Summer is “officially” over in the northern hemisphere, and with that comes cooler temperatures. Over the next set of posts I’m going to talk about Autumn bridging pieces. These are pieces that increase the ROI of items already in your closet, thereby making your transition from Summer wardrobe to Autumn wardrobe cost effective. In some instances you will have all of the pieces and it’s just a question of putting them together; in other instances you might need to purchase a piece or two.

Here are some of your options:

• Layering up an existing Summer ensemble with a cardigan, which is available in all shapes, sizes and stitch types and is far from boring or frumpy.
• Layering up a Summer dress can end up becoming the most versatile and interesting option in your wardrobe.
• Adding a vest (or “waistcoat”) is a particularly fashionable choice this season and a trendy twist on office wear.
• Re-inventing a Summer ensemble with the appropriate accessories like hose, tights, scarves, hats, handbags and closed shoes can add the perfect Autumn dimension.

We’ll discuss each of these in more detail over the next few days so that you can get the best bang for your fashion buck as temperatures begin to cool. Particularly if your fashion budget is tight, a thoughtful bridging strategy is the way to go.

Tell us about your own bridging strategies in the comments.