The California Edit

In this post – recent trends and new editions to my fall wardrobe, two new favorite fragrances, and what I packed for a long weekend in NY.

Fall Wardrobe Picks

I’ve been deep in the fashion Substack world for the past few months. Like deep, deep. I’m slightly obsessed. I’ve been inspired by the Substackers I follow to update my fall wardrobe a bit. Not that I’m going for a complete overhaul, but I’d like to add some thoughtful new pieces that meet my current casual lifestyle needs but still make me feel put-together and on-trend for the new season. Today I’m sharing some of the biggest trends I’ve noticed for fall, along with my picks for adding them to your wardrobe.

Stripes

The striped long sleeve tee is back full-force this autumn. Rather than go with bold stripes of a rugby-style shirt, I chose these two tees for their fitted style and muted colors. The brown shirt on the left is from GAP. I often order basics like t-shirts from them because they carry tall sizes. The brick red shirt on the right is from Vince. It’s soft and slightly more elevated than a plain cotton tee.

Black Flats

I have been searching for what seems like months for the perfect black flats. I wear a size 10.5-11, so it’s been tricky to find styles that come in my size without being too wide. I’ve ordered and returned several pairs so far.

I recently ordered a pair Sophie ballet flats from JCrew that are actually pretty comfy. I’m on the fence about the shape though, and may return them. They have square toes that remind me a bit of Pilgrim shoes, plus I think they make my feet look even longer than they actually are. If I had more petite feet, they might be cuter. They have a low block heel and bows on the vamps, so they read as a dressier option. I’m looking for a more casual style.

This week I lucked out and finally found a pair of Reformation Blaine Ballet Flats that were out of stock the last time I looked, so I ordered both a 10.5 and an 11. Fingers crossed one of them fits because I think I prefer their modern shape and more casual feel over the JCrew flats.

Fall Color Trends

I’m looking forward to introducing some pops of color into my outfits this season, specifically blue, red and purple. The look is to add a bright color to an otherwise neutral outfit, such as a purple sweater tied at the waist, or a red sweater thrown over your shoulders. I most likely won’t try to hit all three trends at once, but one or two of these colors would be fun.

Purple

I love the color purple, but oddly, I only have two summer tops that purple and they are more of a lilac color than the deep shade you see below. Although I haven’t yet found the exact purple top I want to buy yet, this deep purple long sleeve by COS on the left is the definite front runner. The oversized cashmere crewneck sweater from JCrew on the right is another good option for colder months.

Blue

This pretty saturated blue color is something I’d definitely like to add to my fall wardrobe. The COS long-sleeve crepe jersey is perfect for layering in our more temperate climate, but I also love the cozy look of this cashmere mock-neck sweater by COS.

Red

I tend to gravitate toward neutrals more than anything. It’s weird that I don’t own more red tops because I think I look good in red. That’s a good reason to add a pop of red this fall. Both COS and the GAP have good options for red tops.

Second Hand Shopping for Trends

You don’t always have to buy new to add fall trends to your closet. Some of my RealReal saves include trending fall colors, like this vintage Chanel sweater from 2008. The colors are striking – notice the pops of red and purple? This sweater by Proenza Schouler is also totally on-trend in a lovely blue color. I also love the pop of red on this Celine bag.

Packing for NY

I just got back from a quick trip back east with my husband. Our daughter and her fiancé live just north of Manhattan, and I jumped at the chance to accompany my husband on his business trip so that we could spend some time with them.

We didn’t have any fancy dinner plans and only spent one night in NYC, so packing for the weekend was pretty straightforward. I’ve learned that it’s easier to stick with a minimal color palette when packing for a shorter trip of 3-4 nights. In this case I stuck to white, black, and olive green. We didn’t check a bag so it all had to fit in my carry-on.

To start, I only brought black and white tops. I skipped space-hogging jeans and brought two styles of olive green pants, black Athleta pants and a pair of black COS barrel leg pants, plus one pair of long black denim shorts. The green joggers are from American Tall and the cropped pair are by KUT From the Kloth.

