The Curated Weekend | A Little Shift Toward Fall

As I sat at my desk this week, looking out the window of my home office, I noticed the breeze moving through the trees a little differently.

The sky was slightly overcast. A few leaves had started to turn. My hydrangeas and roses were still blooming, but most likely for the last time this year.

It was one of those small reminders that even when the temperatures still say summer, something is beginning to shift.

And I felt it too.

I used to dread this time of year because it meant summer was ending—and allergy season was arriving. These days, I find myself a little more open to the change—to slower routines, warmer meals, richer colors, and the simple pleasures that begin to feel good again as September arrives.

Not that I’m rushing fall. We still have plenty of warm days ahead. But perhaps the question isn’t whether summer is over.

Maybe it’s simply: what are you ready to welcome back?

That thought seemed to follow me everywhere this week—from the farmers market, to my closet, to dinner, and even to a three-hour movie I had been meaning to see all summer.

What I Wore (and Why) | Dressing for the Weather You’re Actually Having

Late August and September can be tricky around here. I’m ready for parts of fall—the colors, the textures, maybe even the idea of a cozy afternoon.

But it’s difficult to get too excited about a pumpkin spice latte when it’s 80 degrees outside. And an iced one just seems to defeat the purpose.

So rather than pulling out boots and heavy sweaters while it’s still warm, I start changing the feeling of what I’m wearing.

Darker colors. More texture. Animal print. A lightweight layer I can add when the day cools down.

Look One | Farmers Market to the Movies

I wore my Ruti Go-To Skirt in sand to the Sunday farmers market with a simple ribbed tank top, sandals, a straw fedora, and a denim shirt tied around my waist.

This skirt is one of the most-worn pieces in my closet. The one I am wearing is Ruti’s Light-Poplin version, which is especially nice on a really hot day. I also own the skirt in black in Ruti’s original drapey nylon/spandex fabric. One of the two almost always ends up in my suitcase when I travel.

I chose the sand over black that morning because the color felt like a nice bridge between summer and fall, and the Light-Poplin fabric is just a tad lighter for a particularly warm day.

Later, the hat came off, and I added a navy cashmere sweater for the movies because I am always cold in a movie theater.

Rick and I wanted to see The Odyssey all summer, but somehow I could never convince myself to give up a gorgeous sunny afternoon to sit inside a theater for more than three hours. An overcast day finally gave me my chance.

And I’m so glad we went. As easy as it is to stream just about anything from the couch, there is still something special—and a little nostalgic—about seeing a movie on the big screen.

Same outfit foundation, one extra layer, and I was comfortable for both parts of the day.

Look Two | Summer-Weight Denim, Fall Color

These TWP barrel jeans are actually a linen-denim blend, which makes them feel much lighter than they look.

That lighter weight is exactly what I like about them right now. The darker wash feels more transitional, but the fabric still works in warm weather.

In the first look, I kept things decidedly summery with an olive knit tank, braided leather belt, straw tote and sandals. In the next, I simply swapped the straw and braided leather for an animal-print belt and leather bag. Small changes, but the added texture and deeper tones immediately make the same jeans and tank feel a little less like summer.

And when the morning or late afternoon calls for another layer, I can add the textured cotton lady jacket. It’s still lightweight enough for this time of year, but gives the whole look another little nudge toward fall.

Look Three | Let the Accessories Do the Work

Animal print is one of my favorite ways to move an outfit toward fall without adding any heat.

A calf-hair belt, shoe, or bag adds texture while the rest of the outfit can remain completely appropriate for a warm day.

It’s probably why you’ll see animal print scattered throughout my closet year after year. I don’t really think of it as a trend. For me, it’s closer to a neutral.

One Old Favorite, One New Favorite

Which brings me back to that Ruti skirt.

When something becomes one of the most-worn pieces in my closet, I pay attention. Not because I need another version of everything I love, but because it tells me something about how I actually like to dress.

When Ruti reached out and invited me to select an item from their Fall 2026 collection, I knew right away I wanted to try the On the Loose Work Pant.

The pants are made from the same drapey, wrinkle-resistant nylon/spandex fabric as my original Go-To Skirt, with an elastic waist, slight barrel shape, and a really flattering fit.

