Late Summer to Fall: How to Style Your Favorite Dresses Into the New Season

We’re not ready to say goodbye to dresses just because fall is around the corner. August and early September are some of the best months for getting creative with your wardrobe, warm afternoons still call for an easy dress, while cooler mornings and evenings give us an excuse to start layering.

The latest dresses at Ruby Jane & Valleygirl Boutique make that transition especially easy. Think romantic prints, denim, rich browns, florals and effortless silhouettes that can be worn now and styled straight into fall.

Here’s how we’re wearing them.

The Printed Maxi: Your Wear-Everywhere Dress

A printed maxi is one of those pieces that does most of the work for you. Our Reset by Jane Wrap Around Maxi Dress has an easy blue-and-white print that still feels perfectly summery, but its longer length makes it an effortless transition piece.

Wear it now: Keep it simple with sandals, delicate jewelry and your favorite sunnies.

Wear it into fall: Add a denim jacket or lightweight cardigan and swap the sandals for ankle boots. As temperatures drop even more, layer on a cozy knit and let the skirt peek out underneath.

It’s an easy look for dinner, weekend plans or those Colorado days that start cool, heat up by lunch and cool right back down after sunset.

The Mini Dress + Cowboy Boots

The Reset by Jane Smocked Ruffle Mini Dress might be one of our favorite ways to bridge the seasons.

The warm, earthy print already hints at fall, while the short, feminine silhouette keeps it perfect for late summer. And paired with cowboy boots? Even better.

Wear it now: Style it with boots and minimal jewelry for an easy late-summer look.

Wear it into fall: Throw on an oversized denim jacket, cardigan or lightweight sweater. When temperatures really start to dip, add a taller boot and you're ready for the season.

Chocolate Brown Is Having a Moment

If there’s one color we're taking straight into fall, it’s chocolate brown.

The Reset by Jane V-Neck Front Zip Mini Dress in Chocolate Brown is a perfect example. The rich color feels distinctly fall while the sleeveless mini silhouette lets you start wearing it while temperatures are still warm.

Wear it now: Pair it with sandals or a simple heel and gold jewelry.

Wear it into fall: Add tall boots and a jacket or cardigan. For an easy daytime look, try it with sneakers and a denim layer.

Brown also plays beautifully with cream, camel, denim and gold, so this one is especially easy to accessorize throughout the season.

Keep the Florals

Florals aren't just for spring and summer.

A romantic floral maxi like the Reset by Jane Sleeveless Maxi Dress can easily carry you into early fall, especially when the print includes warm, earthy shades.

Wear it now: Let the dress be the statement with simple sandals and understated accessories.

Wear it into fall: Ground the feminine floral with boots and a denim or suede-inspired jacket. A chunky cardigan gives it an entirely different, more casual feel.

The contrast of a flowy floral dress with heavier fall layers is one of our favorite ways to make summer pieces work longer.

Denim Dresses = Instant Fall Outfit

Denim is always good, but something about it feels especially right when fall starts approaching.

A denim dress gives you the ease of a one-piece outfit while working with almost every accessory already in your closet.

For late summer, wear it alone with sandals or sneakers. Heading into fall, add cowboy boots, a belt and a cardigan or jacket. Denim also looks great layered with warm neutrals like camel, chocolate brown and cream.

Don't Put Away the Little Black Dress

The simple black dress might be the hardest-working dress in your closet.

Late summer calls for sandals, sneakers and simple jewelry. Come fall, the exact same dress works with a cardigan, leather-inspired jacket, boots and layered accessories.

The beauty of a simple black dress is that you can completely change its personality depending on what you pair with it, which makes it one of the easiest pieces to keep in rotation all year.

The Secret to Transitional Dressing? Layers.

Colorado weather doesn't always make getting dressed easy. A sunny August afternoon can feel like the middle of summer, while dinner on a patio or an evening in the mountains can have you reaching for a sweater.

Instead of completely changing your wardrobe when the seasons shift, start with the pieces you already want to wear and add fall one layer at a time.

Think:

• Denim jackets over feminine dresses
• Cozy cardigans with maxis
• Cowboy and ankle boots instead of sandals
• Lightweight sweaters layered over dresses
• Gold jewelry and warmer accessories
• Denim, cream, camel and chocolate brown layers

A few simple swaps can turn your favorite summer dress into an entirely new fall outfit.

Find Your Late-Summer-to-Fall Dress

Whether you're holding onto every last bit of summer or already counting down to sweater weather, our latest dresses are ready for both.

Shop women's dresses at Ruby Jane & Valleygirl Boutique for minis, maxis, denim, florals and easy everyday styles you can wear now and keep wearing well into fall.

Shop the latest dresses online at RubyJane.com or visit us at one of our Colorado boutiques.

Because we're not putting the dresses away just yet.