Floral dresses are classic staples of any woman’s wardrobe. I honestly wear them all year round, because my style is very feminine and romantic. However, the way that I style my floral dresses varies greatly on the time of year. Not only does the temperature influence my accessories and how I layer, but the change of the seasons also affects which colors and fabrics of dresses and accessories I choose to wear. This blog post will show you some different ideas to help you to transition your floral dresses from summer to fall.

If there’s one thing that depresses me beyond measure lately with the weather, it’s that hot weather seems to last well until the end of October, and then it just gets bitterly cold (I live in Pennsylvania).  This means that some of my favorite lightweight jackets and dress/boot combos don’t work well with the temperature. I’m going to wish crisp, fall weather into existence (good thoughts!). I separated dresses and accessories into two different categories, summer and fall, in order to give you a better idea about the differences between floral dresses in each season. You CAN still wear your favorite dresses from summer into fall, and I’ll show you how to do this. One type of floral dress that I do recommend for the fall/winter is a black floral dress. They have been trending now for a few years during the fall season, and I have several of them.

Summer Florals

As you can see from the images below, summer dresses tend to be lighter and brighter. The colors most likely to be popular this fall according to the Pantone Fall 2018 colors are: burgundy red (“red pear”), bright red (“valiant poppy”), medium blue (“nebulas blue”), mustard yellow (“ceylon yellow”), olive (“martini olive”), bright orange (“russet orange”), violet (“ultra violet”), light purple (“crocus petal”), soft pink (“mellow rose”), lemon-lime yellow (“limelight”), deep blue-green (“quetzal green”), and fuchsia (“pink peacock”). The easiest way to re-wear your summer florals during fall and winter is if you happen to have dresses that feature these fall colors, or consist of neutral colors like white, navy, black, or gray. Are the fashion police going to hunt you down if you don’t follow these guidelines? NO! LOL. However, all of the dresses below would transition seamlessly from summer to fall because they are very similar to the fall colors of the year.

Dresses (left to right, top to bottom)

• Frilled-Shoulder Knot Plunging Floral Dress (SheIn)
• Trumpet Sleeve Floral Smock Dress (SheIn)
• Ruffle Embellished Shirred-Waist Floral Dress (SheIn)
• Madelyn Floral Ruffle-Sleeve Floral Maxi Dress (Francesca’s)
• Ariella Halter Maxi Dress, Eva Mendes Collection (New York & Company)
• Siri Smocked Floral Maxi Dress (Francesca’s)
• Floral Ruffle-Hem Cami Maxi Dress (Forever 21)
• Faux-Wrap Mini Dress, J. Crew Mercantile (J. Crew Factory)
• Khloe Floral Off-the-Shoulder Maxi Dress (Francesca’s)

Here are the accessories that you can continue to wear with your floral dresses throughout the end of summer. You CAN wear them longer if you wish. However, accessories made of heavier fabrics and featuring deeper colors tend to pair better with fall florals. In summertime, I wear my floral dresses with totes, cross-body bags, and clutches in light colors and made from faux-leather, straw, or wood material. All of these dresses would look stunning with tan sandals, heels, wedges, or booties. You can also wear them with white sneakers for an athleisure look. Feel free to add your favorite sunglasses and straw hats to top off your look, or put on a beaded or feathered pendant necklace for a bohemian feel.

Accessories (Top to bottom, left to right)

• Perforated Clutch Wallet (New York & Company)
• Talia Round Rattan Crossbody (Francesca’s)
• Ankle-Strap Sandals (New York & Company)
• Report Renzo Braided Block Heels (Francesca’s)
• Straw Envelope Clutch Bag (New York & Company)
• Esmeralda Suede Tassel Crossbody (Francesca’s)
• Beaded Tassel Pendant Necklace (New York & Company)
• Casey Feather Pendant Necklace (Francesca’s)
• CL by Laundry Metallic Wedges (Francesca’s)
• Adidas CloudFoam Advantage Stripe Women’s Shoes (Kohl’s)
• Fergalicious Integrity Side Chopout Ankle Boots (Francesca’s)
• Madden Girl Brycee Footbed Sandals (Francesca’s)
• Chelsea Embroidered Band Panama Hat (Francesca’s)
• Packable Straw Hat (J. Crew Factory)
• Gray Cat-Eye Sunglasses (New York & Company)
• Caylee Round Ombre Sunglasses (Francesca’s)

