When Did Fall Stop Feeling Like Fall?

I have been thinking about fall lately.

Not the pumpkin spice latte, decorate-your-porch, buy-all-the-mums version of fall.

I mean fall clothing versus the actual weather.

When I was little, fall felt clear. The air changed, the layers came out, and the summer clothes got packed away. Fall meant coats, gloves, hats, scarves, and boots. Once the leaves turned, the weather turned & it stayed turned!

Not these days, though.

Now I am surrounded by pumpkins, fall leaves, and every autumn display in the store while still wearing my summer dress. So I have learned to adjust, both for myself and for the store.

I do not turn the store completely over all at once, because you have taught me that you are not ready yet.

And honestly, neither am I.

It is not just a feeling, either. Here in Connecticut, we have all noticed that fall does not always arrive the way it used to. The leaves may start changing, the stores may be filled with pumpkins, and we may be ready for a little sweater weather, but the temperatures often has other plans.

And it is part of a bigger change happening across the country. NOAA reported that fall 2024 was the warmest autumn ever recorded in the continental United States, more than 4 degrees warmer than the historical average. Fall 2025 was also one of the warmest falls on record.

So no, we are not imagining it when we see a chunky sweater in September and feel we are not ready to buy it just yet.

A few years ago, I was talking with a shoe store owner about how hard it can be to sell fall clothing when it is still warm outside. As boutique owners, we order for fall months before the weather catches up. We are thinking about fabrics, colors, sizes, and styles long before customers are ready to wear them.

And that is where it gets tricky.

Many brands want us to place orders six months or more in advance. Then, just when it is still sandal-and-summer-dress weather, they want to deliver sweaters in August. As much as I love a beautiful sweater, it is hard to get excited about unpacking a heavy knit when it is 85 degrees outside.

I told the shoe store owner how frustrating it could be. I was ready to bring in sweaters and heavier layers, but customers were still in their summer clothes.

She asked me, “What lesson did you learn?”

Honestly, I just stared at her.

Her point was simple: do not load up on heavy sweaters and thick fall clothing too early.

She was right.

That does not mean we skip fall fashion. It means we buy and wear fall pieces that make sense for the weather we actually have. I have had to lean into brands that understand that fall does not automatically mean bulky sweaters. I look for brands that shift their colors and textures for the season without immediately moving into heavy, winter-weight clothing. Lightweight tops in beautiful fall colors. Berry. Cinnamon. Plum. Chocolate brown. Satin blouses. Short-sleeve tops. Lightweight layers. Pieces that feel like fall but still make sense when the sun is out and it is warm.

But choosing the right brands and buying for a changing season is a whole blog for another day.

Fall Color Without the Overheating

I do not need a full closet reset, and I am not ready to pack away every summer dress or sandal, and I know neither are you. So instead we can just give the pieces we already have a little fall personality.

For me, that means a suede jacket over a summer dress. A lightweight satin top in a rich berry shade with jeans. A short-sleeve suede blouse in chocolate. Or even just a shacket for the days when I want a layer but do not want to spend the afternoon wishing I had dressed differently.

I want outfits that feel seasonal without being dressed for November when the weather is reading August.

Easy Early Fall Outfits

Early fall is less about changing everything you own and more about styling it differently.

That same suede jacket over a summer dress works for lunch, shopping here at the Simsbury Town shops, or a casual fall event. A satin blouse with jeans is beautiful fall outfit perfect for this weather.

Even a short-sleeve top can feel completely seasonal when the color is doing the work. Choose deeper colors over bright summer shades.

Keep the summer dress and sandals. Add the suede jacket

Keep the short sleeves. Add earth tones, satin, and darker denim.

You do not have to pack away summer all at once.

Just layer in fall a little at a time.

Happy fall styling,
Erika