White embroidered kimono

Casual Fall Boho: Wearing a Kimono Outfit in Autumn

I appreciate each and every share. Thank you!

Wearing a kimono outfit in the autumn is a great way to style the pieces you think of as summer items for other times. Most of our kimonos are beautiful prints, so it’s fabulous to add them to your fall looks.

If you are reading this from MSN’s page, then click here to see all of the photos and widgets.

Quote of the day: “Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously near to wanting nothing.” Sylvia Plath

One of my goals is to find ways to stretch our wardrobe so we don’t have to buy more and more all of the time. There are many ways to transform our summer pieces and Lesley is showcasing a casual fall bohemian look by wearing a kimono outfit.

Why is this smart? For one reason it adds lightness to our fall looks that tend to be darker and more muted. And secondly, you are shopping in your closet which is good for your wallet.

You can shop the look through the links in the widgets I place throughout the post. Sale prices are not always reflected in the widget, so click through to get pricing info. And if you like something but want to wait until it goes on sale, make sure to click the heart and it will email you when the price drops. Remember, if you purchase anything through these links I potentially earn a commission, but at no cost to you. Thank you for your ongoing support by shopping through my links.

You’ll want to see how Charlotte wore print pants for this idea, and I even shared many of the wonderful photos from the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in this post (as well as a handknit cardigan I wore).

Wearing our summer items in fall

Jeans: Levi~~ Kimono: Apt 9~~ Top: Chicos~~ Boots: Jambu– c/o~~ Purse: Target

Wearing a Kimono Outfit in the Fall

Even though most kimonos are very lightweight, they can still be worn for an autumn day. Think of them as decoration instead of providing warmth.
By layering them over a long sleeve top that is providing warmth, you are adding the finishing touch to the outfit. Basically, it is part of your accessories for the entire look.

Lesley wore this white print kimono over her jeans, long-sleeve tunic and chose ankle boots to finish it off.
If you need more warmth from your kimono, you could grab a wool poncho instead.

Insider tip: If your kimono seems overwhelming, I’ve showcased tricks to make it more fitted. Most of these would work with ponchos too.

Related post: Kimono over a dress for spring

Add fun by wearing a kiimono outfit in cold weather

Is a Kimono Bohemian?

We have showcased some bohemian looks in the past, and even if that isn’t your “style”, it’s fun to add some of the boho touches to our looks on occasion.
In fact, Lesley will tell you that she is a conservative and classic-style girl. Yet she does own quite a few kimonos as they are so pretty and functional.

Kimonos may be considered boho because they are loose and flowy. Many of them also have some embroidery detail on them.

Insider tip: You can always create a kimono out of a large scarf by tying the ends together or using clear elastics (found on Amazon here) to hold the ends together. This creates the sleeves of the kimono. Lesley showcased this here with her black and gold scarf.

Other bohemian details that we mixed with our style:
Wonderful Bohemian Style for Older Ladies with A Mix of Styles–Don’t think that women in their 80s can’t wear embroidery
How to Wear Bohemian Style for a Conservative Woman–Mixing preppy loafers with a little boho
My Boho Style for Women Over 50 With Dichotomy–2 options with ruffles and embroidery

Fun Accessories to Wear with a Kimono

Lesley’s outfit is a combination of burgundy and navy. Without the kimono, it might feel less intentional with two solid colors by themselves. That’s where accessories can make any outfit look more intentional and pulled together.

As I stated earlier, you could consider the kimono an accessory in this look. It’s not adding any warmth or coverage, but it is adding a beautiful design and print.

On top of that Lesley wore a long statement necklace and blue and silver earrings that incorporate the blue from the kimono.
The cognac tote is a wonderful neutral that plays well with the other colors in this look and is a great reminder that your shoes and purse do not have to match each other.

Insider tip: The advantage to a large tote like this is you can have everything you need with you. Yet, you can also have your smaller purse in it, and take that out to carry, so you don’t have to lug around such a big bag. This is something Lesley does a lot and calls the trick-bag layering (as seen in this short video).

