Fall Prep

I would like to begin this trend ridden article with a walk down memory lane. Remember high school? For me high school was all girls, plaid skirts, tucked in shirts, the typical private school get-up. There was no self expression, no comparing outfits, yet for some reason, when I think of the word "prep" or "prepppy" in the context of fashion all  I can think about is high school. While J.Crew has obviously made a brand of preppy clothes that cater to adults much more than they do high schoolers, this word still always reminds me of those high school stigmas. Prep: striped shirt, American Eagle jeans, Dooney and Bourke purse; you get the picture right? My mental picture is not pretty. So perhaps this article is more to give me peace of mind when I find myself dressing conservatively. If you find yourself stuck in the same rut of boxing your clothes in by words long redefined, follow me, let's look into what 'prep' means for this Fall. For starters, we're going to see lots of trends, like pants under dresses, leather, colorblocking, patterns mixed with patterns, don't freak out, we can do this! Simplifying is key for conservative trendsetters.

The print-on-print trend was one that took some getting used to for me. I'm more of a stick-your-toe-in-the-water kind of girl as opposed to go all out, stripes-on-floral-in-electric-colors kind of girl. Patterns are fun though! They're bold, they add punch to ensembles, and they aren't going away just because the sun is starting to set earlier. If you're like me though, and like to stick to a simple look with just a little something, print dresses will be your best friend. Make it chevron, geometrical, embellished, whatever tickles your fancy and makes you feel oh so pretty. From Summer to Fall, pair with tights, or for the bold trend followers, pants underneath.

Infuse your typical go-to pieces with some key trends this Fall. Tweed looks refined with a little leather embellishing. You're a stylish lady, we both know you were going to give in to tweed at some point, take a risk and make it memorable.

Now lets be sensible here, no one can wear dresses all the time. As much as I would love for that not to be the case, there are times when you just feel casual. Let loose, break those jeans out! This past weekend I wore my favorite dark wash jeans, thank you Mr. Kors for caring about clothes that fit my body, and a simple white button down, and wouldn't you know I got s many compliments, many from random strangers, about how "nice" I looked. I have found myself lately pairing designer pieces with their matching designer counterparts, its easy to mix high end with affordable, especially when you're a conservative trend follower.

So what have I learned on this fashion filled journey with you? Well, first of all, 'preppy' is not a word reserved for high school girls, or exclusive Lily Pulitzer shoppers. Also, I may need a second job to spulrge on all of the trends for this season! Lastly, and most importantly, I now know that spulrging on conservative pieces is okay because they're timeless! Now I just need to convince my husband of that.

If you want to shop the blog the pieces shown throughout can be found at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Netaporter, and Polvore. If you have favorite fall pieces or  tips on shopping conservatively, please share!