Loft New Arrivals: 4 Fab Fall Outfits Styled for You!

Where do you start when shopping for some cute casual things for Fall?  One of the brands I’ve had my eye on lately is LOFT. They’ve got some great basics with a modern twist and a fabulous selection of colors, which I’m always looking for!

If you’ve never shopped LOFT, I like to think of it as the little sister to Ann Taylor.  LOFT is owned by the same company and has a similar vibe, except that the clothes are more relaxed for work and home, as well as more moderately priced.

I’ve put together some must have, causal Fall outfits to show you what I mean. Everything in these collages, including accessories and shoes, are from LOFT, making shopping much easier. Have a look!

Fall Must Have  – Straight Leg Jeans and a Pretty Blouse

One of the things LOFT does well is identify the trends, and this fall, they have a great selection of straight-leg jeans and blouses to put together for a great everyday look. It’s so easy to fall into the rut of living in Yoga pants, especially at home; this cute outfit makes it easy to realize that looking and feeling stylish, even if you are going to the grocery store, doesn’t take a lot.

These midrise Girlfriend jeans are a great start to an on-trend casual outfit. But what are girlfriend jeans exactly? Well, you know how boyfriend jeans are rather straight and baggy  -more for straight body types rather than us curvy gals? Girlfriend jeans are like boyfriend jeans but much less baggy. They are fitted through the hip with a relaxed (not baggy) leg. I’m an hourglass, and I have been loving this style lately. They feel more modern than skinny jeans but not masculine like boyfriend jeans.

These above are midrise and have a dark indigo wash, which I always find looks the most classy ( and slimming, too).

A pretty print blouse always uplevels a pair of jeans, but if you had asked me if I was interested in a Paisley blouse for this, I would have said no. Paisley usually feels old and dated to me. But LOFT has done a bang-up job with this paisley, making it look modern and fresh with that light background and those beautiful fall colors. The V-neckline is also very youthful and f;attering.

Plus, there’s a tiny touch of ruffle at the neck that you can barely see, giving it a lovely feminine touch.

Who would have thought to combine Paisley and Plaid, but that’s modern? If you are ever unsure about what prints go together, remember two things: keep them in the same colors and make sure one print is smaller than the other. In this case, the plaid is smaller than Paisley.

It’s so easy to walk out the door sans a belt or earrings, but the little things take you from average to awesome, so do yourself a favor and get in the habit of adding those, and it will become automatic.

Fall Must Have – A Touch of Leather

Do you like leather? Or faux leather, as that’s how leather has gone these days. In any case, leather adds a little edginess to your look, and edginess translates into urban chic. These cropped wide-leg faux leather pants are a great place to begin. They’re super on trend with the big patch pockets, and when you wear a soft, fine sweater with them, topped off by a long cardigan, they don’t seem as threatening, LOL!

Seriously, if you have ever wanted to incorporate a touch of leather into your wardrobe, now is the time since leather, lots of leather is everywhere this fall.

I also wanted to mention the cardigan because I should call it what it really is – a sweater blazer. It’s got the shape of a blazer ( so more structured than a cardigan), but it is soft like a cardigan. I’ve seen many of them lately, and they are so practical for our midlife lifestyle. Who wants to go around in a stiff jacket when you live a casual life?

Don’t think you have to wear heels with these cropped pants about the shoes. Ballet flats and similar styles are trending, which is great news for our 40, 50,60+ feet!  Add some cute earrings and this chic-looking saddle bag ( which looks very designer but is super affordable), and you have an elegant, reasonably-priced fall look.

Fall Must Have  – Red

Oh Red! Do you wear it all the time or avoid it? I find it’s usually one or the other. I adore red and wear all shades, but if you are a little red-shy, you should revisit that and try Fall’s latest red. This is it. It’s much more like a merlot, cabernet, or fig…call it what you want, but it is much more subdued and sophisticated. Every woman looks great in red, a lower-key version of bright cherry, poppy, or even Christmas red.

LOFT did a great job combining Red and one of the most popular silhouettes right now, a straight-fitted maxi sheath dress, which is anything but boring with those sexy buttons up the leg. I like that little flash of leg now and again because sometimes these midis, no matter how nice they look on the hangar, can look a little long and frumpy on.

The tall suede boots are amazing!! Do check those out, and the bag- well, it’s simple and classy. I love the matching earrings (I’ve had fantastic luck with Loft earrings over the years), and the bracelet is a nice option if you like a little more interesting bling.

pants | sweater | booties | bag | earrings

Fall Must Have – Flare Pants

70’s vibes are happening this Fall, but they don’t feel dated because of the new styling. I’ve paired these cool-looking plaid high-rise flares with a cropped sweater. Cropped is the important word here because that’s what looks modern with high-waisted pants. The combo of a classic boxy sweater ( with Chanel jacket vibes) elevates the pants from a past era to the current day.

Don’t you love this stunning rust color? The sweater, the bag, the boots. Yes, they all match in color (matchy-matchy), but that’s not a bad thing anymore. We’re seeing a return to matched outfits and some matched colors too and it’s elegant and refreshing!

These are just a few of the Fab Finds from LOFT- a great place for women our age to shop for casual basics at good prices. Let me know if you shop LOFT and what you’ve bought and if you have a photo of you in your outfit feel free to share in The Fabulous After 40 Dressing Room – my private Facebook group of friendly ladies who love to share photos and talk about fashion. You can sign up here.