As I write this it is 90 degrees F (32.2C) and the forecast for the next ten days looks pretty much the same. I know we are all dancing around the idea of talking about Fall fashion and I have a genuine desire to be present in this Earth Season (see
post for more on this). See how demure I’m being? How mindful?BUT, I am thinking a bit about fall and I wanted to share my favorite accessory for the upcoming season. Best news of all, NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
I’m not suggesting that my favorite accessory for fall is groundbreaking, on the contrary, my suggestion for a fall accessory is something we are doing subconsciously but now we can be more intentional with.
As I’ve written about before, the best accessories for our outfits are often the things that exist on our person; our hair cut or style, our tattoos, our glasses, etc. I think the best accessory for fall is; SKIN.
calls the concept; Big/Slim/Skin which she defines as;Striking that just right balance between proportions…mix something big with something slim, and show a bit of skin for breathing room, whether it’s a rolled-up sleeve or a flash of ankle. It’s not that all-big or all-slim is bad style, but it’s not your style; anything singular in point feels too superficial to you.
I would argue that the most important combination is Big and Skin. While Big can mean oversized, it can also mean anything that adds weight to our bodies which happens with layering. As we enter into the glorious time where we can put on knitwear, jackets and pants; I recommend ensuring a pop of skin is present to balance against the bulk of layers or the oversized silhouettes. (And, if you ask me, you don’t have to worry so much about ensuring a “slim” component).
Let’s use the fashion worlds most beloved twins, Mary Kate & Ashley, and their long lost sister, Zoe Kravtiz, to showcase what I’m talking about. I find the idea of exposing skin works best when thinking about fall, early winter or early spring; I’m not about to worry about flashing flesh when it’s snowing out. As you scroll through the photos, take note of the way a bit of skin peeking out helps with the proportions of layers or silhouette!
Hair
I naturally gravitate to pulling my hair up or back when I’m wearing anything that bulks around my neck (jackets, scarves, etc.). Exposing your ears and jawline keeps the bulk of the outfit off your head and prevents you from looking too weighed down.
Neck
A nice v-neck or opening some buttons on a button down helps to expose some décolletage and add some dimension with skin.
Arms
This is truly the easiest way to show a little skin when layering. A hack that my friend gave me is to stretch out two hair ties and hide them in the cuff of your button down, blazer or coat so that when you push your sleeve up, it stays!
Midriff
I didn’t immediately think of showing your stomach in the fall but when I saw this picture of Zoe Kravitz I loved the fact that she is well covered (even a top button on the jacket!) but adds a flash of midriff.
Ankles/Feet
While doing my Pinterest research for this piece, I realized that MK&A and Z all like to pair their trousers with flip flops or other shoes that expose the top of their feet. Not only is there lovely contrast between the formality of the pant with the ease of the sandal, but it works to add the skin we are thinking about! Might I add that the jellies we all loved this summer will do the heavy lifting of showing off our feet this fall.
Once you see it, I swear you cannot unsee it! I went back to Pinterest1 for Fall outfits inspiration and so. many. photos I found showed this style hack being used in great fall outfits. It might go without saying but not every look I found, or that you’ll see, has a skin accessory BUT my favorites sure do.
Also, I’m including this photo at the top because I noticed that in the picture Zoe Kravitz isn’t showing any skin (it could be winter) but she is letting her colored sock do that work for her. So, perhaps, in winter it’s still about showing a peek of contrast.
A few people asked for my Pinterest page and after making some boards public rather than private, I’m ready to share. Find me here.
I wish I had written this piece 😂 Such a good observation and I love love love the reference photos! And I used this just today when I did a little push of the sleeves as my layered outfit felt too stiff!
Another hit!! I’ve done this before but never intentionally so going to do so this fall!!