A Fall Accessory Roundup (That *Doesn’t* Include Suede or Burgundy)
As cooler weather sweeps through Penn’s campus, the fall semester ushers in the opportunity to experiment with new accessories that combine bold statements with classic pieces. These are some of my favorite (and less reported) accessory trends for this fall:
Colorful Striped Scarves + Gloves
I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely excited to see more funky and colorful knitwear this season. I can’t quite decide if form should follow function when it comes to these pieces, so I certainly think that breaking out the looser knits and brightly colored mohair scarves before the November chill hits is the way to go. Personally, I’m a big fan of combining non-traditional fall colors with classic fall accessories—think muted pastel greens, purples, and pinks. These pieces can easily be found secondhand, whether at The Second Mile or eBay, but they also present an excellent opportunity for a DIY.
Cowhide
Every few years, a different animal print makes it big in the fashion world. Most recently, we’ve seen the resurgence of cheetah and leopard prints, but this is both a callback to and a new spin on their predecessor—cowprint. Especially with how mainstream fashion has become much more understated and subdued in terms of prints and colors, cowhide feels like cowprint’s cooler older sister (who’s maybe living in a big city, post-grad, and approaching her quarter-life crisis). Cowhide combines print with texture in a refreshingly new way, and something that I find personally appealing about it is that every piece is just a little bit different in terms of pattern and color. In the age of model-off-duty minimalism, a cowhide belt or purse seems like the perfect way to add intrigue and dimension to an outfit that might otherwise fade into the background.
Hammered Metal
This is an accessory trend that could ride the waves of chunky bracelet stacks and personalized charm necklaces by putting a more subdued spin on the idea of statement jewelry. I recently purchased a hammered brass ring from a vendor at the Rittenhouse Saturday Market, and it’s already worked its way into my daily jewelry lineup. One of the striking features of hammered metal jewelry is how personal it feels—again, as with the trends I’ve already covered, every piece is truly unique. A turn away from the kinds of dainty, high-shine jewelry peddled by fast fashion companies, hammered metal pieces feel much more personal, and I trust that they will better stand the test of time than other, more kitschy jewelry trends.
Tortoiseshell
Perhaps another sign of the 90s revival that has been gaining momentum over the past few seasons, tortoiseshell accessories have been popping up more and more as we move into the colder months. A simple and accessible way to spice up accessories that typically come in solid colors—glasses, hair clips, french pins, even earrings and bangles—tortoiseshell evokes the memory of the biggest it-girls of the 1990s. For anyone visiting New York over fall or Thanksgiving break, be sure to check out C.O. Bigelow, the oldest apothecary in the United States and the source of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s paparazzi-famed tortoiseshell headband.
Featured Image Courtesy of Knit Two, Stab One