I assured Contessa that her palette need not be boring—while Soft Autumn contains colors lower in both saturation and contrast, there is still plenty of room to explore and play with tones. I encouraged her to embrace the deeper, darker sides of her palette, especially the ruby and amethyst tones which call to mind a painted desert sunset. I also recommended she look for patterned pieces containing at least 3 colors, which help boost interest in an outfit and keep things from turning monochromatic.

For pants and skirts, I recommended midi and full-length options to show off her long legs, and softer bohemian shapes in fun colors. I warned her not to get stuck in the browns and beiges of her palette—while beautiful, they are only one dimension of the Soft Autumn universe.

Soft Autumn is a season that borrows Summer’s water movement and tones, so soft aquas, teals, and cornflower blues make sense in gleaming jewelry and clothing alike. I showed Contessa how many colors she is capable of “piling on” without being overwhelmed, and helped her build some heavily-accessorized outfits which felt neither boring nor stuffy. To transition her into a more grown-up fashion mindset, I also pushed her to incorporate some glamorous touches like oversized sunglasses, long gauzy scarves, and metallic accessories.

Tall women can sometimes make the mistake of dressing to de-emphasize their stature. But lengthier ladies look elegant—not intimidating—when they embrace their natural “scale,” using large jewelry, oversized buckles and straps, and broader patterns.