When cold weather moves in, I’m sometimes tempted to just default to sweats and other cozy but casual clothes. I also feel the pull to prioritize comfort over style on these cool and sometimes blustery days. But with a little thought and intentionality we can look polished and put together this fall while also feeling comfortable and appropriately casual for our day.
Now this will surely feel like a review for many of us, but I’ve found that sometimes I need that gentle nudge towards excellence to get me on the right track. So I’ve got 8 tips to help us look polished and put together this fall.
How to Shop Here: To shop the items I feature, just click on the words in the captions of photos, the highlighted words in my text or the images in the shopping widgets I sometimes include. When you shop through my links I potentially earn a commission on your purchases, but at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting my work here by shopping my links. Items that have been gifted to me by the associated brand are indicated with “c/o”.
STYLE Tip #1 – Take the time to think through your outfits in advance.
I generally feel and look more polished and put together on the days when I’ve actually pulled my outfit together the night before or even sooner. Consider taking a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to pull together 7 outfits for the week ahead. You don’t have to plan them for specific days unless you want to. But coordinating the garments, accessories and jewelry ahead will help you look more polished during the week to come.
STYLE Tip #2 – Wear garments that are structured and fit you well.
With my casual lifestyle, I’m all for occasionally wearing soft and unstructured clothing (Hello and thank you, Frank & Eileen!). But when I want to look more polished and put together this fall I’ll opt for pants or jeans with a firm waistband, crisp button up shirts, more fitted jackets, heeled shoes or boots and belts. You don’t have to wear all of those at once, mind you. But having a little structure in even a comfortable, casual outfit will do the trick. Oh, and in order to look truly polished, you’ll want your clothes to fit you the way they’re supposed to – not too big, not too small, not too long, not too short – just right, Goldilocks!
STYLE Tip #3 – Don’t just wear your clothes, style them.
Take the time to use what is often called a “style hack” to add a little interest to your fall outfits. More than likely you can give that sweater you’re wearing a gentle front tuck just as easily as you tucked in your t-shirt during the summer. Add a belt for more structure and polish. Push up your sleeves a little or pop the collar of your button-up shirt. Put a pretty scarf around your neck or wear a t-shirt under your sweater, allowing the collar to peek over the top oh so slightly.
STYLE Tip #4 – Wear a color combination that is easy on the eyes.
I’m all for wearing bold and vibrant colors. And I also love wearing neutrals and softer tones. But I’ve found that looking polished and put together is really more about how you combine and wear colors than it is about the colors themselves. Choose colors that look good with your complexion, hair and eyes, ones that flatter you and gain compliments. But also combine them in ways that look cohesive and easy on the eyes. Don’t overdo the patterns and prints and colors and textures when you want to look your most polished and put together. KISS! (keep it simple sweetie!)
STYLE Tip #5 – Keep your jewelry understated and polished.
Again, there is definitely a time and place for bling and more bling. Ha! But the no-fail formula for looking more polished and put together this fall calls for understated ornamentation. Wear your fine jewelry, if you have it and it’s not over the top. But you can achieve the same polished effect with a simple necklace, earrings and/or bracelet in a nice gold or silver finish.
STYLE Tip #6 – Take time with your hair and makeup to achieve a natural but polished look.
I’ve been working on streamlining my makeup process a little lately. I want that natural, dewy look, but I also want to use the tools I have to lift the corners of my eyes a little, minimize lines, soften my mouth, fill out my lashes and brows and add some youthful color. It’s a fine sometimes, you know. But I think I look my most polished and put together when I keep my makeup more natural but still put in the effort. Same with my hair. Know what I mean?
STYLE Tip #7 – Layer on a coat or jacket that complements your outfit and features some stylish, high quality elements.
I’m a firm believer in investing in good outerwear, especially if you live in a region where you will be wearing it frequently. But even if you only reach for a coat occasionally, you don’t want that outerwear to sabotage your outfit; you want it to complete and elevate it. And even a warm, insulating coat or rain jacket can have stylish elements. Purchase the highest quality of classic outerwear that you can budget for and you’ll enjoy it for years, adding a bit of polish to every cold-weather outfit.
