There’s something about the first hint of crisp fall air that makes us ready to refresh our closets. After months of sundresses, sandals and lightweight layers, fall gives us an excuse to bring back cozy knits, rich seasonal colors, great denim and all those effortless layers we love.

This season, Soft Surroundings is making the transition especially easy with pieces that blend comfort with polished, put together style. Whether you’re heading to the office, meeting friends for brunch, running errands or planning a fall weekend away, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite new arrivals to help you step into the season in style.

The Sweater You’ll Reach for Again and Again

Shaker Mock Neck Whip Stitch Sweater

Nothing says fall quite like a great sweater. We love a knit that feels cozy without looking overly casual, making it just as easy to pair with your favorite jeans for the weekend as it is to dress up with trousers and boots. Add a simple necklace or scarf, and you have one of those effortless outfits that looks like you spent much more time putting it together than you actually did.

The Perfect Fall Layer

Marled Metallic Fringe Trim Sweater Vest

Fall weather can change by the hour, which makes a versatile layering piece one of the smartest additions to your seasonal wardrobe. This pick is perfect for throwing over a simple tee, blouse or lightweight sweater when temperatures start to dip. Pair it with denim bootcut jeans for an easy everyday look that can take you from morning errands straight through dinner.

Denim Made for Fall Days

Comfort Knit Denim Wide Leg Pull On Jeans

A fresh pair of jeans can instantly update your fall wardrobe. These jeans have a soft knit fabric, pull-on waist and wide-leg silhouette that make them an everyday staple. Soft Surroundings offers denim in a variety of silhouettes, including slim, straight, bootcut and wide-leg styles, making it easy to find a shape that works with the pieces already hanging in your closet.

For fall, we love denim paired with a soft sweater or printed blouse and your favorite boots. It’s classic, comfortable and endlessly wearable.

The Elevated Everyday Top

Folklore Long Sleeve Big Shirt

The best fall wardrobes are built around pieces you can wear more than one way, and a beautiful top is one of the easiest places to start. This Folklore Big Shirt’s artful print and  relaxed silhouette can make even a simple pair of jeans feel pulled together.

Wear this one on its own while the weather is still mild, then layer it under a cardigan or jacket as the season gets cooler.

The Skirt That Make Getting Dressed Easy

Problem Solved Paneled Ponte Midi Skirt

Comfort and style absolutely can coexist. A beautiful, long skirt is a fall wardrobe essential, especially when you find one comfortable enough for an entire day of work, errands or travel.

Pair this with a tucked-in blouse and heels, or keep things casual with a cozy knit and flats. 

A Dress Made for Fall Plans

Terrific Tartan Dress

Fall calendars fill up quickly with dinners, celebrations, work events and weekend get-togethers, which is why having a versatile dress ready to go is always a good idea.

Add boots and a jacket for daytime, then switch to heels and statement jewelry for an evening out. A dress that can transition between occasions earns major bonus points in our closets.

The Statement Piece

Enchanted Garden Blouse

Every wardrobe needs at least one piece that does the styling for you. Whether it’s an artful print, beautiful texture, embroidery or an unexpected detail, this is the kind of find that can turn simple basics into an outfit.

Keep everything else understated and let this piece take center stage.

Sometimes a few thoughtfully chosen pieces are all it takes to make everything you already own feel new again.

With cozy textures, flattering silhouettes, beautiful seasonal colors and plenty of pieces designed for layering, Soft Surroundings’ new arrivals make it easy to create a wardrobe that’s as comfortable as it is stylish.

Ready for fall? [Shop the latest new arrivals from Soft Surroundings.]

The post Fall Style Made Easy: Cozy, Polished Pieces You’ll Want to Wear All Season appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Fall fashion magazines can easily top 500 pages of skirts, tops, pants, coats and accessories; all deemed “must-haves” for the chilly weather ahead. The choices and trends can be staggering, but just because temperatures are falling doesn’t mean you need to drop a small fortune on a new wardrobe.

Fashion experts from two of the Art Institutes schools share six of the top trends for fall and how you can use them to make the most of the pieces already in your closet.

Animal print – “Look at any magazine and you’re going to see animal print,” says Stefani Bay, fashion instructor at The Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago. She says everything is in animal print. Whether black and white or a crazy color, this trend can be found on garments, shoes, bags and scarves. According to Bay, adding an animal print piece to any outfit in your closet will make you look “of the moment.”

Skinny Leopard Belt – $125, at Calypso St. Barth

Tweed – “Tweeds are a very important fashion story this fall,” says Emil DeJohn, fashion instructor at The Art Institute of Philadelphia. Each year a variety of tweeds grace the runways of Fashion Week, but this year they are stealing the spotlight, especially in black and white versions of houndstooth, Donegal tweed, and herringbone.

“A tweed jacket is the perfect thing over something old,” says Bay, especially when it’s a colorful tweed over a colorful outfit. Other options include tweed scarves and even handbags.

