Fall Fashion: Part Three

Fall is my favorite season. Mostly because it means cooler temperatures and a prelude to all my beloved holidays. It's also a time for nesting, for being domestic, and enjoying the changing milieu of colors, of scents, and of visual cues that the Earth's yearly journey is reaching its conclusion. And it is in those sensory experiences that we tend to also shift our fashion perspective. And while the weather certainly plays a part in that transition, it's the hues that many of us are drawn to in the fall months that make everything feel richer and more inviting.

I love wearing the shades of autumn: orange, burgundy, forest green, gold, cobalt blue. They make everything look more sophisticated and luxurious. Really, you can't go wrong in the fall. Pick a piece with a pop of color, and you're instantly transformed into a bonafide fall fashionista. And to give you a little inspiration, here are just a few ideas for some coats and dresses that partake of the palette for fall.

1.Double-cloth car coat, J.Crew, $350. 2.Twill vegan leather coat, Tinley Road, $129. 3.Galan dress, Anthropologie, $138. 4.Quilted Tema dress, Anthropologie, $158.

Fall Fashion: Part Two

Moving on from fall {winter} sweaters, I'll regress slightly to the more accessible for fall fashion: blouses/tops. With the mercury slowly dropping, it often becomes a challenge to figure out what to wear during those in-between seasons, when it isn't quite hot enough to pull off sleeveless tops anymore, but not cool enough to don that favorite sweater you've being dying to wear. So it becomes a game of closet chess, where each style choice can make or break a sweat [or maybe just force you to turn up the A/C].

And this season, tops are all about keeping things interesting. With prints and patterns and texture and flowiness abounding, fashion labels are playing the perfect chess game to keep us all intrigued and inspired. The looks are whimsical and relaxed, refined and simple, and utterly chic and unique. So take a chance this fall - get in the game and make a move. Your closet will thank you.

1. Cartography Buttondown, Anthropologie, $78. 2. Jersey Jacquard Top, Boden, $88. 3. Border Dot Top, LOFT, $54.50. 4. Guipure T-shirt, Zara, $59.90.

Fall Fashion: Part One

While the temperatures in Phoenix are still in the sweltering 100s, the barrage of fall fashion has inundating my inbox and Pinterest feed for the last few weeks. I suppose my wish for less than double-digit temps and surfing the web for cool-weather stylings has added to my autumnal desires. And since there is no better way to look forward to Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes (I hear they are back on the menu already!), changing leaves, brisk mornings and chilly nights than to dive head first into all things fall, I will indulge myself - and my Bargain Chic friends - with some fall fashion essentials.

First up - and going for the ultimate it's-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-autumn feel - are sweaters. Yep, I'll say it again, the high today in Phoenix was 102, but I am thinking about sweaters. (Hey, whatever helps me get through the dog days of summer, right?) And this season, sweaters are all about the relaxed style with a dash of detail. Oversized sweaters, zipper sweaters, textured sweaters, and so on. And, of course, there's always room for a cardigan or two. Whatever sweater style you partake of (if not all), the one universal theme for all of them this season seems to be comfort - cozy, content and chic.

 Clockwise: Asymmetrical Zip Sweater, JCrew, $110; Textured Fine-Knit Sweater, Mango, $49.99; Corner Coffee Shop Cardigan, ModCloth, $59.99; Moto Sweater, Olive & Oak, $68.