Moody florals are in for fall and I’m so excited that Bleachbear, an indie all-female band, agreed to do some pictures for the blog.  In this post, the girls accessorize with knee-highs, scarves, and jackets to add mood to our florals while staying chic & warm.

Bleachbear is a teen family band comprised of sisters Tigerlily and Annabella Bird Cooley and their cousin Emiko Nakagawa Gantt.  Their dream-pop grunge debut album, Lost Parade, was released in April of last year.  Since then, Bleachbear has gotten radio airplay worldwide, been featured in film soundtracks and on TV, and was named “Seattle’s Best Underage Band” by Seattle Weekly.

As described in their bio for Seattle Soundoff (an annual underage Battle of the Bands held at Seattle’s EMP), the band is “heavy on an atmosphere full of vintage influences and lead vocalist Tigerlily Cooley’s angst-soaked lyrics create an evocative, wistful vibe.  Bleachbear, with its breezily sweet harmonies layered over a fusion of distortion, has the perfect juxtaposition of fragile and badass.”

Here they are playing at the iconic Crocodile in Seattle:

As I mentioned above, moody florals are in for fall.  So, don’t put those short sets away just yet – they can still make a great outfit for those warm or just-a-bit cool fall days.  Moody can be anything that brings it down a notch from the bright summery vibe, e.g., deep colors and tones on either a dark background or with darker-colored accessories.   With the help of a few basics that you hopefully have in your closet, you can still have fun with your florals.

Below is Emiko, in her still-summer short set.  Normally, I wouldn’t recommend dark ankle boots for petites with shorts as it doesn’t do much for elongating the leg at the ankle, but with high-waisted shorts, they can be very flattering and chic.

For fall, add a classic moto jacket and a wool black floppy hat:

Another easy way to add mood to any summer floral outfit is to throw a bright and cozy scarf over your neck and pair with the short black boots. This will work with a floral print dress as well.  Here is “before” – Tigerlily, in a bright summer short-set:

And adding in a jewel-toned scarf with a classic jean jacket:

Last but not least, is Annabella, showing us a practical and fun way to stay warm with knee-socks.  Knee-highs and thigh-highs made more than a few appearances during fall fashion week this year.  Turn any short set (or dress or skirt) into a fall outfit by adding a cozy jacket or blazer and matching knee-socks.

When it gets colder, you can add some additional warmth all the while staying a little more conservative by adding sheer tights underneath.  I have to admit, I have always found wearing knee-highs a bit intimidating (here is a useful article I came across if you are a bit like me: http://www.xojane.com/fashion/how-to-wear-knee-socks-without-looking-like-a-schoolgirl).  But, I plan to get over it soon, as I just love the idea of extending my summer wardrobe into fall without freezing.  I hope this post was helpful in your transition to fall.  In the meantime, please check out and follow this talented all-female band on Instagram, Facebook, Bandcamp or Youtube!

As always, thanks so much for reading.

Linda