5 for August: The wear now, wear later pieces I love

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I know. It's still summer. It's currently 85 95 degrees outside with about the same amount of humidity (edit: OK, so I wrote this a week ago and the weather is currently actually perfect... but still. Enough.) But there inevitably comes a point in the season when I just can't do summer anymore and I and many others begin muttering about what's to come. Blame impatience. Blame the nature of living in the Northeast, where four distinct seasons give you something to always look forward to. Blame the weather we've been having. Yeah, I blame the weather... for my new-outfit-cravings and thoughts of cooler air. When my gaze drifts from the gauzy dress and sandals on the floor to the leather jacket and jeans in the closet. In my mind at least, I've begun the task of defining the pieces I'd like to add to my closet come... dare I say it?... Fall...

Ahh, I said it! Don't hate me!

August is a funny month. Seasonally, we're still in the throes of summer - in many places, it's the hottest part of summer. But in our minds, maybe we're thinking back to school, or fashion week, or just wishing we'd stop sweating for at least 5 minutes. I'm of the latter camp, sick of a too-hot house and a too-hot city. And while I'm trying not to wish away these days, I can't help but anticipate a little relief. I've started mixing in a few autumn-inspired pieces with my summer wardrobe, perfect for right now and even more so in a few weeks. A silky bomber jacket at night (because the temperature has been glorious at night), a suede mini dress with sneakers for a day when air conditioning is readily available (read: a day at the office), cropped jeans paired with a simple tank. These have been my go-to's lately, easy to move around in, to throw on for a workday or a weekend day, and not quite as casual as a pair of shorts (of everything, I think I'm over shorts the most). When you just can't with summer, these are the pieces to mix in to make everything feel fresh. Because you know the temp's gonna spike again in September!
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There is a time, however brief, when the weather allows for the pairing of sweaters and sweatshirts with shorts. This is a perfect time, a time when I'll gladly don my shorts once or twice more, for the feeling of a cozy sweater with the freedom of bare legs. Once that time is over, it's over, but let's celebrate while we can, eh?

Wear it now... when the sun goes down with relaxed cut-offs or a miniskirt. Pair with classic sneakers for best results.

Wear it later... with the jeans and boots you see below.

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I have this dress in brown, and I love it enough to covet it in black and red, too. Adorable as-is, with nothing underneath and accessorized with a bandana and Converse Chuck Taylors, it's also the ideal dress for fall.

Wear it now... like I said: bandana, Converse, done.

Wear it later... with a lace turtleneck underneath and thigh high boots.

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I love that comfortable jeans and walkable shoes are an actual thing in fashion these days. I mean, I think I've reached the age where I generally won't wear something that doesn't feel good, but the fact that these two things are trends means the options are seemingly endless. We all need a great pair of jeans in our lives. Point for a button fly.

Wear them now... with a silky camisole and chunky-sole sandals. Also, tee shirts.

Wear them later... with literally everything.

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I got these boots in brown last fall, so I can now confidently say they've served me well in all four seasons. They're the kind of boots I regretted not also getting in black, so you can bet they're right back in my shopping cart this time around.

Wear them now... to toughen up all your summer dresses, especially white gauzy numbers and breezy shirtdresses.

Wear them later... with jeans and a cozy sweater, like the one above.

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After months of lugging around giant beach totes and backpacks filled with all manner of picnic-in-the-park supplies, a small cross-body bag feels downright liberating. This one is perfectly sized to fitt the essentials and just the essentials.

Wear it now... with that cute dress above and a pair of sandals or espadrilles.

Wear it later... with the sweater, jeans, and chelsea boots. But, it's a bag, so you can pretty much pait it with anything. Godspeed.