Last updated on October 11th, 2023 at 02:26 pm
It’s time for “How to Wear it at Any Age Volume 21”! Our theme for this edition is fall colors and patterns. So think orange, purple and one our fall favorites – plaid. We’ve actually got each of our favorite colors in this volume. Jen’s favorite color is orange and Dianne’s favorite is purple.
All of these pieces are great to wear right now or right into winter and we’ll explain how to style them both ways. You’ll get some much use out of all of them!
HOW DOES “HOW TO WEAR IT AT ANY AGE” WORK?
This is how “How to Wear it at Any Age Volume 21” works: We decide together on the items that we want to style. We do not share how we were going to style each one, so that we can’t influence each other. Sometimes we will style things very similar and sometimes very different. But we hope in all cases we give you some style inspiration, no matter what your age or life stage!
Here’s what we’re styling for “How to Wear it at Any Age” Volume 21, from left to right:
Old Navy Plaid Bomber Jacket, $64.99
Old Navy Matching Plaid Skirt, $34.99
Express V-Neck Faux Wrap Tie Waist Top in Purple, $44.99
Amazon Orange Cape Sweater, $42.99
**This post contains affiliate links and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on our links. However, we only recommend products that we truly love. Amazon prices are as of 9/25/23.
THE CHALLENGE FOR “HOW TO WEAR IT AT ANY AGE” VOLUME 21
ORANGE CAPE SWEATER – JEN’S STYLING
This sweater is really cute, both the cut and color, and also really flattering. It’s great for transitioning into fall weather when it’s a little bit chilly outside, but there’s a chance it could get warmer.
I like to pair orange pieces with brown instead of black to keep it from looking too Halloween-like.
SHOP JEN’S LOOK: Sweater exact, jeans and booties similar
JEN’S ALTERNATE LOOK:
When the weather gets colder, layer a long sleeve shirt underneath to keep your arms warm. A white or cream color is a great compliment to the marbled yarn of the sweater.
I’d also add my tall brown boots to make this outfit really feel like fall!
ORANGE CAPE SWEATER – DIANNE’S STYLING
I fell in love with this sweater the second I saw it. It has so much going for it. First of all, it’s chic and on-trend. In our recent post, NY Fashion Week: Best New Trends for Fall/Winter 2023/24, we talked about how capes/shawls and wraps are in style this season.
The second thing I love about it is the fit. Sometimes with capes they can have so much fabric that you can feel lost in them. I think this one has just the right amount.
And finally, back to the fit. This cape sweater is perfect for those days when you don’t want to wear anything too tight…..I think you know what I mean!
I went with the off-white combat boots because the sweater has a marled pattern and I wanted to pull out the white in it. It’s a look that I can wear all through winter.
SHOP DIANNE’S LOOK: Sweater exact, all else similar
DIANNE’S ALTERNATE LOOK:
Like Jen, I prefer to pair orange with brown, not black. It keeps it from looking too “Halloween-y”. I love these brown faux suede leggings along with the brown suede flats. Making the bottom half of the outfit monochrome keeps the cape sweater the star of the outfit.
Because it’s hard to wear a necklace with this outfit, I opted for some large earrings. I am wearing large gold hoops in my photo and selected these drop coin earrings for the alternate look.
MATCHING PLAID BOMBER JACKET AND SKIRT SEPARATES – JEN’S STYLING
I’m loving this set and how versatile it is! I wanted to bring in some orange in the shoes to make it even more fall. And my brown Louis Vuitton bag coordinates with the other brown tones in the outfit.
This cream sweater is really comfortable, and looks great tucked into the skirt. And if you take off the jacket it’s still a complete outfit.
The skirt is technically a miniskirt, but for me it doesn’t feel too short that I’d be uncomfortable wearing it. I left my miniskirt ways back in my 20s! Ha!
SHOP JEN’S LOOK: Jacket, skirt and shoes exact, sweater similar
JEN’S ALTERNATE LOOK:
I’ve put together two different alternate outfits, because it’s so easy to wear both pieces separately!
This jacket would obviously look great with jeans and boots, but how great is this brown faux-leather mini skirt?
For all three outfits I like having low heels/flats so I feel more comfortable wearing a mini skirt. I’m clumsy, so falling is definitely a possibility!
MATCHING PLAID BOMBER JACKET AND SKIRT SEPARATES – DIANNE’S STYLING
To be honest, I wasn’t completely sure about this outfit when we ordered it. But I am so glad we did – I love it. It reminds me (in a good way) of a plaid skirt and turtleneck outift I wore in middle school. I’ve always liked that look.
I am also a big fan of chocolate brown and I love it for fall. So I went all in with the mock neck, brown tights and brown knee high boots. I did want to bring out the orange in the plaid, so I went with the rust colored handbag for a pop of color.
Also, as Jen mentioned, the skirt is considered a mini skirt. I decided to go up a size so that it would be a little bit looser and a little bit longer. I added the matching tights and boots to give my legs and elongated look.
SHOP DIANNE’S. LOOK: All exact except boots and handbag
DIANNE’S ALTERNATE LOOK:
What I love about styling the jacket and skirt separately is that these are really all mix-n-match pieces! The brown belt bag would look as great with the jacket as the tan hobo would look great with the skirt. But with both looks, I kept everything more earth/neutral tones. That’s what makes it easy to switch it up!
PURPLE FAUX WRAP TIE WAIST TOP – JEN’S STYLING
This top is great for the office or going out on a date – it’s that versatile! I wanted to try something different than jeans, and thought a pencil skirt would look great.
Both the top and the skirt meet at my waist, giving the illusion that I have one (I’m more or less shaped like a rectangle).
And the heels make me look all that much longer, and gives my butt a little bit of a boost in the skirt!
SHOP JEN’S LOOK: Top exact, all else similar
JEN’S ALTERNATE LOOK:
This is another outfit that would work for almost any occasion. I love that the billowy sleeves and the wide-leg pants give the look some volume. While the shirt hitting at the waist gives the outfit a tailored look.
I’d recommend heels with these pants too, so you get the full effect of the pants.
PURPLE FAUX WRAP TIE WAIST TOP – DIANNE’S STYLING
As we mentioned earlier, purple is my favorite color, so to say I love this top would be an understatement! You can wear it so many ways and it can definitely be dressed up or dressed down. I originally tried it with a pencil skirt which I liked but wanted something just a little bit different.
That’s when I remembered I have these black leather pants and I think they give this an overall chic look. This top is great for right now, but it will also be great for the holidays. You’ll see my holiday idea in the alternate look.
SHOP DIANNE’S LOOK: Top, shoes and earrings exact, pants and bag similar
DIANNE’S ALTERNATE LOOK:
So I think it bears repeating – this top would be great as part of a holiday outfit. I know purple and gold are used together a lot, but I really like purple and silver together. But you could easily swap any of these silver pieces for gold.
I wouldd wear this in a heartbeat for the holidays!
Want to see more posts like “How to Wear it at Any Age Volume 21”? We’ve got 20 more volumes for you to look through in our “How to Wear it at Any Age” section!
