Witchy Fall Outfits: Black Lace, Velvet and Moon Jewelry

Every October I want to dress like the woman at the end of the lane who grows her own poison. Every October I also have a job and a commute. The compromise I have landed on is simple: one witchy piece a day, worn with ordinary clothes. A crescent moon pin on a gray blazer. A snake ring with a white shirt. A black lace top under a denim jacket. I also put together Black Lace Dress: Minis, Midis and Corsets for a Fabric Chanel Loved.

Jewelry is the gentlest way in. The pieces below are all moons, stars and snakes, from a jeweled serpent pendant necklace made around 1970 to a Christian Dior crescent moon brooch from the 1980s and an Edwardian crescent moon pendant with a rose gold swallow. Snakes and crescent moons were popular in Victorian and Edwardian jewelry long before anyone called them witchy, which is part of why they look right. It is hard to call something a costume when it is a hundred years old.

Black lace is the backbone of this whole mood, and it is easier to wear than people think. The trick is to pair it with something that is not trying at all. The Giambattista Valli cashmere sweater with sheer lace panels over black jeans. The 1950s Bramel beaded lace sheath with flat boots and a big cardigan. The strapless Dolce & Gabbana corset dress is the one piece here that is only for night, and I would save it for an actual party. If you want to keep going, Black Boots: A Field Guide to Ankles, Tall Pairs and Lace Ups is the one I would read next.

What I would skip: stretch lace that looks shiny in photos, and anything where the lace is only a thin trim on an otherwise plain dress. Good lace has depth when the light hits it. If the listing photo looks flat and plasticky, the dress probably does too. Older lace is also delicate, so read the condition notes for small tears and plan on hand washing or a careful cleaner.

Velvet is what makes this look feel like fall instead of a party store. I stuck to black and deep green here, because those two colors look rich in velvet and never feel too sweet. The Giorgio Armani emerald velvet pants with a black turtleneck is a complete outfit. The 1970s black velvet trousers with flowers are softer and a bit strange, in a good way. For a dress, the early 1990s Oscar de la Renta black velvet mini with long sleeves is the one I keep coming back to, because it works with tights and boots all winter.

Velvet is also a fabric where secondhand really pays off, because good velvet wears in rather than out and there is a lot of it around. Look for crushed or shiny patches at the seat and elbows in the photos, and steam it rather than ironing. A velvet piece in a deep color also looks right at a holiday party, so it earns its place for months, not days.

Witchy fall dressing works when it looks like you, not like a theme. If you take one thing away, let it be this: pick one dark, strange, beautiful piece and wear it with the clothes you already live in. A moon brooch on your everyday coat will get more wear than a full lace and velvet outfit you only feel brave enough for twice a year. Black lace and deep velvet are worth buying secondhand because they last, and old jewelry with a moon or a snake has a history that a new version can't fake. Buy slowly, one piece a season, and in a few years you will have a real wardrobe of it. The best part of dressing this way is that it does not end on November 1st. Black lace, velvet and a moon pin work straight through winter, which makes them better value than anything bought for one night. I went deeper on a related idea in Party Season Trends: Velvet, Sequins, Lace and the Black Slingback.