This is my favorite time of year in New York to walk everywhere. Not that I don't normally walk during the summer or winter necessarily (quite the contrary actually), it's just that New York has this certain crispness to it in the fall that's hard to describe. While summer days in the city boast of sunny afternoons in the park and ice cream trucks at most corners and winter promises Christmas decorations and wrapping up in cozy sweaters (until the heavy duty tundra jackets come out), there's this beautiful in between ripeness to fall. It makes me want to walk around the city all day long if I could -- with absolutely nowhere to go and everywhere to be.

If I reflect on this time last year, I recall walking around a lot of new neighborhoods and haunting 10th Street in particular, to bounce back and forth between the West and East Villages. Along the way, I discovered a lot of great little shopping gems -- vintage stores, consignment boutiques, hole-in-the wall coffee shops and a lot of great street art. It was like this whole hidden side of New York was just waiting for me and this time around, with fall already here, I can't wait to start it all over again.

As far as walking around the city goes, especially when fall temps can be a bit finicky like they are right now, I like to feel somewhat flexible. I'm extremely guilty of busting out my coats a bit earlier than necessary, so I make a compromise with myself each year that I should start with my sleeveless coats and vests first. All the fall material but definitely much more breathable. As for this dress? It's my new transitional favorite. It's a ribbed body con dress by Guess that I scooped up via Macy's and I love that it has some serious turtleneck vibes going on (nod to fall), but manages to sneak in one trend from summer (hello, cold shoulder). I love it paired with a few day basics like suede boots and this vest for a more functional shopping outfit but I could just as easily pair it with a cropped bomber or leather jacket and some ankle booties if I wanted to funk it up a bit for a night out.

Plus, I've already been planning ways of layering it over and under other dresses, which I'm all about these days. I can already picture it being a great piece to layer a little blush slip dress over for a more casual 90210 look or over a collared shirt dress for a more modern, structural look, perfect for an edgy office environment. And the latter is definitely a tough crowd when your coworker is a very discerning corgi who sleeps at your feet most days.

What fall pieces are you guys enjoying styling for some of these transitional weeks ahead? Any favorites?

OUTFIT DETAILS: RACHEL Rachel Roy vest (via Macys last year, similar style here) // Guess ribbed sweater dress // Stuart Weitzman boots // Saint Laurent bag // Celine sunglasses

This post was in collaboration with Macy's and ShopStyle. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!

Photos by Lydia Hudgens