hello September! it’s been a while since we last met. but i’m happy you’re here. this is the month that brings change along with it – the last days of summer and the first days of fall. the days are shorter, the nights longer. and, thankfully, the temps gradually cool down. but did you know that September comes from the Latin word septem, which means seven? originally, September was the seventh month in the Roman calendar. there’s one holiday in September – Labor Day. traditionally it kicked off the academic year. it’s harvest month – bring on the apples. the autumn equinox on September 22nd. and we can’t forget National Talk Like a Pirate Day. no, i’m serious! it’s a thing… but today, i’ll celebrate the season and step into fall with animal print. does a reptile print count?
okay, ladies, this time of year starts to get cra-zy. i don’t want to alarm you, but Halloween is sixty days away, Thanksgiving is eighty-five days, and Christmas is one hundred and fifteen days and counting. oh sure, those holidays seem far, far away. there’s plenty of time to prepare. but something peculiar happens with the clock when September rolls into town – it ticks by all too quickly.
okay, technically speaking, i’m wearing a snake print dress. but step into fall with animal print sounds much more appealing than step into fall with a reptile. am i right? but i’m a big fan of snake print, cheetah print, or leopard print and love to add it into my wardrobe. someone asked me on YouTube the other day if animal print is out of fashion? to which i say no. honestly, animal print has never been out of vogue. think back to the days when jackie, grace, and audrey were regularly spotted in animal print. even sophia loren. give me all the leopard print coats, shoes, belts, and scarves this time of year. it’s forever chic, cool, and timeless. and i love to add a leopard blouse into the mix now and again. this fall, look for zebra print, cow print, and snake print. if you are new to animal print, ease into it with luxe accessories. think belts, scarves, handbags, or shoes.
if you’re looking for a versatile dress to add to your wardrobe, this snake print dress from Talbots just might fit the bill. it’s fit and flare with tie sleeves. wear it alone or cinched with a belt. either way, this dress is perfect for almost any occasion. for work, add a blazer and pumps for a polished look. but if you’re looking for a modern twist, add a pair of booties. of course, we’ve perfected boots with jeans, boots with skirts, and boots with dresses. but pairing dresses with booties is as easy as wearing jeans and t-shirts but far more elevated. the good news is that booties go with so many things. tuck a pair of pants into your booties to show your footwear off., or let your jeans graze the top. but i love dresses and skirts with booties as we transition from summer to fall. to complete the outfit, a suede hobo handbag ties back to the suede booties. and i added a silver statement necklace for an effortlessly chic, modern look.
dress | boots | handbag | necklace
dress | boots | handbag | necklace
is the Founder and CEO of Style at a Certain Age. She writes Sundays-Fridays on all topics ranging from fashion, health, wellness, home design and more.
She’s 65, 5’8, and size 8.
That looks like such an easy dress to throw on with booties and go. I expect a pair of black heels would look nice to dress it up too. Great style.
pumps and knee-high boots are excellent choices for this dress. black or burgundy would look fabulous!
Good morning, Beth! You look lovely and feminine in today’s dress—and the color is great with your hair! I know it’s widely done and part of the current fashion scene, but I personally am not a fan of booties with dresses since they “disappear” the ankles, cut off the legs, and make them look short and stumpy. IMO, knee-hi boots work better with dresses. But hey, as you say, it’s all in your personal taste!!
many women of a certain age have a hard time with booties and dresses and prefer knee-high boots instead. but style is always about personal preference so if it isn’t your thing it isn’t.
I’m sorry, but you REALLY MISSED THE BOAT with this animal print dress . AND THOSE BOOTIES! UGH!!!!!
definitely not for everyone. but if you want to stay modern and relevant booties and dresses are “of the moment.”
Hi Beth you did it again!!
Very nice combo
Thank You
i’m a big fan of fall fashion especially when it includes animal print!
I like your blog and I like most of the clothing you are wearing. This dress is not good! It really is not flattering! I already have a dress similar to this. After seeing pictures of my self with this dress on, I decided to burn the dress. I looked about 10 lbs heavier than I am.
many women of a certain age dread the thought of a clothing item that makes us “look” heavier. we were taught to look slim at all costs. but fashion isn’t always about looking “slim” sometimes it’s about trends or simply having fun with bold patterns or bright colors. but if you don’t like this dress, hey, there are plenty of other beautiful dresses that you will like. this is but one option.
