Fall weather and the Fall or Autumn season brings fun clothes, new colors, layers, and really seemingly new wardrobes. Where you once were wearing sleeveless tops and shorts, you now will wear sweaters, long sleeve button-ups, and sweatshirts that are warmer colors rather than bright summer colors. Fall really does change our apparel and the feeling we have in our clothes.

Which brings me to this morning. I woke up and thought to myself, “ok today is going to be a super comfy day”. It’s cold outside, and work today needs to be comfortable. Or at least my outfit will be comfortable.

Most days, I look forward to going to work (at my 9-5 job), but today, with it being so unbelievably cold outside, I would rather stay home and read fashion Substacks. You? But, ready or not none the less, the answer to my dilemma is to dress with comfort so that my day will be much more comforting.

So, bring out the sweaters. And that’s exactly what I did.

I’ve always loved the sweaters with a collared button-up underneath it. It’s kind of preppy, but adds a little something to a boring sweater. Kind of like adding a necklace to an outfit. Especially if you choose a collared button-up that is floral or maybe plaid.

The button-up I chose today is a floral. I wanted something with a little color and decoration to go under my sweater. Like I have talked about before, on how we could use our clothes as tools, I used this button-up as a tool to add a little something something to the boring sweater. (ok, I don’t think any sweater is boring, but some may). I also used the button-up underneath the sweater as another layer to keep me warmer.

The floral I chose was a small floral which I think goes better in this instance. A large floral here, would be less decipherable due to how little of the button-up is actually showing above the sweater. So if you do go with a pattern of some sort, make it a small floral or a plaid of some sort. Otherwise, just a plain color will suffice.

The button-up by itself is a small floral all over. It can seem a little busy as a stand alone. So paired with this sweater and only a peek sticking above the sweater, balances it out so much more. Another way to balance out the small floral without the sweater is with a plain blazer. The large plain blazer will cover the majority of the floral button-up and make it less busy to the eye.

This look of a button-up under a sweater is a 90’s preppy look I grew up wearing a lot. So I have am very partial to this look and love it. It really feels timeless and trendless. I am unfazed by what the trendsetters say.

So let’s move on to texture. Texture is important in your outfits. You don’t want to many different textures going on that are considered bold. By bold, I mean textures like fur, wool, cashmere, satin, and silk. This sweater texture is very nice and smooth. It is 100% cotton. But it is weaved and knitted and so has definition as a sweater. The button-up is cotton as well, but is a thick cotton.

What you can pair this sweater and button-up with could easily be a skirt if sneakers are worn? Or pair with jeans if dress shoes are worn. Dress pants would also be good, but sneakers would definitely have to be worn here, or a boot with the dress pants. The key is balance.

For jewelry to go with this outfit, I would either not wear a necklace, or wear a really simple and long chain necklace. Small earrings, like stud earrings would keep it low key and not too fancy. Because the button-up is busy, you don’t want your necklace or earrings too busy right close together there.

So where could you wear this outfit? I actually wore this to work on a regular weekday. You could also wear to a winter wedding because it is just dressy enough but not too much, or out to dinner at night, a formal or casual even, or to church.

Mix and match your sweaters with your button-ups and see what different combinations you can come up with. I think the 90’s will never go out.