i recently read a post by caroline of the blog, un-fancy (one of my favorites!) explaining the struggle of dressing for real fall versus what she coined as “fantasy fall.” “fantasy fall” is the season you see depicted on instagram and inside a commercial for pumpkin spiced lattes. it’s crispy 60-degree weather, amber colored leaves, sweaters, booties, and your favorite tartan-patterned scarf. for some parts of the country, real fall and fantasy fall are one in the same, but for caroline and i who live in warmer climates (she lives in austin), fall as culture associates it doesn’t arrive until november or december if it every truly arrives at all.

instead, san diegans often experience what we’ve come to known as an “indian summer” where the temperatures heat up (instead of cool down) in mid-to-late autumn. during this time it’s near impossible to dress for “fantasy fall” unless you spend most of your time in an air conditioned room.  so i’ve learned to be more realistic with my sartorial selections this time of year. to put it simply, i can’t dress for the fall i want, i must dress for the fall i have. and right now that fall looks like 90-degrees. so this weekend as S and i ran some wedding-related errands, i conceded my dreams of cashmere and suede in exchange for this cotton romper i snagged earlier in the summer. in the very least, this heat wave is giving me a reason to log some extra mileage in some of my favorite pieces of last season.

similar romper || madewell hat || similar bag || similar shoes

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