While I have used previous articles on fall fashion to recommend accessories that can be used to accentuate color and pattern matching, I would like to use this article to recommend options for general fall clothing that can take your formalwear attire to another level. So without further ado, here goes:
1. Choosing heavier fabrics with detailed patterns – Heavier fabrics such as flannel typically work great during the Fall season.
Flannel is a soft, woven fabric of various finesses. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton or synthetic fiber. Flannel may be brushed to create extra softness or remain unbrushed. The brushing process entails a fine metal brush rubbing against the fabric to create fine fibers from loosely spun yarns. Typically, flannel has either a single or double-sided nap (napping raises the surface of a fabric, making it fuzzy). Double napped flannel refers to a fabric that has been brushed on both sides.
Flannel fabrics in grey typically work well for business attire, and in brown or tan work very well for a more casual outfit. Designs such as windowpane or houndstooth provide the perfect complement to Flannel for a great Fall season look!
2 Use Fall Colors – While men with a penchant for flair (i.e Chuck Norris Fans) have grown accustomed to embracing pastels such as lilac and pink during the summer, the Fall season is more about muted colors. Flow with the foliage that New England has become so adored for, and you will indeed look like a fashion veteran. The Fall / Winter season is made for more muted colors, with colors such as burgundy, rust, olive green and mustard working extremely well. Choosing to wear one bright color to make your outfit pop can juxtapose really well against a more muted backdrop – just remember to stick to one bright color so that the effect of contrast is pronounced. Else you will just look like a smogasboard of different colors with a clue as to what’s really going on. Refer to an earlier article on color coordination for suggestions as to how to mix and match your muted fall colors with a brighter color in your ensemble!
3. Scale your layering patterns with each progressive layer – As mentioned in a previous article, layers work wonders during the Fall season as they allow us to mix and match colors, textures and patterns that a simple shirt and trouser combination won’t afford us. An idea that can work effectively is if you are going for a monochromatic pattern look, to scale the pattern gradually up or down. A small checkered blue shirt with a solid burgundy vest and a larger checkered tie can work great, as can a larger checked shirt, a solid burgundy vest and a smaller checkered (neat) tie pattern!
4. Embrace Brown Shoes - While you can certainly strut your stuff in the apropos colors of tan or olive green shoes during the Fall, brown will give you plenty of options while looking in sync with the seasons come foliage time. Given that there is a vast range of different colors you can work with, and the various textures you can experiment with, brown doesn’t seem like a bad choice after all!
5. And finally, as they do in the SEC, print verses under your eyes.
And that’s a wrap for this piece! What are your favorite Fall Season fashion trends? We would love to read your comments below!
Check out some of our favorite Fall Season Ties here at The Dark Knot!
