There is a moment every August when we begin looking toward fall—even while the afternoon still very much says summer.
We’re not quite ready to put away our white skirts, favorite tees and easy summer dresses. But we are ready for richer color, a beautiful sweater tossed over our shoulders, and perhaps a new bag that makes everything we’ve been wearing all summer suddenly feel different.
That is exactly what we love about the new fall collection from Mersea.
A Refresh, Not a Replacement
We’ve never believed that a new season requires an entirely new wardrobe.
In fact, some of the most interesting outfits come from taking pieces you already love and adding just one new element. A sweater. A striped tee. A great blouse. A beautiful bag.
The new Mersea collection makes that especially easy.
Start with the white skirt you’ve worn with sandals all summer. Add the Catalina Striped Jersey Tee in Currant and, as the weather cools, layer on navy or denim. Take your favorite jeans and give them new life with the Josephine Ruffle Henley in crisp white or indigo. Or add a little color with one of the new Catalina sweaters and suddenly the same trousers you’ve owned for years feel ready for September.
These aren't pieces that require you to reinvent how you dress. They simply give you new ways to wear what you already have.
Fall Color, Without Going Too Dark
One of our favorite things about this Mersea collection is the color.
Fall doesn't have to mean a wardrobe of brown, black and grey. This season brings currant red, slate blue, goldenrod, indigo, deep ocean, burgundy and sapphire, along with wonderful combinations of Aegean blue, vermillion and crimson.
They feel autumnal without feeling heavy.
The Catalina Striped Jersey Tees are particularly good transitional pieces. Wear one now with white denim, a cotton skirt or shorts. Later, add jeans, loafers and a jacket.
The Catalina Ruffle Sweaters bring in another layer of color. Burgundy and sapphire feel rich and classic, while Aegean and vermillion offer that unexpected combination we love—the sort of color pairing that makes even the simplest outfit interesting.
And then there is the Catalina Striped Jersey Tee in Golden Rod. Mustard and golden tones are almost magical this time of year. They look beautiful in late-summer sunshine and somehow look even better once the leaves begin to turn.
Add a Graf Lantz Bag
This may be our favorite pairing of the season.
The colors in our new Graf Lantz bags look as though they were made to sit beside the Mersea collection.
Graf Lantz works with Merino wool felt to create bags that have wonderful structure and texture without feeling overly formal. For fall, we're especially drawn to shades such as Ochre & Brine, Ash Brown & Feather, Granite and Dew.
Instead of matching your bag exactly to your clothing, think about letting the colors talk to one another.
Pair a currant stripe with an Ochre & Brine tote. Try indigo or navy with Ash Brown & Feather. Let a soft Dew bag sit against burgundy, crimson or a classic white shirt.
That little bit of contrast is what makes an outfit feel collected rather than overly coordinated.
And because the texture of Merino wool immediately suggests cooler days, changing your bag can be one of the easiest ways to move an otherwise summery outfit toward fall.
Keep the Summer Pieces in Rotation
Before you pack away your summer wardrobe, take another look at it.
That white maxi skirt? Keep it out.
Your favorite white button-down? Definitely keep it out.
The striped shirt you've been wearing with shorts? It's about to become a layering piece.
And your summer dresses don't necessarily need to disappear either. Add a sweater, change the sandals to loafers or boots, carry a felt bag instead of a straw tote, and suddenly you're dressed for an entirely different season.
This is also where the Sailor Peacoat in Navy earns its place. Navy is one of those wonderful bridge colors—it works beautifully with summer whites and nautical stripes now, then moves easily into denim, sweaters and deeper fall shades later.
The idea isn't to stop wearing summer clothes on September 1.
It's to begin layering fall into them.
The One-New-Piece Rule
If you're standing in front of your closet thinking, I have plenty of clothes, but nothing feels new, try this:
Choose one piece that changes the things you already own.
Maybe it's a striped Mersea tee in a color you wouldn't normally choose. Maybe it's a Catalina sweater that works with your jeans, white pants and favorite skirt. Maybe it's a Graf Lantz bag in ochre or soft blue that introduces an entirely new color into your closet.
One thoughtful addition can create five new outfits far more easily than five unrelated purchases.
And we think that's a much more interesting way to dress.
Welcome, Fall
Our new Mersea collection is full of the things we want to wear right now: easy stripes, pretty ruffles, relaxed sweaters, crisp shirts and colors that make getting dressed fun again.
Paired with the beautiful texture and unexpected color combinations of our Graf Lantz bags, they're also a reminder that transitioning into a new season doesn't have to mean starting over.
Sometimes all your wardrobe needs is a little refresh.
Shop the new Mersea collection and Graf Lantz bags at Welcome Home Markets, online and in our stores.
