Fall Shopping the Smart Way at Renys

Sponsored by Renys

Fall has always felt like a second New Year to me. Maybe it’s lingering memories of the back-to-school season: new notebooks and binders, crisp sneakers, the thrill of a fresh start. When the air turns cool in Maine, I’m ready to shed summer’s sun-soaked chaos and refocus on what I want the months ahead to hold, then do a little shopping to dress the part for that next chapter. 

This year, my husband Teddy and I have had a lot on our plate and a lot to budget for. We celebrated our wedding with family and friends in August and are saving for our honeymoon in November. A major fall wardrobe splurge was not in the cards. A fall wardrobe refresh done the smart way, though? That we could do. And that meant a trip to Renys.

We recruited our friends Lindsey and Phil, who needed no convincing, and headed to the Renys store in Saco (one of 19 locations). Teddy made it exactly one rack into the store before he spotted one of his favorite items of the day: a rust-red quarter-zip fleece from LIV Outdoors, covered in a pattern of moose, pine trees, and snowflakes. It’s the kind of unique, unmistakably Maine find Renys does best.

From there, we scattered excitedly, calling out finds across the aisles: flannels in every color, hiking boots, Carhartt beanies. The outerwear was the biggest hit of all. Renys was stocked with puffers, technical shells, and fleeces for a fraction of the price you’d find the same brands at other stores. When Lindsey tried on a windbreaker she loved, Teddy indignantly noted he’d bought a very similar one elsewhere a few years ago for twice the price. He and Phil both added sherpa-lined jackets from a well-known outdoor gear brand to our cart, Teddy’s in olive-and-black buffalo check, Phil’s in slate blue. They were giving stylish lumberjack on the outside, cozy blanket on the inside.

In fall, stores tend to restock the shades I’m most drawn to—deep greens, rich browns, warm reds—and Renys didn’t let me down. From a table piled with cute sweaters, I pulled a whole stack to try, and I went home with a green-and-white striped knit I can already tell will be my go-to this season. Lindsey found her perfect match nearby, a sweater with wide, rugby-style stripes in maroon and cream.

I also picked up two pairs of famous-name pants, one olive and structured, and one soft, pleated, and wide-leg in muted sage. When I added up my finds, I had to double-check my math. My sweater and two pairs of pants were about the same price I’d pay for one simple shirt anywhere else. 

We also spotted Lee fleece-lined pants, ideal for Maine winters, in both men’s and women’s styles. I made a mental note to come back for a pair soon.

We tested our new fall outfits in the wild, heading to Higgins Beach in Scarborough with a fishing pole, a blanket, and snacks as the sun began to sink. As every Mainer knows, the best time to go to the beach is the off-season, when no one else is there. That windy fall evening was chilly, but we were cozy in our new layers, and we had a huge stretch of sand all to ourselves.

Teddy cast his line into the surf, a new hobby we’ve been enjoying. We haven’t caught any fish yet and that didn’t change this evening, but we didn’t mind. The four of us huddled on the blanket, passing snacks back and forth and watching the waves and seagulls. Exploring down the beach at low tide, we stumbled on the weathered wooden ribs of a shipwreck, the schooner Howard W. Middleton, which ran aground here in 1897, poking up through the sand. We walked over its mossy wooden beams, amazed by the storybook quality of Maine moments like this.

As the sun slipped below the horizon, I thought that if fall really is a fresh start of sorts, this was a perfect one. I was with my favorite people, all looking picture perfect in their new Renys finds. We were making the most of an everyday adventure together, and the only goals on my mind were catching at least one fish—and going back to Renys for those fleece-lined pants before the temperature gets much cooler.

Mariya Greeley

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