all photos: Shauna Alexander

As you may know by now BYT gets all sorts of jazzed about Fashion’s Night Out every year. Tomorrow, Georgetown BID hosts DC’s most fun fashion bash of the year, featuring exciting events at over 100 stores, restaurants and salons, with an official FNO BYT Lounge to boot (full details on Fatback, free drinks, free make-up touch ups, photo boothing and more here).

And with photographers roaming the streets (+ 4 public red carpets at: Cady’s Alley, in front of PNC bank, M & Wisconsin and inside our lounge) you want to make sure you look AND feel great for tomorrow. So, we rallied some of our favorite fall and pre-fall clothes from some of our favorite retailers participating in FNO (CUSP , WINK, MADEWELL, URBAN CHIC, ALL SAINTS, RAG & BONE, HUGH & CRYE, TARI, J.CREW, + REDEEM , and LESS-full details below), some of our favorite boys and girls around town (designers, DJs, comedians, State Department employees, digital strategists and the like), took them and a solid champagne supply to Avenue Suites Hotel + A Bar (2500 Penn Ave-and a perfect gateway into Georgetown) and let them run amok in the dream closets we picked out for them. This is what happened:

• Plaid on Plaid on Plaid on Plaid-the ultimate fall pattern in a lightweight material is just what the doctor ordered for an early September party. And HUGH & CRYE know how to make them so they FIT. Throw on a jacket from REDEEM or a RAG & BONE cardigan, find a bar to lean on and you’re good to go. A solid plaid alternative: chambray 4EVER. (Will, in the middle, wears a great one from ALL SAINTS)

For girls: a high drama material in a daytime silhouette makes a perfect day-into-night transition. Ladies wear (l-r): Rafeena in an Arrow Print dress from RAG & BONE, Shannon in a top and leather skirt from ALL SAINTS, Dinora in a stretch wool number from RAG & BONE and Jenn in one of the best leather dresses we’ve seen in a while (from CUSP)

Exits matter as much as entrances: a strategically placed zipper makes your curves go 0 to 60 in no time, and a sheer back panel (which can be nicely hidden below a cardigan or jacked during office hours) dares anyone to NOT buy you a drink. Girls in: Dinora in RAG & BONE dress, Shannon in ALL SAINTS top + leather skirt.

On the opposite end of the spectrum: a sharply tailored shirt (buttoned up, tucked in), a good pair of frames and a haircut Clark Kent would be proud of all take geek chic to a new level. Kash and Steven both wear HUGH & CRYE. Glasses-”model’s” own.

A big part of FNO is those in-between shopping breaks. Breathable materials and easy silhouettes go a long way. Clothes (l-r): Mike Fila in shirt from REDEEM, Jake in vest from RAG & BONE, Rafeena in shirt by CUSP, leather trim shorts by RAG & BONE and necklace by MADEWELL.

Sometimes, you just need a good shift dress, a friend, a glossy lip and even waiting in a hallway starts looking super hot . Jenn wears a leather shift (genius move-the back has a fabric panel, which allows for a little more wiggle room) and skull necklace, Gabrielle in a cream and black shift. All clothes: CUSP.

on the other hand-softening things up is a good thing too. Shannon plays up her red hair with a aquamarine dress from CUSP, a bold pink lip and a statement necklace from LESS. A whole lot (of colors, patterns, textures) on a tiny girl, but the right attitude (and fit) makes EVERYTHING work. Yes, the lady WILL have another cocktail.

We are crazy about gray on boys. Softer than black, edgier than navy-it is probably our go-to-color for the fall. Will and Kash (l-r) wear a sweater and mock tuxedo shirt from REDEEM paired with a good fitted pair of jeans and a lean but sturdy shoe. Posing in front of a monochromatic print for maximum effect-optional.

It is going to be a very bold fall ahead. While girls tend to shy away from a horizontal stripe across the lower parts of their body, Shannon and Dinora show how in a right fit (a blousy top, a body conscious skirt) it really, really works. Optical curves ahead! (l-r: Shannon in top from CUSP and skirt from RAG & BONE, Dinora in green shirt and skirt from MADEWELL).

On the other hand Steve and Jenn channel your favorite late 80s-early 90s TV heroes: the bright green and blue shirt from MADEWELL is very Zach Morris, but with a top knot and a hot pair of shorts from RAG & BONE(+ a delicate MADEWELL necklace) it goes from high-school wheeling and dealing to cool girl cocktail. Don’t forget the heels. Steven is nerd royalty in shirt from HUGH & CRYE and cardigan from RAG & BONE.

