There’s something we love about the in-between season. Mornings are getting cooler, afternoons can still feel like summer and suddenly, you find yourself carrying your jacket instead of wearing it.
Welcome to the season of transitional dressing.
At studio .ruig, we don’t believe in completely changing your wardrobe the moment a new season arrives. Instead, we like to mix seasons, play with layers and find new ways to wear the pieces already hanging in our wardrobes.
Because that favourite blouse, lightweight pair of trousers or perfect tee? It definitely doesn’t have to disappear after summer.
With a few clever styling tricks, you can easily transition your summer wardrobe into autumn — while wearing some of your new-season favourites right now.
Transitional dressing starts with layering
The secret to a great transitional wardrobe is simple: layers.
Start with the basics. A good tank top, T-shirt or long-sleeved tee might not be the loudest piece in your wardrobe, but it’s the foundation of countless outfits.
The soft basics from American Vintage are perfect for this. Wear your favourite tee with jeans or wide-leg trousers while the sun is still out. As temperatures start to drop, simply add a cardigan or knit.
And don’t be afraid to play with contrasts. A simple T-shirt underneath a chunky knit. A feminine skirt with an oversized sweater. Or a soft cardigan casually thrown over your shoulders.
The best transitional outfits shouldn’t look too considered.
A little effortless is exactly what we’re after.
Keep wearing those summer trousers
A great pair of trousers doesn’t know what season it is.
And neither should you.
The trousers from DRYKORN are a perfect example. From relaxed and wide-leg to more tailored silhouettes, these are pieces you can style in countless ways throughout the year.
On warmer days, pair them with a tank, T-shirt or lightweight blouse and sandals. When autumn arrives, swap the sandals for sneakers, loafers or boots and add knitwear or a blazer.
The same goes for satin and fluid trousers. Instead of putting them away after summer, combine them with heavier textures. A silky trouser with a chunky knit is exactly the kind of contrast we love.
OUR TIP: Don’t just think about colour when building an outfit — think texture. Mix soft with structured, smooth with chunky and oversized with something more refined. It can completely transform the simplest look.
by-bar: pieces made to mix
If there’s one thing we love in a wardrobe, it’s versatility.
And by-bar does that very well.
Blouses, jeans, trousers, blazers, waistcoats, sweatshirts and cardigans: these are the pieces that make getting dressed easy because they don’t belong to just one season.
That blouse you wore open over a tank top in summer? Layer it underneath a cardigan or blazer when it gets cooler.
Your favourite jeans? Wear them now with a lightweight top and later with knitwear and boots.
And then there’s the waistcoat — possibly one of our favourite pieces for transitional dressing. Wear it over a tee now, then layer it over a blouse or fine knit as we move further into autumn.
Sometimes you don’t need more clothes.
You just need to look at the ones you already have differently.
Knitwear season starts earlier than you think
The minute there’s even the slightest chill in the air, we’re ready for knitwear.
Sibin Linnebjerg is made for those in-between days. Because good knitwear doesn’t need to wait until winter.
Throw a cardigan over a dress on a cool late-summer evening. Wear a knit loosely around your shoulders during the day. Add a blouse underneath when temperatures drop. Or combine heavier knitwear with lightweight trousers to keep your autumn outfit from feeling too wintery too soon.
That’s one of our favourite rules for summer-to-autumn dressing:
Don’t move your entire outfit into the new season at once.
Chunky knit? Keep the trousers light.
Summer blouse? Add heavier denim or tailored trousers.
Bare ankles? Absolutely. Just add a cardigan on top.
It’s the mix that makes an outfit interesting.
The ultimate transitional piece: a great jacket
Eventually, there’s that morning when you step outside and realise: okay, today we actually need a jacket.
A good transitional jacket might be one of the hardest-working pieces in your wardrobe.
The coats and jackets from LangerChen fit perfectly with the idea of buying pieces that last beyond one trend or season. Designed with a focus on quality, functionality and more responsible materials, these are jackets made to return to year after year.
And a great coat has another advantage: it makes even the simplest outfit feel finished.
At the beginning of the season, wear it open over a tee or blouse. A few weeks later, add knitwear underneath. And once autumn really arrives? Bring on the scarf and boots.
One jacket.
Three temperatures.
Done.
How to build a wardrobe that works between seasons
Transitional dressing isn’t really about buying an entirely new wardrobe for autumn.
For us, it’s about asking a different question.
Not: What do I need to buy for the new season?
But: How can I wear this now — and how can I wear it differently later?
The best wardrobes are built around pieces that move with you.
An American Vintage basic you reach for throughout the year. A pair of DRYKORN trousers that works with sandals as well as boots. A blouse, pair of jeans or waistcoat from by-bar that keeps creating new combinations. Sibin Linnebjerg knitwear that comes out as soon as the first cool evening arrives. And a LangerChen jacket that becomes part of your wardrobe season after season.
Summer or autumn?
We’ll take a little bit of both.