Layer a kimono over long sleeve top

Tunics and Kimonos

Lesley layered her print kimono over a knit, long sleeve tunic. While the kimono is longer than the tunic, I like how you can see the longer sleeves peeking out. You can also notice the tunic at the side when the slits in the kimono are opened up as we move in our daily life.

Insider tip: Even when you take photos of your outfit, you have to remember it’s a snapshot of the look. People see us in motion unlike in a photo. The takeaway is not to stress over everything that is trivial in an outfit. Maybe your bra strap will show occasionally or the kimono will move around.

Since a kimono is flowy, when a breeze comes, you can see the great details of the tunic, like the split hem and pockets.

Wearing a kimono outfit for women over 70

What Kind of Jeans Should You Be Wearing with a Kimono Outfit?

There is no one right answer to this question, however, most of us would feel more comfortable with skinny or straight-leg jeans since the kimono tends to be flowy and loose.
However, I have experimented with wearing a loose tunic with loose culottes too, so you never know until you try different options.

For example, wearing boot-cut or flared jeans could be a great option because the flare of the jean could mimic the flowingness of the kimono and look great.
In fact, back in the day when “What Not to Wear” was popular and they even published a book (found on Amazon here), one of their suggestions for women with apple shapes was to have more flare on the bottom half to balance out the look. Since a kimono is flowy, you could extrapolate the same idea for wearing a kimono outfit.

Insider tip: We get used to seeing certain silhouettes. Its’ called the Mere-exposure effect (discussed on Wikipedia here). But don’t forget that doesn’t make it right or wrong. That’s why it’s good to be open to new styles and have a “never say never” attitude.

Jeans and booties

Ankle Boots and Jeans

I just think that ankle boots are the perfect footwear for the fall and winter months. This pair of wine-colored ankle boots were from our collaboration with Jambu last fall. In that post, Lesley styled them with straight-leg jeans and let the hem of the jeans hang over the booties more.

With this casual fall look wearing a kimono outfit, Lesley wore a pair of jeggings that are much more fitted down the calf and ankle. She still allowed the jeans to hang over the boot.

There are other options with skinny jeans like this and your ankle boots. You could cuff the jeans to show off the entire boot as I did with my boyfriend jeans.
Many times you can also tuck the jeans into the boots too.

Insider tip: We get too caught up in the “right” and “wrong” way to tuck or cuff our jeans. Trust me, it’s not something most people will notice for more than 2 seconds. I say try a couple of ways and go with what feels best for you. And spend your time on adding some fun accessories to bring the focus to the top half of your body.

And aren’t burgundy booties a great option for the fall and winter?? You could consider them like a red-brown and they just go with everything.

Casual fall look: Wearing a kimono outfit

More Inspiration for Casual Fall Looks and Wearing a Kimono Outfit

Here are some other looks that can be used for inspiration for a casual fall boho look.

Wearing a kiimono outfit in fall

Photo credit: Rob Filogomo

My Goal

Thank you for visiting my space on the internet. I like to showcase how it’s never too late to look great for women of any age, size, or working with any budget.
I feel I’m here to help move beyond the fashion rules of yesterday and evolve. Style and clothes are made to give you joy. Not cause us stress because we are worried about what others think.

My hope is that you get ideas and inspiration from Charlotte, Lesley, and myself. It’s not about copying what we wear, but about using what you already have and updating items along the way.
Most of all it’s getting us to think differently and dare I say, have fun?

DID YOU KNOW?

Sharing my posts is a wonderful way to spread the news that it’s never too late to look great. Thank you for your support this way!! You can do this by saving an image to your Pinterest board or sharing this post on Facebook. Or send this post to your friend, and make sure they sign up for the emails.

Why should you sign up for the emails below? I include some personal tidbits in these emails along with other happenings, sales, information, and links. So I hope you join me on this journey.

Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.

It’s not just about me on this blog, but also my mother and friend. We get to showcase not only different decades of life but also different body shapes and unique personal styles.

Find out more about all of us here. And make sure to join the email list where I include so much more.

Scroll to Top