It’s Not Fall Y’All!

BUT – I learned my lesson last year. If I wait til it’s actually cool out to look for fall clothes, everything is sold out! I’m not gonna make THAT mistake again! Shop now, wear later. That’s my new motto.

Don’t Be Bettye.

So, I have some things top of my mind as I think about shopping for fall:

1. Now that Gwynnie Bee is no longer offering me adventurous items, I need to be more open to looking for and trying them on my own.
2. I really have enough basics. Now I need (oh, alright, want) some fancy things to give some spark to the basics.
3. Don’t Buy Shoes Til I’ve Bought Clothes. I always end up buying the shoes I think I’ll need, but they rarely seem to go with what I actually buy. I actually need a shoe mentor. Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?
4. PRINTS.
5. Pants that aren’t jeans. And SKIRTS.
6. Broaden my fall palette from just chestnut and mustard to include wine and pink.

Okay, that said, I’ve been online window shopping and this is my first round of Things I Want. What will happen is I’ll order some of these, 90% of them won’t fit or will look ridiculous on me and I’ll return it all and move on to Round Two. After Round Two I pretty much give up…which is both a blessing and a curse.

I’ve been dying for a blazer for years but I don’t know if it’s Really Me. BUT I saw this dress on ellos.com (a subsidiary of Woman Within/Jessica London) and fell in love hard.

Then I saw this blazer that in my mind’s eye would be beautiful over that dress! Oh, the pattern mixing!

Until I realized the dress was NAVY not black (it sure looks black, doesn’t it? maybe it’s just my monitor) but by that time I was already in deep deep love with the idea of the blazer. It will go over my black and white striped tee and my black invisible dress and the black cashmere crew neck I don’t own but maybe will someday and the black with pink polka dots top I tried on at Lane Bryant earlier this week and many other things. I can wear it as a jacket til it gets really cold. It seems useful (have I rationalized this purchase enough?) and I’m committed. So it’s a toss-up between the ellos.com blazer or a similar-ish blazer at Old Navy that’s a little less money, but…I really like the ellos one better. I think it’s a little sharper and more tailored looking.

A blogger I follow, RoseyBeeme, does a “Sunday Steals” feature on her InstaStories on Sundays and she showed a pair of gorgeous knee-high boots that I thought might actually fit (if you’ve been following for awhile you know my frustration at not being able to find boots to fit my very large calves). I have actually already ordered these and am waiting with a hopeful heart.

While I was on the site I saw this golden yellow dress. That pleated skirt! I could be Juliet Prowse in a pair of pointy-toe leopard ballet flats, spinning and springing onto park benches.

And…a gorgeous long coat. With the advent of duster length cardigans has come the issue of needing a coat long enough to come at least close to their length. I haven’t had a long coat in AGES. I love this color and the fact that it’s just a wrap, which makes fit more accommodating.

I thought this plaid duster/cardigan might be a fun addition, easy to throw on over a white tee to bring it up a notch.

Then this navy pleated skirt from J. Crew, be still my heart. It’s like my preppy schoolgirl dream. I know J. Crew has been carrying some plus sizes for awhile but I didn’t really trust them to be large enough.  Then I saw a plus-sized woman on Instagram earlier this week in a J. Crew dress, she has a similar body size to mine, and the fit was a dream. So I took a look and may take a chance (if this goes on sale before it sells out of my size!). I would wear it with knotted-up button-front blouses, white tees, long chunky sweaters, over white sneakers or boots or oxfords (we haven’t even gotten to shoes yet!). And note: the above plaid blazer over the navy pleated skirt?? Come On!

And while we’re on the subject of skirts (I’m really trying to do more separates than just dresses, they give more opportunities for variation in outfits), yes, I am a sheep. A follower. Just one of the herd. But I think I would like a leopard skirt (here in plus). This one from Loft is nice and full and flowy. More JP moments (see yellow dress above).

Okay, it’s time to move onto the Holy Grail: SHOES. Always difficult for me. And I’ve been searching for chestnut booties for several years now and it has just not happened. But the taupe booties I’ve been wearing the past two years are looking pretty decrepit and, well, schlubby, so…the search continues. I’d also like some other non-booty shoe to wear during the winter with jeans and pants instead of sneakers all the time. I need to spend an afternoon in DSW and try on a million pairs to find the right ones!

And then there’s BAGS. But the one I had my heart set on just sold out so my heart is broken right now and I can’t even think about another bag. I don’t want a rebound bag. I took too long to buy it cuz I kept thinking about that STUPID Macy*s credit…I kept telling myself to get a bag from Macy*s with that instead of spending money on one somewhere else. But I never liked the ones at Macy*s but I couldn’t commit to this one from Nordstrom because MACY*S (argh). And now it’s sold out. Which, clearly, I hold Macy*s responsible for. OH and in the end, I’ve decided to just get SHEETS from Macy*s cuz I never see shoes or a bag there that I like but I need sheets, so. Problem Solved. Hopefully. Unless they find some way to screw that up, too.

Okay. That’s all that’s really on my mind so far. Well, aside from the 27 items on my Anthropologie Wish List, but.

What are you thinking about for fall? Got any dream wish items??

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