5 Casual California Style Fall Outfit Ideas

In this post – Join me for an amateur styling session, where I’m sharing fall outfits I wore last week. I’m also breaking down each outfit, including how I styled it and links to most of the pieces.

Fall has finally arrived in Southern California after a month of off-and-on sweltering temperatures. I never understood the impact humidity can have on hot days until we moved to San Diego. I now fully get why people say that a dry heat isn’t as bad! In the Bay Area, it can be hot in the summer and fall but without the humidity that you might experience in other parts of the country. Let me tell you, I’ll take a dry heat any day!

Although the weather in here San Diego is still warm and pleasant during the day, the cool mornings and evenings mean that I can wear more layers and that it’s time to break out long-sleeved tops. This transition also means saying good-bye to wearing shorts pretty much everyday and getting some of my jeans and pants back into the rotation.

I’m excited to build outfits with the newest additions to my closet. This year, I chose to add just a few new pieces that I can build outfits around using clothes I already own. A good chunk of my fall wardrobe is still in my closet up in the Bay Area, so I had to get creative with the warmer pieces I brought down here. All of the outfits here are a reflection of the pretty casual vibe you’ll find in San Diego. It’s mostly suburban living, so you most likely won’t see a lot of the more polished looks of city-dwellers. It’s strictly casual here.

(Also, for reference, I’m 6 feet tall, so if you’re one of my more petite friends some of these styles may fit you a little differently 😉.)

Monday

Wine-colored long-sleeve top + faded denim + plaid + colorful sneaks + fun purse

For this outfit, I paired an old pair of tapered light-wash FRAME jeans (sold out in this color) with a new wine-colored top from Faherty. A vintage plaid flannel tied around my adds some pattern and more color. The funky purse was a recent find on The Real Real and I absolutely love it. It’s a 2016 Valentino Rock Stud Glam hand-embroidered runway bag that I got for a steal! The colors in it go great with the plums and purples in my wardrobe.

For cooler evenings I played around with adding a brown faux-fur jacket from Sanctuary (sold out) to the mix. Faux fur is fun! I paired it with my Gucci Jackie Ophidia bag, another Real Real find. And these burgundy suede Adidas Sambas are my absolute favorite shoe purchase this fall. I can’t help it – I love a matchy-matchy shoe outfit. I can’t wait to play around with these sneaks in other outfits.

I’m also wearing this beaded necklace that I picked up on sale at Anthropologie las week. Sorry that it didn’t make it into the pics. The colors in it look great with all of the plums and purples this season.

Tuesday

brown-striped long-sleeve + barrel leg jeans + brown sneaks + oversized cream cardigan

This is one of those times I’m going to eat my words. In a previous post (I think last fall?) I poo-poo’d barrel leg jeans. Well, I’ve had a change of heart. They are now one of my favorite styles. I paired these JCrew Tall Zoe barrel jeans with a new fitted brown-striped top from GAP with an older oversized cream cardigan from Reformation (sold out) tied around my waist. I’m loving the sweater-as-a-belt trend this year because I’ve been tying jackets around my waist forever. The scarf-as-belt trend this past summer was a little too trendy of a look for me, but not this one.

My old brown suede Adidas Sambas finished off the look. You can’t go wrong with a brown suede sneaker, especially in the fall.

I accessorized with a gold, blue and brown necklace set I picked up at Evereve in the Bay Area plus some gold hoops. They add a little interest to an otherwise subdued look.

For cooler temps, the cream cardigan works well for layering. Here I’m showing it button up and unbuttoned. I think it looks good both ways. I like the cozy grandpa-core vibe it gives.

Wednesday

gray v-neck tee + black drawstring pants + black v-neck sweater + Romy sporty flats + Ella nylon drawstring tote

I had trouble figuring out what to wear because we were attending an evening presentation that evening at the San Diego Zoo. My husband and I knew we wanted to spend some time before the dinner wandering the zoo, so I decided comfort was the way to go. A fresh deep V gray tee from GAP plus black cotton drawstring pants from Faherty were perfect. With a black v-neck sweater (you guessed it) tied around my waist, I was ready for any drop in temps later in the evening. The Romy flats are super comfortable for walking but read a little dressier than sneakers.

I was torn between my small black crossbody and my oversized tote. The small bag ultimately came with me for ease of carrying.

And for a little shine, I loaded up on all of my bracelets and my nice watch. I love mixing gold and silver together.

Thursday

Black denim shorts, white tee, Romy flats, Ella nylon drawstring tote + Sézane scarf

And just like that, Mother Nature decided we weren’t done with the heat just yet. Out came the oversized black denim shorts by Mango and one of my favorite white tees by Free People. I love this shirt so much I bought two, one small and one medium for different fits. I still love the look of the scarf from Sézane tied to my black tote. I’ve gotten a ton of wear out of my black leather flip flops from Reformation this past season.

Friday

Cream Relaxed Jacquard Pull-On Barrel Pants + white linen shirt + Romy flats + Ella nylon drawstring tote + Sézane scarf

For Friday’s look, I hope you’ll pop over to my Substack, where I like to write more in-depth about my musings on fashion and life in general. I’ll also share what’s still on my wish-list for fall. The newest trending fall color palettes have me excited to try incorporating more color in my outfits, especially burgundy and purple! Hope to see you there!

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