How to Dress Like a WASP: Sloane in Autumn, Preppy in Spring
Autumn is a most welcome change from the heat and humidity of summer. And as the leaves change and that dry air comes down from the north, it also necessitates the adding of garments, another welcome change.
A Change in Palette
But it is more than adding layers.
I have always found that I have naturally (and in the past, unknowingly) aligned what I wore to my surroundings. This means if I am on the water in the summer, I reach for blues and whites. While when I am in the fields in Autumn, it is mossy green tweeds and tattersalls. (And when in the city – which I tend to stay out of in the warmer weather – it is the stiffer, more formal, and less revealing items for which I reach, in more neutral tones.)
This (and other factors) encourage a bimodal approach to sourcing.
Preppy in Spring
I have found that American clothing companies shine in the spring/summer seasons. No one does American classic coastal clothing and accessories quite like the Americans. With their fabulous hues – pinks and greens, light blues and Navy blues, snappy nautical stripes and crisp checks. This, combined with classic silhouettes, has been unbeatable.
In contrast, I have found the Brits somewhat lacking in this arena. The Europeans can do their sleek thing like no one’s business - the streets of Milan are littered with linen, low vamp loafers or espadrilles, and large straw bags, ideal for their hot steamy weather summers, but that is not me. And maybe because the Brits seldom have a hot summer, they are not well equipped for producing garments for it. (And this I envy as I am not a hot weather fan.)