The leaves are beginning to change, creating an arboreal palette of crimson and ochre, the days are getting shorter and if you are like me, you have already drank your body weight in pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks in an attempt to embrace the change of season. Fall is finally here.

Fall is indeed the season of change, and as such, necessitates a change in your wardrobe. It is time to put aside the tanks, shorts and flip-flops and bring out the sweaters, jeans and boots. Granted, I would not lock your lighter summer clothes away given the unpredictability of Syracuse weather, but perhaps it is finally safe to move them to the back of your closet.

But one fall wardrobe staple you should immediately move to the front of your closet is the jacket. The words “jacket,” “coat” and “blazer” are often thought to be synonymous, interchangeable descriptors of the same garment — but this is by no means the case.

Jackets are less warm than a coat and range in length from cropped just above the ribcage to right at the hips. Falling into the category of “jacket” are jean jackets, leather jackets, motorcycle jackets and my own personal favorite, the bomber jacket. All of these offer moderate warmth and maximum style. They are often form fitting and allow a wider range of motion and flexibility.

Coats offer a greater degree of warmth and can also be stylish. However, they typically have a bit more padding to them and can make your silhouette appear larger than it is if they do not fit you well.

A great way to tell if a coat fits you properly is to note how it rests on your shoulders. If you can pull an inch of fabric away from your shoulders, the coat is too big. Conversely, if you flex or raise your hands above your head and feel as though the coat is going to burst at the seams, it does not fit well, and you should keep searching.

The trench coat and the pea coat are warm and uber fashionable season after season. The emerging trend for fall 2013 is to wear trench coats and pea coats in bright, bold and unexpected colors. Emerald is the designated color of 2013, but yellows and fuchsias are also replacing the go-to neutral shades of brown and black this year.

Blazers, unlike jackets and coats, offer very little protection from the elements and are highly evocative of prep-school uniforms. Designers like Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren are notorious for creating stunning blazers every fall that play heavily off of the scholastic vibe. Blazers also possess a distinctly masculine and tailored presence, which makes them perfect for the days you want to try the menswear trend without having to know how to tie a tie.

While jackets, coats and blazers all have their respective merits, there is one other article of outerwear that I deem to be perfect for early fall: the cape. Capes are not currently all the rage, but I am a stalwart proponent of wearing what you love simply because you love it.

Capes are often of a medium weight and thickness — the perfect compromise between a jacket and a coat. They have ample arm room, allow for layering and movement and create clean, minimalistic lines. The drama and visual interest capes create is second to none. And besides, what could be better than wearing something worn by wizards and superheroes?

Jenna Belmonte is a magazine, newspaper and online graduate student. Her column appears every Monday in Pulp. She can be reached at jmbelmon@syr.edu.

Published on September 30, 2013 at 12:29 am