I know I'm officially in the mood for fall when I start finding a reason to dress myself or my house in plaid.  Nothing says season change like tartan and buffalo checks.  Of course my arch nemesis favorite store Target has been trying to empty my checking account one item at a time since they introduced their plaid-heavy fall collection.
Can't you just picture that buffalo check dress with a back turtle neck or blouse, or a with a leather jacket over top and black boots? I'm always a sucker for long dresses because I feel like I can dress them up or down.

And of course Target isn't the only place you can't go two steps without finding another plaid accessory for your closet or home.  I'm strongly leaning towards investing in a cape this year, and am likely going to stock up on another plaid wrap or blanket scarf just because I get sick of seeing my gray wool coat all winter long and throwing on an oversized scarf helps change up the look.  Here are some of my favorite plaid looks this year -- I already missed my chance to buy that plaid weekender bag from the Adam Lippes for Target collection but maybe it will come back in stock soon...

Plaid Blanket Poncho ($35); J.Crew Cape; J.Crew Plaid Shirt; Madewell Dress Scarves: 1 ($19.99); 2; 3 Bags: Target Plaid Weekender Bag (sold out online!); Tori Burch crossbody

I'll be the first to admit that I'm slow to jump on most new trends.  Crop tops? The new mid-calf length pencil skirt?  These are items that I'm also positive will fail miserably in my wardrobe so I have passed to this point.  But culottes have taken a different path in my fashion psyche -- I saw them once and immediately bought a pair in an impractical tangerine shade (and on major sale currently!). Shorts that you can wear to work? This is a trend that I'm all on board with.

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The longer versions transition easily into fall/winter wardrobes via

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I have to dress really professionally for work, but I still like to infuse some fun into my wardrobe and feel like a 30 year old still (I've got the rest of my life to wear a skirt suit set every day).  So often when I'm looking at fashion, though, the clothes I would like to wear at my age just wouldn't cut it in the real world. Crop tops?  Boho white dresses?  No (at least not in their native state).  Wearing red, white, and blue in one outfit can quickly age you at 30 -- you either look like you robbed a toddler's closet or are auditioning for a patriotic musical.

This outfit is really cute, but if I walked into work dressed like this I would feel like I was wearing the below:

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The key to dressing for a holiday without looking downright zany is to pick one element that speaks to your celebratory spirit, and then go with neutrals or simple clothing staples in the same color scheme. Red is a strong color, and red stripes are a look all to themselves which is why the striped skirt with patterned blouse above went overboard to me.  Consider not wearing red with navy if you want to avoid looking too holiday dressed for the 4th.  But red with black or gray or white can work.

If you are wearing red stripes, you need no other statement.  I've paired a red striped blouse with red pants before and believe me, I've never done it twice.  via

I'm all for monochromatic looks, and nothing says summer like white on white (without a jacket of course but you get the idea).  I would love wearing these white sailor-inspired pants with a simple white t-shirt or blouse.  Instantly mature and sophisticated, but still youthful and fashion forward. via

My outfit of choice for summer thus far has been to pair these great work-ready navy sailor pants with with a front-tucked t-shirt in a youthful stripe or tie dye pattern.  You can pair a neutral cardigan or blazer over top if t-shirts are frowned upon in your workplace.  On the weekends I still like to pull off a bohemian dress like this Madewell one, but I struggle making sense of buying a dress that can only be worn on weekends.  The solution? You can tuck shorter dresses like this into a skirt and immediately transition it into a work outfit too.  Picture that embroidered shift dress tucked into a navy midi skirt and now you have just turned it into a dual duty top.  Top with of-the-moment architectural sunglasses and a boho friendly fringed crossbody when you step out of the office, and you'll definitely not be mistaken for '90's mom-style or an overgrown Little Miss America contestant.