Yes, You Can Wear Yellow For Fall — Here’s How
In the cooler months, I wear a lot of black (I'm not even going to tell you how many black turtlenecks I own). But over the last year or so, I’ve slowly been livening things up in my wardrobe. From a ditsy-floral prairie dress in sky blue to a bubblegum pink midi with voluminous sleeves and full skirt, I'm piece by piece bringing on the color. My most surprising turn so far has been an all-out obsession with yellow. And more than soft tones like banana and daffodil — I’m talking the chirpiest of shades, from chartreuse to lemon. Lucky for me, all things yellow has already been a huge trend in 2018. But transitioning a color that is pretty much springtime incarnate into fall, well, that presents a challenge.
Yellow can be intimidating any time of year. It's one of those shades that people feel wary of wearing, when they tend more toward neutrals like I do, but I've found that when I bust out a bright shade with conviction, I get more compliments in yellow than anything else. People respect when you boldly go there. And, good news, brands are making it easier and easier to go there. For the Autumn-Winter season, designers from Tibi to Prada championed the sunny shade on the runway in the form of a buttery faux-fur coat and long-sleeve layering tee in a highlighter-yellow hue, respectively. Now, after a few swift clicks through retail sites like Net-A-Porter, Shopbop, and Nordstrom, you’ll see that yellow knits, skirts, suits, and more abound for fall, and in every tinge imaginable from canary to butterscotch and gold.
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So, with my newfound zest for yellow coupled with a willingness to trial trends, I put together five yellow-centric outfits to prove how the vibrant shade can appear professional, polished, and above all, fun for fall. Read on, to see how I made yellow feel wearable and not wacky—and trust me, it’s easier than you think.
First up, a sweater and pant combo (pictured at the top) that somehow makes head-to-toe yellow not feel too outrageous for work. To me, the sweater — a puff-sleeve silhouette by Ganni ($450; nordstrom.com)—is perfectly balanced by the golden-yellow of my snake-print jeans by ALEXACHUNG ($325; net-a-porter.com) (FYI, if you’re tired of leopard motifs, snake is the next best bet). With a sleek leather bucket bag (mine is by Trademark) and optic white mules (I’ve been obsessed with this Dorateymur pair that I bought over the summer — still available here!) this top-to-toe yellow combo feels forward-thinking and office-appropriate. I call it a win.
Next, I plucked this gray Massimo Dutti suit out of my closet (a set I bought on sale last winter and have yet to wear), which is printed with a soft yellow windowpane check — how perfect? Since the yellow is faint, I wanted to intensify the effect by styling in a fluorescent yellow sweatshirt (which brings a streetwear vibe to the tailored look — this one is from Zara) with optic white accessories for a ‘90s lean (how cute is this bag by emerging designer, Nico Giani?). My mules are by ASKA and crazy-comfortable, by the way. I think this look is a perfect foray into the yellow trend as the suit is neutral and can be amplified with various shades of yellow on top (for a more subdued take, go for a pastel shade) whether you have a solid gray set or one that’s printed like mine.
For a full-on fall moment, this Fair Isle sweater ($350; orchardmile.com) and wool skirt ($385; sea-ny.com) felt idyllic — both by one of my favorite feminine brands, Sea. Because these pieces are from the same brand, they easily go together, and I think the mustard color is less intimidating and a more universally flattering shade on all skin tones. For contrast, I went with my Nico Giani bucket once again, and brown snake-print boots (see? the motif is major right now) by Zara. I think this outfit works just as well for the office as it does for dinner or drinks.
I was obsessed with this Rejina Pyo jacket ($805; nordstrom.com) the minute I saw it come down the runway (where it was styled with a nude blouse and plaid skirt). To give it the yellow treatment, I paired the leather layer with buttery yellow trousers I scored a couple of summer’s ago from Zara (similar styles here and here), a tan Yuzefi bag ($460; net-a-porter.com), and yellow Dries van Noten boots (I don't always wear snakeskin, I swear). Though a boldly color-blocked look, I think the clean lines of the jacket and pants totally work in a professional setting, made even more lively by the sleek yet playful accessories. If this feels too bright, a dark brown or tawny-colored leather jacket would be an incredible and more neutral pairing with yellow bottoms.
My final yellow act was an evening look I wore to a Broadway show. I started with a banana-colored slip dress by The Attico (it’s very Andie Anderson from How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days — I found a similar style here). To give it a fall spin, I layered on a leopard-print coat by Shrimps with a canary yellow collar (I secured this vintage-inspired gem from MATCHESFASHION last winter — a new-season version here). To make it more modern, I went with Western-inspired Chelsea boots ($295; nordstrom.com) from Paige’s first-ever shoe collection that launched this fall (the leather is unbelievably soft and comfortable) and a wooden box clutch, also by Massimo Dutti. Large golden hoops ($7; hm.com) were the perfect modern finish. I think the key here was the mix of textures to give this outfit a decidedly fall feel. Plus, the mix of brown and yellow is an easier-to-wear combo than say, a vibrant mix of lavender and yellow (which I’m actually a big fan of).
What do you think of my yellow-for-fall experiment? If I've done my job, you've been convinced to give the trend a try.
