The B-List: What to Wear in the -Ber Months

Maybe it’s the first glimpses of tinsel-like textiles, the unearthing of opulent hues, or the frivolous concessions made for layering. Maybe it’s all three—who knows?—but I’ve always found that I dress the best when the -ber months come around.

September is here again, kick-starting the season that's the closest we of the islands will ever get to autumn. In the blink of an eye, its siblings October, November, and December will come tumbling out in a row—and then, wouldn’t you know it, it’ll be Christmastime.

What I mean to say is that September and the three months after it comprise my favorite time of the year, the final quarter when rainy days merge with chilly nights before one annum closes out for the next. And after the countrywide singe of summer and the endless drip of the monsoon season, this week, "The -Bers" have finally arrived. Yes!

You know why I love this season so much? It’s partly the break from humidity—the assurance that my hair won’t frizz the moment I step from car to curb and my makeup will stop streaming down my face in rivulets as I walk through a muggy parking lot. I don’t know about you, but the cool, almost cold, days of last year seem as far gone as a childhood memory.

It’s also the countdown to a wild, wonderful Halloween and, after that, to a resplendent Yuletide season, with its twinkling streets and houses. As I write this, my excitement for both has begun to bubble (and snap, crackle, and pop!).

But most of all, what I’ve come to value most about the -ber months is their indubitable return to glamor. With the thin, skin-happy styles of summer that fan us cool and the bundled wraps of the wet season that keep us dry, I’ve always found that the luxe level gets turned down a notch. After all, who’s thinking about all that when there are waves to slice through or puddles to sidestep?

But this time of year, everything is glamorous. Just peer into store windows. Work clothes come in glossy finishes and voluptuous gem tones. Party wear is swathed in glitz. Even the simplest pieces seem to be coated in an imperceptible film of chic: a little lace, a little beading, and some shine if you can fit it in.

And that’s why September gets me giddy, year after year. It calls for the kind of wardrobe reshuffling I adore and anticipate: bold, dramatic, and sparkly. Give a girl a bit of sparkle, and she’ll wax poetic—like I did this entire column.

If you’re still with me, here’s a more coherent breakdown of what’s trending this season. I’m calling it the B-List—you’ll see why!


(All fashion sets created by Stephanie Castillo via Polyvore)