· By Scarlett Poppies

Yes, You Can Wear a Cover-Up From Summer Into Fall!

Cover-ups that look lovely at the beach all summer long can also maximize your wardrobe well into autumn, so there's no reason to shelve them as the weather cools down.

In fact, women's beach cover-ups are truly brilliant multitaskers designed to be worn in a variety of ways throughout the seasons.

Here, we'll talk about how to work them into your look and what types of cover-ups to choose for seamless trans-seasonal dressing.

Read on for styling tricks and tips to create your transitional capsule wardrobe featuring beach dresses and kimono swimsuit cover-ups from Scarlett Poppies.

Women's beach cover-ups for transitional dressing:

Layer Underneath Your Cover-Up

If you prefer beach dresses for cover-ups, consider layering your favorite one over a slip or a unitard instead of your summer swimsuit. This way, the beach dress moves from shore to town with ease and you extend the time you can wear it in months.

Many of Scarlett Poppies' beach dresses are ideal for layering this way.

Styles like our Shaibrian embroidered tunic dress are appropriate for a shopping trip or brunch with friends. The diaphanous materials we source for our beach dresses and cover-ups like gauze, chiffon, georgette and voile allow for lightweight layering that provides the right balance of coverage and opacity.

Layer on Top of Your Cover-Up

Perhaps it seems obvious to add a top layer like a jacket or cardigan to your beach cover-ups as temperatures cool. However, there is an art to picking the right "third piece" and not every top layer is appropriate for inter-season wear.

Consider the proportions of your cover-up: does it have voluminous sleeves (that can bunch uncomfortably under a jacket) or any special details that you don't want to hide? Layer accordingly with jackets, waistcoats, shawls, and kimonos.

For a touch of edge and a casual vibe, pair a flowing boho beach dress with a utilitarian piece, like a denim jacket or field jacket. The contrast between the romantic look of the dress and the tougher, more masculine feel of the jacket ensures this casual combination never reads as one-note.

For an effortless layer-on-layer outfit, add an open gilet like Pennington waistcoat. The mix of different white tones and multiple embellishments impart dimension and texture to a late-summer ensemble.

Repurpose a Kimono Cover-Up

If you invested in a kimono cover-up rather than a beach dress during the summer, you have even more options for inter-season wear. Kimonos are endlessly versatile and layer well with everything from delicate camisoles to turtleneck tops, not to mention swimsuits.

Kimono cover-ups make elegant, flowing alternatives to cardigans and jackets as the weather turns cool again. Try wearing a kimono over a fitted top or T-shirt with your favorite pair of jeans. Leave your kimono cover-up open to catch the breeze and add movement to your outfit.

For late summer and early autumn evenings, team your kimono with a slip dress and high heels. There are still further ways to style this combination: leave the kimono open to frame the form-fitting dress underneath or wrap it around your body and belt it for a less-revealing look.

Focus on Dark-Colored Options

White clothing reflects the sun's light and suits summer's abundant sunshine. Black clothing absorbs light and retains warmth longer, which is ideal in colder months. This is one of the reasons why spring fashions generally feature lighter colors, while fall fashions usually showcase darker hues.

You can continue to wear white into the fall –– a white blouse is a staple that works with anything from wool trousers to a relaxed denim skirt –– but a darker palette signifies the seasonal change and adds a sense of drama to any ensemble.

To ease autumn's approach, incorporate more dark-colored women’s beach cover-ups into your wardrobe rotation towards the end of summer.

Consider options in airy fabrics and deep tones like black, chocolate, ochre, sienna, rust, aubergine or midnight. The lightweight material will balance out the heat-attracting qualities of the dark color.

Natural Fibers Are Best for Between-Season Wear

Remember that during this time of year, it may feel chilly in the morning and evening hours and quite warm at the height of the day. Natural fibers handle unpredictable transitional weather well because they allow more breathability and airflow than synthetic materials.

Cover-ups and beach dresses in natural fibers like cotton and silk are both excellent choices for inter-season fashion since they respond to changes in heat, wick away moisture and naturally repel odors. These are both appropriate for year-round wear, too.

As for the other natural fibers in your closet, linen items should be laundered and stored before fall. Also, it's better to wait until temperatures are consistently cool to wear any wool garments.

Bring on the Details

As the days grow shorter, uncomplicated pieces that looked right during high summer begin to feel a bit staid. Basics always have their place, but beach dresses and kimonos with ornate accents or metallic touches herald a seasonal shift.

Elements like sequins, beading and thick satin-stitch embroidery add more substance and interest to your wardrobe as summer turns to fall.

Scarlett Poppies offers styles with metallic shine and all manner of embellishments that lend any outfit an air of opulence.

Designs like our Sun Goes Down dress meet the moment. Featuring metallic embroidery throughout, this beachy frock sparkles and shines whether worn with sandals on vacation or with ankle boots once there's a chill in the air.

 

Now You're Ready for Fall

While the return of cool weather might not always be so welcome, opportunities to remix your beach cover-ups always are.

Find perfect picks for an inter-season wardrobe with unique beach dresses and kimono swimsuit cover-ups from Scarlett Poppies.