HoC Autumns

[Seri77]

Thought I'd start a thread for autumns as the spring and winters threads seem busy and I feel I'm missing out!

I'm an autumn leaf and going for the style day soon. I haven't bought much this year as only had colours done a couple of months ago and waiting to discover my style before spending. I have been decluttering my wardrobe quite ruthlessly as I had a lot of the wrong colours/tatty clothes.

I did buy some Kettlewell tops and have had a few compliments so I certainly believe that colour analysis works.

Unfortunately my autumn/winter coats are black but expensive so I won't be replacing them for at least a couple of years.

Any suggestions for colourful hats/scarves/gloves to lift the black? High street brands please as I can't get parcels delivered to home.

Charity and Super - my first thought was that that colour green wouldn't suit me, although I could be wrong. I need more muted, dusty colours. I prefer that description to 'sludgy'!

Last year I got a Merrell Wakefield waterproof insulated coat in Ink Heather (I think it is called) and it is a lovely lovely dark blue, very autumnal, I think. But my other wool coats are black, tbh.

Oh, and Queen, I loved your Pinterest board. Some great inspiration there, esp that orange leather trench. .

I need a replacement really for grey.
Marl grey makes me look really ill around the eyes.
I wonder if charcoal would be too dark?

Ooooh, just back from a spendy trip to Vegas, but I did pick up a few Autumny things:

I was looking for jeans - Lucky Brand seem to fit me well. On the sale rail I found a pair of mad leather pants in oxblood - origianlly $499, reduced to 60 with another 40% off - well pleased with those.

Treated myself to Benefit's Bronze of Champions box at duty-free - hoola bronzer and lip-gloss are lovely.

I'd been after an easy-wear maxi for a while - found a DKNY jersey one for $21 - it's in a creamy ecru, which I might dye a more wearable olive green.

I'm being drawn to a rose-gold watch - is that a good colour for the Autumn palette?

Apologies in advance for what will probably be quite a long post! cocochops was asking about Project 333. It's a simple concept - you have 33 items of clothing (certain exclusions and you can modify to suit) for three months. Pretty simple, but it's surprisingly deep.

I came to it via the minimalist threads in Good Housekeeping, and also the frugal fashion threads here in S&B (worth digging out and reading). I started just after Christmas, largely because I thought it sounded ridiculous, and I couldn't/didn't want to do it. You just pack away or put to one side your non-33 items, so you're not making any permanent decisions.

I had a fair amount of clothes (although nowhere near as many as some S&B posters). For example, I had four pairs of jeans, none of which I liked or really wore. None of those were included in my first two seasons. One was in this last season (because I'd lost the fat around my middle, they fitted better. building like you, I'm paleo/primal)). I have now charity shopped the other three pairs and bought a pair that I love and fit me.

However, psychologically the project has been so beneficial. I feel much lighter and less guilty about all the clothes I had, but never really wore. Or felt I 'should' wear, but didn't feel good in. I also realised that many of my clothes were wrong for my lifestyle. I had too many going out dresses, but I never go anywhere formal - pub, curry or going to see a band is my social life, and that's how I like it.

It's also made me realise what I like about clothes - good fabrics, good fit, good colours. It's what tipped me into having my colours done, and it's a real joy now to have pretty much everything in my wardrobe go with everything else. At the beginning, it felt like paying so much attention to my clothes was somehow shallow and unfeminist, but these things do matter. I read a book recommended by frugal fashionista called You Are What You Wear, which was really insightful. Also a blog called recoveringshopaholic.com/. I am most definitely not a shopaholic (I actively dislike shopping).

I would definitely recommend Project 333, but then I am an advocate of minimalism and simplicity parenting. Also, from an environmental point of view, it's crazy how many unworn clothes we all have in our wardrobes.

Ah, cocochops actually asked what was in my wardrobe, not my thoughts on the meaning of life .