For shoes, I limited myself to three black pairs: my Tory Burch Romy flats, black and white New Balance 370s, and simple black Reformation flip-flops. I always reach for my New Balances when we’re traveling because they keep my feet comfy in a variety of situations, from running around airports to strolling the streets of NYC or Copenhagen.

I only brought one jacket, this khaki utility jacket, and it was the perfect weight for the rainy-but-warm-and-humid temperatures. This khaki baseball hat came in handy in the rain. I was also really glad I decided to bring a black cashmere sweater at the last minute because I wore it a ton, both on the plane and on chilly evenings.

We took our daughter and her fiancé out to dinner at Goosefeather on Saturday night. It was delicious as usual. (You can read more about Goosefeather in a previous post HERE.) I wore this chunky beaded necklace from Anthropologie to dress up my outfit for dinner. The colors in it look particularly nice when paired with green and black.

My black Prada Prada Re-Edition 2005 Re-Nylon bag did double-duty as an everyday bag and a going-out bag. It’s also small enough to tuck into my Tory Burch Ella nylon drawstring tote, so it was perfect for flying and for when we were out and about.

I also had a chance to visit an L.L.Bean store (we don’t have them in California) and couldn’t resist buying one of their totes. I found this Boat and Tote (above similar) in black in a size large with longer handles that I could sling over my shoulders plus a zip top. This tote is the perfect size for a carry-on personal item on flights. In fact, I used it on my return flight to California and it fit perfectly under the seat in front of me.

I wanted to get it monogrammed in-store but was told it would take a couple of days, so maybe on a future trip I’ll bring it back.That will give me time to decide what the monogram should be.

Even though I pared back what I brought, I still ended up bringing a couple of things that I didn’t end up wearing. I could have left my leopard-print silk skirt (animal prints being another fall trend), a black silk tank and my black COS barrel leg poplin pants at home. I threw them in my suitcase at the last-minute in case I needed to dress up, but there wasn’t really a need for them. (However, silk separates take up practically no space in a suitcase, so if you’re on the fence about bringing them, it can’t hurt.) The moral of the story is don’t overthink it when it comes to packing. If you really desperately need something that you didn’t pack, odds are you can buy it when you get there. (A great excuse for some shopping if you ask me!)

Fragrance Finds

I’ve been looking for a signature fragrance that I can wear day-to-day that is light but long-lasting and I’ve found what I think is the perfect one for me. The irony is that it’s technically a men’s fragrance! It’s Imagination by Louis Vuitton. With hints of citrus and black tea, it isn’t sweet like so many fragrances designed for women. I’ve had multiple people stop me to ask what fragrance I’m wearing, so I think it’s a winner. It is a pricey investment, but the bottle is huge and should last me for a long time. Plus when it’s empty I can bring it in to any Louis Vuitton store for a refill that costs less than a new bottle. Who doesn’t want an excuse to visit Louis Vuitton?

I had a little time to kill waiting for my flight home from JFK this weekend, so I went browsing in the airport shops. There’s some good shopping to be had at the JFK airport, including a luxury resale shop and a huge duty-free fragrance/makeup emporium. I have relatively simple skincare and makeup routines and I rarely spend much time shopping for products, but I had nothing better to do so I wandered about.

I found myself checking out the Chloe fragrances, and happened to sniff their popular Cedrus scent. It’s lovely. If you are looking for a clean scent with a hint of cedar, you might like this one. It reminded me of winter florals and Christmas trees. The company describes it this way: “With Cedrus Eau de Parfum, the perfumer Quentin Bisch reinvents the typically dry cedar into a supple, enveloping material. This silky wood is brightened through a trio of cedar, vetiver and sandalwood, in contrast to an abstract florality.” So – like I said – flowers and Christmas trees. 😉

More to come…

In a future post I’ll be sharing some ways that I’ll be wearing the things mentioned in this post. I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of all of the cool things happening in fashion right now. What are you excited to wear this fall? Be sure to subscribe below to receive the latest posts in your inbox. Happy Autumn!