Modern Vintage Sighting: The Autumn Layers of Marani

I'm crazy about autumn: the leaves crunching underfoot, the brisk air, the fact that the kids mobbing the street all summer begging to be hit by cars are back in school. Getting dressed in autumn in so much more interesting. You're freed from the limitations of dressing to keep cool and you don't yet have to hide your carefully planned outfits under a 3-inch thick wall of wool coat, even indoors. Hell, this is New England after all.

Things I don't like about autumn? Getting stuck behind school buses, the return of Uggs, and the drab wardrobe palette. Don't get me wrong, I love a good chocolate brown or rich mustard as much as the next person, but it's the only season where practically everyone goes around in the same color scheme for a few months (though the neon pinks of the past summer were a close second...).

But there is another thing I love about autumn which makes the bland color scheme bearable: layering. It may be a poor man's way to add interest to a wardrobe and not the favorite of fashion editors, but I'm crazy about the way a carefully placed layer can add such pizzazz to otherwise fairly basic pieces.

Case in point? This collection by Angelo Marani for Fall 2011 RTW. Look at how the typical autumn color scheme comes to life with these intricate layers. Granted, it would be tough to call the individual pieces "basic", but you get the idea. And of course, don't forget the fabulous vintage details of these looks! A great reinvention of late '60s fashion.