It's nothing very radical, but I try to just have one of each type IYSWIM. So one pair of skinnies, one pair of wide legged trousers, one A line skirt, one shirt etc.

You need far fewer tops than you think, but a fairly equal number of bottoms. I also only have two dresses now, but might aim for an everyday winter one. I don't include shoes or accessories and jewellery. I don't have many shoes, and I've noticed I'm wearing more of my jewellery and scarves. I also only have two jackets and a coat, which turns out to be more than enough.

Oh no, killed the thread...

Geek I have adopted dark olive as my neutral of choice, as I don't really love brown.

Queen, I'm trying to make my wardrobe more like yours. I started by throwing out most of my clothes. I'm doing well with tops in right colours and shapes and have 3 cardigans in different styles that will take my summer tops into autumn.

Most of my shoes, bottoms and outerwear are in black. I want to buy quality so I will replace these over time with versions in the right colours. My aim is that everything works together and I will have less overall.

You mentioned minimalism, as I've got rid of clothes I've kept for years without wearing I've found it easier to get rid of other unused things in the house.

Apologies if this has been discussed previously but when you wear skirts, what colour tights do you wear? If black opaques are out then I'm a bit lost.......

Chocolate brown or dark green opaque tights, flesh coloured, or I have one pair of cream knitted ones (though they are pretty unforgiving on my chunky calves, but look OK with knee high boots)

If anyone can point me to a pair of flat fronted chocolate brown trousers - for work - in a size 18, I would be very grateful. I can't seem to find good trousers in a dark colour for work, so I've got lots of black pairs.

Seri I've been trying for years to replace skirts and trousers from black into my Autumn colours and have found it very difficult. It's not as hard now as it was in the mid 90's when everything was black but it's still a challenge.
So a big thank you for starting the thread. I've been lurking since the beginning and have found it very helpful.

charitygirl I had thought it was just a more muted forest green but maybe you're right - I find 'seeing' the different tones harder on the blue/green spectrum than on warmer colours like the oranges and tans, I think I will try and find something camel.

Queen, I've been reading about project 333 and am definitely going to try it for autumn/winter, the weather over the last few weeks has made me loathe to put away my very summery clothes so Im hoping to devote a day to it at the weekend.

Can I ask a question about hair colour? I have no idea what my natural hair colour is anymore, but when I was a child it was auburn, then got darker in my teens, and since I was 18 I've been dying it varying shades of red, mostly not far off the natural colour. In the last year or so I've hit a colour I love, its much more vibrant, not quite Joan in MadMen but moving gently in that direction. However my HOC consultant said my hair colour (which I will admit is at its worst atm, the sun has been bleaching it out) needs to be deeper and richer.

I've now realised I don't really know what that means. Have any of you changes your hair to match your colours? At the moment, I think my hair looks a bit like this: www.polyvore.com/hair_color_corner_strawberry_blonde/thing?id=27425082 possibly a bit more bleached out at the roots.

I think I would probably prefer it to be more like this: theberry.com/2012/07/18/rocking-the-red-19-photos/red-hair-18/ which I think is closer to what it starts out as. I know there's a lot of copper tone used in mixing my colour.

I'm going to a new hairdressers on Friday and have booked one of their senior colourists. Does anyone have any guidance on what deeper and richer would mean, within the broad range of auburn to ginger? How do I explain it to a hairdresser, and what would it look like?

Super, when I had my colours done I was a given a list of suitable professional hair dye colours for autumns specifically to take to and discuss with the hairdresser. I'm not at home this week otherwise I would scan it for you.

Orderose, you're welcome! I need lots of help with sorting out my wardrobe and image and this thread is really useful. No idea about brown trousers, could do with some myself. Though, like Hopefully I'm leaning towards dark olive as my main neutral. Probably even more difficult to find. I'm actually starting to consider having some smart trousers made as between finding a suitable colour and my funny shape I think it could be years before I find them in a shop.