STYLE Tip #8 – Complete your outfits with coordinating shoes, handbag and belt.
You absolutely do not have to completely match your shoes, belt and handbag. But you do want them to at least “work together.” That said, right now it is very on trend to actually match the color of those key accessories, so why not shop for a couple of coordinating sets you can enjoy all fall and winter? Maybe in black or brown and cognac or taupe, depending on your preferences.
I’ve filled a shopping widget below with the items in my outfit, as well as more affordable options where needed. These jeans do come in petite sizes, too. Have a great day!
Shop the Post:
You can shop the look through the links in the copy above or through the shopping widget below. Sale prices are not always reflected in the widget, so click through to get pricing info. Remember, if you purchase anything through these links I potentially earn a commission, but at no cost to you. Thank you for shopping through Dressed for My Day. I am grateful!
Don’t Miss a Post:
If you like what you’re seeing here at Dressed for My Day, I invite you to subscribe to my email list. You can receive an email each time I post (about 6 times weekly) or just on Saturdays. You choose! But you’ll also receive the password to open up all the subscriber freebies I offer. You can subscribe HERE.
Dressed for My Day
In the big scheme of things, does it really matter if we look polished and put together? In my opinion, looking more polished certainly isn’t the most important thing. But it does help us to accomplish the truly significant things. When we look our best and indicate that we’ve put a little time and effort into our appearance, we communicate to others that we have joy, confidence and a reason to engage. Depending on how we put ourselves together, we can also look more approachable, more knowledgeable, gracious and calm. Appearances are not the most important thing, but they do matter.
Today as you get dressed for your day, consider why you’re putting in the effort. Think about the people you will encounter, the work you need to accomplish, the conversations you will participate in and what you’ll bring to the table. Ask the Lord to help you groom yourself in a way that accurately represents your personality and style, but also reflects well on Him, bring Him glory and honor. And ask Him to help you do all you can do to put yourself together so that you can then forget about yourself and focus on other people.
Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner courtyard of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the courtyard, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter. ~ Esther 5:1-2
Kay I love your blog and videos very informative and inspirational! It will be a lovely time to visit Ithaca we are going to be having a few days in the 70s before a Thursday cool down – enjoy!
You will love the Ithaca New York area! It is beautiful. I am Canadian and we have been going there almost every year for 20 years! Looking forward to the vlog!
Hi Kay,
I am new to your blog, I love it!!
Thank you for all you do and know you are making a difference in women’s lives.
I love your notes at the end and the Bible passages.
Have you considered compiling them into a separate entity so they can be reviewed whenever we need a bit of encouragement?
I wish she would do that to. I would definitely buy a devotional book if she ever published one.
Likewise!
Please do your blog from New York that would be awesome and enjoy
We are in the lower area of door county now and it is beautiful like you had mentioned last week
Thank you
If you have time, check out some of the state parks in the area. Watkins Glen is wonderful and we also enjoyed Taughannock State Park. Enjoy your time away!
Hi Kay Whenever you change your hairstyle, I always think,…”This is the best one!” Ha Ha. What I love about this one is that it feminine, light and very flattering. Love your sweater and the color but alas, I can’t wear cashmere.
I am Allergic to wool but can wear cashmere. Have you thought to try a light weight long sleeve t-shirt under a cashmere sweater?
Excellent, thank you
All your tips are relevant and make us feel better about ourselves. Before I retired. on Sunday afternoon or evening, I would put 7 outfits together for the week. Five for Monday through Friday and 2 extra outfit, for if the weather changed or I changed my mind about what I was going to wear that day. It made it so much easier to get dressed for work that day. Also saved time in the morning if I woke up late or just couldn’t get motived that day. Didn’t have to think about what to wear and started my day off to a good start. Love the burgundy color that is so on trend this year.
Good tips! Keep it simple, for sure!
Yes I would like to see a Vlog from you Kay. Love this simple but modern look today!
Blessings,
This was a timely post as I am flying to Virginia to see family and friends this weekend.
Sometimes when I start packing, I get overwhelmed and bring too much. I just have to check the weather there since I live in Florida now and will pack different clothes.
So thank you Kay. And have fun on your trip too!