year but here are a few of my current favorites here, here, and here.    

3.  Layers...It doesn't matter if your dress is sleeveless or strapless...the fact of the matter is that you can continue to wear it in autumn and winter as long as you add warm layers.  My favorite cool weather layers are cardigans, trench coats, moto jackets, and denim.  Here are a few closet staples that work perfectly well for layering in cooler weather here, here, and here.   

4.  Tights...although I am not wearing any in this post, tights are essential in making any spring or summer dress transitional for cooler weather.  They keep your legs warm and they comes in a variety of fun colors and textures that are sure to punch up any outfit!   Here are my favorite picks here, here, and here!

So remember, before you start to pack away all your summer dresses, take into consideration whether you can use them to create fun fall outfits.  With the right layers and accessories, you will be amazed at how much wear you can get out of the summer dress you were considering for fall and winter hibernation!

Happy Closet Organizing!

xoxoxo,

Hayley