fall color combo ideas that aren't rust or sienna

+ review of those auralee jeans as a 5'2" person

Oct 10, 2024

Happy Thursday everyone.

I am getting the final touches ready for the fragrance swap soirée tomorrow and the vibe is a little CHAOTIC. You know when your pile of cardboard boxes is almost taller than you?

It’s been in the works for two months and I am very excited to meet some of you tomorrow! This weekend I drove over to the store to drop off two cases of seltzers and wine (rolled it in a suitcase like a Woman in STEM) and felt an immense wave of gratitude that this is my job. This event is at capacity, but I hope to plan more this year. Future events will always be announced for newsletter readers first.

What’s on the brain lately is the renewed popularity of the Frye Campus Boot and how it’s become the center of TikTok dupe discourse drama. I’m working on a longer piece about it, doing the research, and want to take my time so my thoughts are well-articulated and informed by historical information. Coming soon.

In the meantime, I’ve been getting dressed for fall weather and having fun with fuzzy cardigans, funky bonnets, cuffed denim and satisfying color combos that aren’t the typical rust/sienna/terracotta palette you see on every e-comm website’s new arrivals.

why have i seen a million versions of this dress?

I will do another color combo post like this in November. If you appreciate this kind of style content, consider supporting my work with a subscription 😌

ok, count me in!

fog gray + tomato red + navy

I know pop of red had major trend momentum last year, but as a color lover this is a perennial styling strategy. Chances are you have a pair of dark jeans, or something gray (my mind thinks of fog gray because of the Bay Area mornings). A red tee or red sock brings some much-needed vitality into the outfit.

*Asterisk for affiliate links, which I may earn a commission on if a purchase is made. Feel free to use or not!

Flore Flore Baby Tee* (I recommend the Baby cut over the standard Car cut, which has longer sleeves—personally, I find the length to feel a bit odd).
Le Bon Shoppe Gray Cardigan*
Auralee Hard Twist Jeans* (10pm update: you guys are fast—they sold out. Here is the taupe version* on Farfetch and one at Outline).
Gray Matters Silver Pumps (try TRR saved search bc I got them for $75 a few years ago and they retail for a lot more)

Here’s my honest opinion on the Auralee “Hard Twist” jeans that I’ve seen mentioned in a recent
Jane on Jeans
post.

Auralee is a Japanese label that is starting to bleed into the North American fashion consciousness—I’ve felt/tried on some of their clothes in boutiques and was drawn to the ease in design and higher bar for quality construction. But I’ve never tried the jeans. And I’ve only ever seen them worn on taller people (I am 5’2” with 25-26” inseam) so I knew for certain they would be too long. Would they look good cuffed or hemmed? Hmmmmm.

I took a chance on a pair on eBay for $120. To my surprise, I really do get the hype.

In pictures, they have the stiff look of a thicker raw denim. In person, the fabric is actually a lot thinner than I expected. They don’t feel heavy, but the crisp look comes from the fact that is a “hard twist” denim, which means it’s made by twisting uneven cotton to its limit before rope dyeing it in indigo vats. That is what distinguishes them from other jeans I own. I like how they look cuffed, but will consider getting them hemmed.

another variation

Same colors, slightly different styling. I think I prefer the jeans worn with flats over heels (on the left side).

Also, who else is READY for little bonnet season?

LEFT

Flore Flore Baby Tee
Le Bon Shoppe Red Cashmere Scarf
Le Bon Shoppe Gray Cardigan
Auralee Hard Twist Jeans
Suzanne Rae Shearling Mules (Size 39 on Poshmark)

RIGHT

Cable Knit Crop Sweater (Crossroads find)
Auralee Hard Twist Jeans
Miu Miu Holographic Purse (vintage)
Margiela Tabi Ballerinas (I got the last pair on YOOX mega sale, and the retailer that has them in stock right now for the lowest price is Cettire)

bubblegum pink + choco brown/navy

I love a Neapolitan ice cream colored outfit, which starts with a punchy pink. It makes a pair of jeans or trousers more personality-forward. The right side outfit in particular made me feel like Season 3 Harper Stern (but with more color, obvi).

LEFT

Sezane Striped Button-Down
Auralee Hard Twist Jeans
Margiela Tabi Ballerinas

RIGHT

Tricot Cashmere Polo Sweater
Brown Trousers (vintage)
Margiela Tabi Ballerinas

icy blues + khaki + choco brown

Tonal mixes of blues and brown also work so well together. I think the blue keeps the browns from feeling flat/drab, and the brown softens the electricity of blue. Together they are more than the sum of their parts.

The light jackets carry these looks. I have collected a few cropped Courreges jackets over the years, because I know it’s a shape and style that works for me. On the right side, I’m wearing a plain 100% cotton trench coat from APC for $23 on Japanese eBay. Also sorry it’s a side view…I’ll try to post one from the front in the future letter—but it’s just a simple coat with very clean lines, no double breasted buttons.