SuperConfused - sorry I can't link but if you find a website called 12 blue prints and search for autumn and hair colour there are some interesting articles. I also have no idea what my real hair colour is! There is a lot of red in it but always went for blonde highlights. I had some low lights put in last week and its now a light to medium brown with some golden highlights and looks much better. Not sure I want to admit this but I took a photo of my eye and enhanced it. I have blue/green/grey eyes with brown splodges. I read that I should aim for the same colour as the brown for my hair colour and that's what I've done!

Dome of the Uniqlo tops look quite autumnal...teals and greens and a sort of mustard yellow...?

Shop - I've just bought three pairs of (expensive - a first for me) tights for winter: mustard, petrol (bit scary as quite on the peacock side), and dark olive. Can't wait to wear the mustard with purple dress and tan boots (not actually tried this, may be distressingly awful). Sacreligiously, I'm thinking purple and mustard might also be lovely with a pair of grey suede heels I have lurking.

Superconfused - spotting the right blue (esp 'heliotrope' - I have one scarf I'm confident about, and have spent much time in shops saying 'heliotrope? Or periwinkle??') and greens is MUCH harder than browns/tans, definitely.

And yup - uniqlo get a lot of autumn colours right!

Hello autumns! I have recently been diagnosed as a winter, but I have a couple of (what I think are) autumn coloured clothes looking for a new home.

First is a Maison Scotch shirt, silk, size 3 (12/14) never worn.

Here is a pic though not the best one, it is quite slouchy, and much better open. Have tried to attach one of my own.

another pic though diff colour

and again tucked in

Also a 100% wool Cos scarf in coral neon. Also v minimally worn.

And candy apple revlon lip butter, also v minimally used!

Please PM me if interested / want more info - I would just want postage costs reimbursed.

Bascially it is this scarf but in neon coral

this

Shop I wear brown opaques or nude fishnets. I tried cream opaques, but too cutesy on me . I love them on most people though.

Super that second hair colour looks brilliant - and is exactly what your consultant advised, a deeper richer colour (really you're talking about something slightly darker, and with more colour saturation). If you say deeper (or darker) and richer to your hair colourist they should know what you mean. Ask to look at the chart of swatches and point out anything remotely burgundy/wine red and emphasise that you don't want that - burgundy is death to most autumns, and some hair colourists like to add it in when going dark red.

Building I've done quite well for autumn coloured clothes from uniqlo, haven't had any duffs yet!

On the subject of tights and socks, I was in town today and went into American Apparel. They have an impressive range, and they looked really good quality. I was also impressed that the guy working there could say 'plush pantyhose' while keeping a straight face.

They range from £6 to £30, so not that cheap but they're not made in sweatshops. When I had a quick look in H&M, knowing the conditions the women who make them have to work in took the shine off.

I also have a pair of Falke tights from John Lewis, beloved of fashionistas in a deep brown shade. They are wonderful, but I'm glad I got them at 50% off at £24 a pair.

Not sure if this has been mentioned before but there are some beautiful olive coloured jumpers in the baukjen autumn collection . I had the mag come through the post far to expensive for me though

Just came home from TK Maxx with an acidy lime green-mustard cardigan, a teal cowl neck top, and deep purple stretch jeans. Sooooo delighted. Did not buy any of the many beige browny chunky knit jumpers are they sort if washed me out and don't think I would miss them if I left them behind.

I sort of think I have always done Project 333 style wardrobe. I don't really collect clothes the way some people do, I generally like to be able to stick things together in lots of ways and have things go together with lots of other items.

So. I will just ditch about half my current wardrobe now that I've bought a few new pieces... can't wait to cull the £3 Asda t-shirts I have accumulated while shopping was so hard with kids v small and being ill for ages.

And have discovered that I am much better at internet shopping than I used to be. I just have quite strict guidelines now which allows me to disregard 90% of every shop. .