Growing up in Pennsylvania, I was used to a chilly autumn season.
September and October typically meant bundling up in jeans, leggings, boots, sweaters and scarves. Clothing items like shorts and T-shirts get shelved fairly quickly when the leaves start to fall. Autumn on the East Coast is preparation for a cold and snow-filled winter.
Then I moved to Louisiana.
The autumn season here is typically a slight chill in the morning, followed by a humid afternoon and then ending with a cool evening. In simpler terms, nothing like Pennsylvania.
So with a closet full of cold-weather clothing and living in anything-but-cold Louisiana, I had a predicament on my hands. How did I go about styling what I had for the colder walk to my morning classes, but not over-heating on the way to my afternoon classes?
The answer is light layers.
Baton Rouge’s autumn season requires a hybrid outfit with items from your summer wardrobe layered with items from your fall wardrobe. Basically, start with a light base and add layers as needed. As the day progresses and gets warmer, some of these layers can be removed and thrown in your backpack for when you need them in the colder evening.
One easy way of doing this is with summer dresses. These are convenient to have for hot summers down here, but when it gets a little colder, they can easily transition with a few extra layers.
Investing in a denim jacket, light sweaters, cool cardigans and flowy scarves are key for these layering tricks.
Add the jacket, sweater or cardigan on top of the dress to make it more comfortable for the morning and classrooms that are still pushing the air conditioning. As fall progresses, a scarf in addition to the jacket or sweater adds a nice touch and an added layer. Throughout the day, if it gets too hot between classes, the outerwear can be easily removed and tied around your waist or thrown in your bag.
For shoes, sandals can be ditched and traded in for boots. Boots with a dress won’t get you as over-heated during these early stages of fall as they would with pants. But if you still feel strange about boots this early, flats work as well.
Another way to layer is to start with your favorite pair of basic, denim jeans.
Pair the jeans with a light t-shirt or camisole to stay cool when the day starts heating up. But for the morning, the basic layer can be styled with cardigans or scarves for a light addition.
Scarves are one of the best layering tools to have in your wardrobe. They range in fabrics, colors and styles, so it’s not hard to find one that fits your style.
While it’s still warm, a scarf in a light material and not too much fabric is the best way to go. Plus, if you still get too hot, they fold up easily in your bag until you need them again.
Finishing a look involving jeans is simple, basic flats work and as it gets colder, boots look even better.
The key components for dressing in the early stages of Louisiana autumn are simple. Take your favorite items from your summer wardrobe and experiment with light layers to
create a look that keeps you warm in the a.m., but won’t give you heat stroke by noon.
Top it all off with a pumpkin spice latte and you’re season-appropriate.  
Meg Ryan is a 20-year-old mass communication sophomore from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You can reach her on Twitter @The_MegRyan.

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