His’n'hers: Jake and Shannon make a great black’n'white pair (their hair-the only accessory they need). On Jake: vest from RAG & BONE. On Shannon: top by CUSP, skirt by RAG & BONE. And Rafeena and Mike are a vision of a lady and a gentlemen. On Rafeena: dress by URBAN CHIC, polka dot jacket by MADEWELL (adding to our ongoing green-on-white-on-black-on-graphic-print crush for this season) and statement necklace from MADEWELL.

With FNO starting almost right after the office closes on Thursday, you may want to consider stepping up your work attire that day so the transition is easy. Gabrielle steps into the spotlight with an AMAZING vintage Thierry Mugler jacket from TARI that shows off the waist in the best way imaginable, and a black leather skirt from ALL SAINTS. The cream heels make the legs seem (even) longer, and come 8pm, that braid is getting undone.

Gentlemen callers: Will and Steve play up the good ole shirt+ cardigan combo with fresh, updated fits and just the right amount of confidence. Both shirts: HUGH & CRYE. Cardigans (l-r): REDEEM and RAG & BONE.

Party of three: Shannon, Kash and Dinora show off some of their best assets in key fall shapes and colors: Shannon wears a dress from TARI (one-shouldered numbers seem to be everywhere we looked during the pre-shoot shopping spree), with layered delicate skull necklaces from CUSP, Kash is in a shirt + jacket from REDEEM, and Dinora throws a mink fur stole (which is our photographer’s), a BCBG belt and a bevvy of statement bracelets over a satin printed number from ALL SAINTS that balances out the demureness on top by showing off the waist AND the legs.

With all the high drama cuts and fabrics this fall, sometimes a simple dress just needs that ONE thing to really stand out. Rafeena channels Jackie O in a perfectly wine colored/chain colared shift from WINK.

Turning up the glitz: Mike and Jenn turn on their inner maneaters. On Mike: jacket by REDEEM, tie by RAG & BONE. On Jenn: a golden girl dress by WINK, purse by Rebecca Minkoff @ URBAN CHIC (who, btw, is having a Minkoff trunk show tomorrow night with 15% off).

On Gabrielle: a navy peplum dress from URBAN CHIC gets partied up by a couple of statement necklaces from WINK. Jenn and Mike-still doing what they do best, just like in previous photo.

That Rebecca Minkoff Bag AGAIN. Yes-we like it that much.

Just because the fall is virtually here, there is no reason to not maximize on your favorite summer colors while you still can. Kash and Dinora toughen up some warmer weather staples with the right pre-fall accessories. On Kash: Shirt & Tie by HUGH & CRYE. On Dinora: Dress as shirt from WINK, skirt by MADEWELL. Good times-models’ own.

and lets not forget the accessories. More is More, as far as we’re concerned (always).  Top to bottom: dress by CUSP, necklace by LESS; dress by WINK, necklace by LESS; shirt by CUSP, necklace by MADEWELL; dress by WINK, tattoo-model’s own.

stay smoldering, and we will see you all Thursday: on Rafeena: Jacket from WINK, shorts by RAG & BONE, tie-as-a-belt from RAG & BONE. On Will: Shirt from HUGH & CRYE, cardigan from REDEEM.

CREDITS:

• MODELS: Jenn Tisdale, Gabrielle Williams, Dinora Orozco, Rafeena Ahmad, Shannon Cusello, Jacob Michael, Kashuo Bennett, Steven Place, Will Nainis, Mike Fila
• STORES: CUSP (3030 M Street NW), WINK (3109 M Street NW), MADEWELL (1237 Wisconsin Ave NW), URBAN CHIC (1626 Wisconsin Ave NW), ALL SAINTS (3235 M Street NW), RAG & BONE (3067 M Street NW), HUGH & CRYE (3212 O Street NW #5), TARI (1525 Wisconsin Ave. NW) , J.CREW (3222 M Street NW)  – (all in Georgetown, all participating in FNO on Thursday) + REDEEM (1734 14th Street NW). Additional necklaces by LESS by Alyssa Lesser
• PHOTOGRAPHER: Shauna Alexander
• PHOTO ASSISTANT: Dana Bleiberg
• LOCATION: Avenue Suites Hotel + A Bar
• MORAL SUPPORT: Svetlana Legetic

for details on FNO and everything going down tomorrow night-click here