Kellen Tweed Jacket by Rhyme Los Angeles – $94, at Piperlime

Leather – “When isn’t leather right?” asks Bay. DeJohn agrees adding whether it’s trim, collar and cuff, or the entire jacket, leather is something every woman should have in her closet this fall. You can find this incredibly versatile textile in jeans, blouses and accents, but according to Bay, the big story for leather is the motorcycle jacket. You can find motorcycle jackets in all price points, made from leather, faux leather, vinyl or patent leather. Added to your closet it will make anything look more current.

Keep It Rockin’ Vegan Leather Cropped Skinny – $128, at FreePeople

Black and white – A perennial favorite of chic women the world over, black and white is a big trend for fall, especially when paired with a bright shocking color, says DeJohn. The perfect way to jazz up black and white is with a punch of the season’s soft orange, citrus green, bright royal blue, gold or royal purple. “You can put anything black and white over a white shirt to look crisp and professional,” says Bay. You can also do the same with a black T-shirt or add a punch of black and white with a handbag.

 Latico Dannie 8590 Tote – $68.55, at Amazon

Dresses – “Dresses made a major comeback. Every designer had a number of dresses in their collection,” says DeJohn. Dresses are easy, convenient and versatile. “They take you from day to evening,” says Bay. She recommends wearing a favorite dress with a motorcycle jacket and boots for day, and chandelier earrings and heels for evening. She cautions that the most important thing with dresses is fit. And if you have an old dress with a great pattern or color, just add a motorcycle jacket to give it new life.

Dana Brushed Knit Aztec 3/4 Sleeve Skater Dress – $36, at boohoo.com

Hats and scarves – According to DeJohn, hats are also making a comeback. He says they are an easy and practical update to any outfit, with a variety to suit all face shapes. Bay says scarves are another trend in fall accessories. For daytime, she recommends wearing a long woven scarf wrapped around multiple times, and for evening add a beaded scarf to a black dress.

 Sunset the Mood Scarf – $24.99, at ModCloth

Source: BPT

EDITOR’S NOTE: 

The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu) is a system of more than 50 schools located throughout North America. The Art Institutes schools provide an important source for design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals. Several institutions included in The Art Institutes system are campuses of South University or Argosy University. OH Registration # 04-01-1698B; AC0165, AC0080; Licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, License No. 1287, 3427, 3110, 2581. Administrative office: 210 Sixth Avenue, 33rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Since The Art Institutes is comprised of several institutions, see aiprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees, and other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important info. 

The Art Institute of Philadelphia is located at 1622 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

The post Top trends for a fall wardrobe update appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Trends come and go almost as fast as your children out grow their clothes!  With so much changing it’s hard to justify buying your kids pricey, trendy items that will get limited wear.  For me, picking out children’s clothes is about three things: versatility, wearability, and affordability.  I want pieces that mix and match for different looks, I want something that the kids want to wear and are comfortable in, and finally I don’t want to break the bank on clothes that wont fit them in a month.  Following those three key rules, here are two fun outfits for fall!

My go-to place for affordable and adorable children’s clothes is the Children’s Place and you can find all of the items in these two outfits there.  Keep in mind that these specific pieces are just ideas, if you have a go-to store, tell us about it in the comment section below!

For girls I started out with a great sequined sweater dress and some adorable black leggings with rows of sequins down the side.  Since most of little girls I know love two things, sparkles and the color pink, I thought why not give them both?  They have their whole lives to dress with “understated elegance”. This is the age where they get to match sequins with more sequins and feel like a total pop star!  Since the weather is starting to cool off, I added a dark wash jean jacket.  There are few pieces more versatile in a child’s wardrobe than a good denim jacket and it works nicely to balance out the bolder aspects of this outfit.  Next I added some basic wear-everywhere black boots with a fun bow detail on the back.  And finally, a cute bow headband finishes the look and makes taming wild hair a bit easier!  Not only is this outfit super comfy, but it’s also affordable and can be mixed and matched with your child’s other clothes!

For boys I decided to play with layering.  While I know that many adults are intimidated by layering, I am determined to prove that it is so much easier than people think!  Here is my no-fail formula. Start with a tee shirt.  I chose this fun “rock star” shirt from Children’s Place but your son’s favorite tee shirt will do!  Next, pick a button down shirt with similar colors.  I understand that trying to get a boy to stand still long enough to get all the buttons secured takes a great deal of talent, but you can let out a sigh of relief because with this look you get to leave the shirt unbuttoned! Yay! Then throw on a great utility jacket like this military inspired one.  The great thing about all of these pieces is that they can also be worn separately.  The tee shirt would be great for a play date, the button-down can be paired with khakis for a more formal event and this jacket could take you from fall all the way to spring.  Lastly, I finished the look with a pair of neutral cargo pants and cute grey sneakers and voila!, just like that you have a trendy outfit that looks straight out of a magazine! 

Product Info:  All products from ChildrensPlace.com

The post Shop Smarter for Your Children This Fall appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.