It’s that time of year again, when retailers start pushing summer clothing out the door to focus on moving new fall fashion, an annual late-summer ritual that this Sassy Fashionista always falls for.
Fall is my favorite season, after all.
In the past couple of weeks, tired of all the heat and relentless humidity and yes, wildfire smoke from Canada and out west that kept us indoors more than once, I began my annual trek to find both good summer sale and a few new fall pieces, hoping they could work together for seasonal transition and travel, too.
The choices I made came from T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, the annual local art fair (a goody), and a Couch Outlet store. Prices ranged from, “I got a great deal!”, to those items a bit more high-end, but still worth the investment. I’m happy with all my finds.
The adorable, black/white/brown silky and whimsical Joie pants with pockets that I passed up in the spring at T.J. Maxx, ended up on their beach sales rack for $10! Because I’m trying not to buy more summer things, I was thrilled that these pants, which I got in a large because I wanted them roomy and flowy, have brown on the bottom of the legs, making them perfect for my chosen fall 2026 color palette of brown and deep-burgundy shades. I’m liking the Joie brand more and more because of their quality and style for the price.
I love these pants, and they go great with my new faux-suede jacket with extra nice finishing touches, including a silky lining and quality buttons, from Bagatelle Collection-New York. I scored it at Marshalls for only $39.99!! Bagatelle can always be counted on to deliver some beautiful, always stylish jackets for the price, and I’ve added more than one to my closet.
The most expensive fall pieces I added were a mid-knee length, fully lined trench coat in chocolate, a beautiful midsize suede shoulder bag, and an everyday black messenger vertical crossbody from a Coach Outlet store.
Even with a decent discount, the suede bag and coat were pricey. But the quality of Coach products, which in recent years has enjoyed renewed fashion popularity, is always first rate. The trench was in a color and length I’d been searching for and couldn’t find, and it fit perfectly in a large, allowing room for a sweater or sweatshirt underneath. The original price was almost $600, which would not have been in my budget. Same with the suede purse, which was around the same price originally.
Generous back-to-school discounts made both pieces worth the investment. These are pieces I will wear on repeat for a long time and then pass down to my daughter. Keepers for sure, so I could justify the cost.
I’m also wearing one of my many dependable Free People tank/bra tops with the pants, and a silver-plated chain from a talented artist I discovered at my favorite yearly art fair, which at $35 was a good fashion find. I love supporting local, talented artists. My amber ring is another art-fair find, and the blue Birkenstocks have been on repeat all summer long.
I love this color!!
I usually try to budget all year for a few big fall splurges, knowing that I can balance off the cost of more expensive pieces with the savings that I realize on any late-summer sale finds. The key is to wait long enough for retailers to make those last mark downs designed to move the now off-season goods off the floor for good. That’s the best deal.
I ended up with a few other terrific sales items on recent sassy fashion travels that I’ll be mixing with new fall pieces. I’ll share more of those in the weeks to come as fall gets underway for real. If the summer heat and humidity ever leave. My goal is to not overbuy anymore because I keep returning to my favorite pieces. Too many items end up hardly worn, the tags still on. That is waste of money, a reality I’m getting better at avoiding before I buy stuff. A hard-won fashion lesson.
Finally, I recently changed my hair color to a dark ash blond, which I think also goes well with fall colors. Like me, the blond was fried from all that summer heat and humidity. This darker tone is a nice Sassy Fashionista change, and my hair feels healthy again. Don’t know about you, but a good cut and color always make me feel sassy again. Ahh….
What items are on your fall fashion list?
Winter Images 2026. All rights reserved.