Hi, may I respectfully ask you to donate the dress if you were really going to burn it? Best.
Hi. love this dress, but your photos seem to be a lot lighter in the color than the one on Talbot’s website. Do you think it’s a lighting situation. your’s looks grey and their’s looks black.
Also, does the waist fit a bit above the natural waistlline?
Love the grey booties with the dress.
we were shooting on an overcast day which does affect the colors. but the dress is more of a gray than black which is why i chose gray booties and handbag although black will look fantastic too. the waist sits at the natural waist. i actually have a short torso and struggle with elastic waist dresses. but not this one. hope this helps!
Interesting as on my screen everything looks blue! I was quite surprised to see they were grey on the Talbot’s site.
Wow! That dress looks great on you! Helpful tip about trying animal print in accessories. For decades I said I wouldn’t try animal print. Then I did cautiously browse throw a store’s online animal print accessories. And loans behold- there were tortoiseshell earrings. I love my tortoiseshell earrings. Apparently I was already wearing animal print so I’m looking for more. Thanks again for the suggestion.
accessories are an easy way to try something on for size. love tortoise shell!
You look beautiful but I’m tiny so I don’t know if it would be overwhelming on me but you look great
if you have the right size it shouldn’t. there’s not excessive fabric with this dress.
Love the snake print dress and think it is very flattering. Do you pan to keep it?
everything you see me wear on the blog is mine. either from a collaboration or from a purchase. the only time i bring a purchase home then perhaps send it
back is during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.
WHAT??? Who is dressing you? I have always loved styleatacertainage.com but recently the stylist needs to look at you. This outfit caused me to comment……UGLY !
yes, i see it’s your first time to comment. it would have been nice to hear from you when you liked an outfit. but i will remind you and other readers that when you visit the blog or social channels you are visiting my home. if we were standing face to face would you ask who is dressing me? ladies, let’s keep our manners intact. there is absolutely no problem if you don’t like an outfit. my job is to introduce new trends and new concepts. and the blog is dedicated to aging with grace, strength, and beauty. lots more to comment on besides an outfit. i hope i hear from you in the future when you’ve read a post you loved.
Beth, I completely agree with you. Absolutely no reason to be rude. Ever. Freedom of speech is a privilege. Ladies, be kind. Or at the very least, choose your words wisely.
This blog is dedicated to aging with grace, strength, and beauty. Grace is courteous, grace is dignified, grace is elegant.
Your right, Beth, once September rolls in, the holidays are there in a blink of an eye!
Love, love, your outfit!
Especially the boots!
aren’t these booties adorable? love the kitten heel which is a lovely height.
Well Beth,you stirred up a hornet’s nest w/this look , didn’t you?!😄
Thanks for keeping things relevant.
You look stunning in these colors!
Gotta have these booties. So cute.
Keep up the good work. We love you even though a certain look might not be our cup of tea.
never a dull moment!
I LOVE this outfit! You look great.
it’s fun and flirty and feminine. just how i like it!
You always look beautiful ! Such a pretty feminine look!
Thanks for all the variety you bring to us!!
thanks for being here!
Way to stand your ground in such a polite manner for the not so nice comments. You’re such an elegant lady. I enjoy your blog so much.
Thank you! Honestly, I have the most amazing readers. I love to focus on that fact.
I love this look. I saw this dress online @ Talbots, but passed by. The way you styled this, Beth, is so chic, feminine & flattering. Booties wth dresses & skirts?Absolutely! Even @ age 68 and 5″2″ tall!
you go girl! it’s such a fun way to stay modern.
The dress looks blue-gray on my screen — a nicer color than on Talbot’s site actually. I just wanted to say the words “kitten heels.” I haven’t worn mine in about 2 years but used to love them. I’m going to fish out a pair and see if I can still walk in them LOL
i love a kitten heel height. i bet $100 bucks you can still walk in them!
Love the color, the length of this dress, and the kitten-heeled boots! Keep up the good work. I appreciate you!
thanks so much for being here!