I wore them for dinner with friends, styled with my new tiger-print calf-hair mules, a vintage Valentino silk top, my favorite Veronica Beard Dickey jacket, and a Gucci vintage tote and belt.

But I can just as easily see them with sneakers and a tee for a day of travel—or really, just about anywhere.

They feel like an updated option to something I already know works for me.

And don’t worry, Go-To Skirts. I have no plans to retire you.

A ThredUp Box—and a Good Closet Test

Speaking of sweaters, this is also when I start browsing the secondhand sites for high-quality knits, ideally cashmere.

But secondhand shopping can be SUPER overwhelming. When everything looks like a great deal, it’s surprisingly easy to buy things you never intended to buy.

So before I start browsing, I look back at what I actually wore last year. What colors? What shapes? What fabrics? Does anything genuinely need replacing?

Then I make a very specific wish list.

This year, I’m still hunting for that elusive green cashmere sweater I know exists somewhere, along with a cashmere sweater in a great pop of color that I can throw over my shoulders or tie around my waist when a neutral outfit needs a little something more.

Camel, cream and dark charcoal grey are always safe bets for me because I know I’ll wear them.

I also keep a mental no-buy list. Just as important.

Then I narrow my searches by size, color, fabrication and silhouette. It makes sites like ThredUp, The RealReal, Poshmark and Vinted much easier to navigate—and helps keep me from buying something simply because the price is irresistible.

This week, an order I had placed with ThredUp arrived with two pieces I was excited to try.

Inside were a camel Sézane hooded pullover and a light-grey Theory shirt jacket.

One worked.

One most definitely did not.

As it happened, I tried both over essentially the same outfit I’d worn to the farmers market. And that reminded me of a pretty good closet test:

Try something new with the clothes you already wear all the time.

Not the imaginary outfit you might someday create around it. Not the new pants you’d need to buy. Not the perfect shoes you don’t own yet.

Your clothes.

The Sézane sweater immediately felt like it belonged.

The Theory jacket was harder. It was Theory, probably retailed somewhere around $450, and I’d paid about $50. That’s exactly the kind of secondhand “deal” that can be difficult to send back.

But once I stopped looking at the label and price, the answer was pretty obvious. The sleeves were much too long, the light grey wasn’t my best color, the bouclé sweater fabric felt slightly itchy—and it was so heavy I was already getting hot just trying it on.

There was a time when I probably would have kept it and figured out some fun way to style it.

Now? Back it goes for someone else to enjoy.

And I’m one less closet orphan ahead.

My Intentional Shopping List

Know what you need before you start browsing; click the image to print

From the Farmers Market to My Kitchen

Funny enough, the recipe for Summer Pasta with Tuna, Courgette & Fresh Basil from Most Lovely Things landed in my inbox right before I headed to the farmers market.

Perfect timing.

With the recipe in the back of my mind, I wandered a little more slowly through the market that morning.

There was beautiful basil and zucchini everywhere, but also honeys, jams and sunflowers—and the first signs of apples beginning to edge their way in beside the peaches.

As much as I wish stone-fruit season could last year-round, I found myself getting excited about what was beginning to show up alongside it.

I came home with fresh basil and zucchini, along with fresh homemade pasta from the market.

Back home, the zucchini and pasta came together with canned tuna, olives, fresh basil and lemon for a simple late-summer dinner.

It was one of those meals that tastes exactly right for the moment—not quite fall, but beginning to lean in that direction.

And Look Who Found a Home

And remember that avocado-green bowl I brought home from Carmel last week?

It has already found a home on the range, filled with lemons.

I knew it would.

This Week’s Reflection

Looking back, I think what I was noticing outside my office window at the beginning of the week was really what I was craving myself.

Not the end of summer. Just a little shift.

A hot Turkish coffee at the farmers market instead of iced. A sweater added later in the day. A few richer colors and textures in my closet. Something warm for dinner. Three hours at the movies because, for once, an overcast afternoon felt like the perfect excuse to go inside.

None of it means I’m ready to say goodbye to summer.

I’m simply beginning to enjoy what comes next.

For now, there are still warm afternoons ahead, flowers blooming in the garden, and hopefully a few more peaches to enjoy.

So I’ll pop a Zyrtec and welcome all that September has to offer.

Until next weekend,