Fall Florals

Here are my favorite picks for fall floral dresses. You can wear knee-length, midi, or maxi floral dresses during the fall. All of the ones that I chose mostly have the color schemes that we talked about (black floral especially).  You will notice that the sleeves are generally longer in my fall picks, while the summer picks consisted of off-the-shoulder, spaghetti strap, and halter top styles. Don’t worry though, because you can make any floral dress fall appropriate by layering scarves, jackets, and cardigans over it.

Dresses (Top to bottom, left to right)

• Floral V-Neck Mini Skater Dress (Forever 21)
• Floral Surplice M-Split Maxi Dress (Forever 21)
• Danielle Floral A-Line Dress (Francesca’s)
• Floral Surplice Maxi Dress (Forever 21)
• Surplice-Neck Floral Overlap Ruffle-Hem Dress (SheIn)
• Floral-Print Self Tie Waist Dress (SheIn)
• Rosalie Floral Knot-Front Maxi Dress (Francesca’s)
• Mabyn Mixed Floral A-Line Dress (Francesca’s)

In order to transition your floral dresses to fall, pick a jacket to layer over your outfit. I picked olive green anorak jackets, denim jackets, and black faux-leather jackets for my toppers of choice. You can continue to wear straw or wood-accented bags and tan sandals with your floral dresses. As the weather gets cooler, however, you may want to switch to tan or black ankle booties or knee-high boots. I love wearing leggings with my dresses, but you can also wear solid or patterned tights.  I typically switch to a tote bag in the fall, and I’m really liking bags in gray, tan, and mauve for the season.  Some other suggested accessories are scarves, wooden bead bracelets, bangles, and tan belts (to belt your waist).

Accessories (Top to bottom, left to right)

• Sheer Diamond Tights (Forever 21)
• Ezra Wood Ring Crossbody (Francesca’s)
• Diane Twill Peplum Anorak (Francesca’s)
• Myra Metal Leather Belt in Cognac (Francesca’s)
• Hooded Utility Jacket (Forever 21)
• Fiona Vegan Leather Tote (Francesca’s)
• Journee Collection Stormy Women’s Knee-High Boots (Kohl’s)
• Graphic Print Scarf (SheIn)
• Indigo Rd Calido Ankle Boots (Francesca’s)
• Shannon Beaded Bracelet Set (Francesca’s)
• Beaded Bangle Bracelet Set (Forever 21)
• Round-Buckle Belt (New York & Company)
• Levi’s Sherpa Trucker Jacket in Divided Blue (Francesca’s)
• Simply Vera by Vera Wang Catherine Tote (Kohl’s)
• “Authentic” Destroyed Denim Jacket, Gabrielle Union Collection (New York & Company)
• Faux-Leather Moto Jacket (New York & Company)

I want to mention a few details about the scarf and denim jacket that I’m wearing. My scarf is a Christmas present from my boyfriend. If you know me, you know that I absolutely love books, and one of my favorite books/movies is The Great Gatsby. At Litographs, you can get scarves, tote bags, and t-shirts that consist of words from books, or you can add your own text. It is seriously one of the coolest presents that I’ve ever gotten! The jacket is from this awesome boho chic boutique that I visited during my time in Bethany Beach this summer called Water Lili. It was a great find, and I love the distressed denim and patches (it even has a Guns and Roses patch on it!).

Have a great week, and I hope you enjoyed today’s post! If you liked this blog post, you may want to check out a previous post, “Tips to Transition Your Wardrobe from Summer to Fall.” I would love to hear any additional tips you have for transitioning your floral dresses from summer to fall. What are you looking forward to this fall (besides wearing boots, like me)?

Until next time…

Melissa