Fall Forward

Trench: Zara (similar here)/ Long Sleeve Tee: J.Crew (similar here)/ Pants: Gap)/ Flats: Tory Burch/ Bag: Ferragamo (similar here)/ Sunglasses: Michael Kors (similar here)

This past weekend, we experienced quintessential early fall weather here in New York.  The mornings were crisp, the afternoons were warm and the evenings were perfect for curling up by our outdoor fire pit with a cashmere sweater and a generous glass of Malbec.  My husband even marked the change of season by making his annual version of Barefoot Contessa's ultimate fall comfort dish, butternut squash risotto.  While there is a definite appeal to autumn with it's promise of apple picking (and apple pie, of course), Halloween (my favorite "holiday" due to copious amounts of chocolate) and new fall fashions (very excited for leather everything), this transitional period where it's not quite summer and not fully fall has people (including me) thrown off in the wardrobe department.  Case in point...my daughter and I ventured into the city on Sunday for a much overdue day of shopping and lunch.  Naturally, we ended up at Bloomingdale's and eventually made our way over to Rockefeller Center for it's proximity to Sak's and for Dean and Deluca (best coffee ever).  As we sat sipping coffee and hot chocolate and nibbling on our brownies, we witnessed a conflicted fashion show in full New York glory.  Everything from shorts and flip flops to quilted jackets with fur trimmed hoods and riding boots went strutting past us.  There were floppy hats, plaid button downs, denim cut-offs and sundresses.  Judging from yesterday's images, one couldn't tell if it was August or November.  My version, based on the morning's cool conditions and the chilliness factor after the sun sets, had me layering in a three quarter sleeve cotton tee, skinny cropped pants and my trusty trench.  I must say, I was neither too hot nor too cold and my reliable Reva flats by Tory Burch are ideal for navigating through the relentless streets of Manhattan.  I do have my eye on this vest and these boots but I'll wait for the temperature to take a dramatic dip before I'm ready to make a full commitment.