Fall may be the most fun season to shop for, I mean there is something about the coming cool weather that makes you get excited about cute cardigans and plaid scarves, worn of course, while you sip a pumpkin spice latte, right? 🙂
Since we are sharing our #seasonswithstyle series right now on Instagram (when we join up with some IG friends to show off our favorite fall outfits), I thought it would be fun to share some fall fashion ideas this Friday and next. Today’s post is all about fall wardrobe basics that if you have them on hand easily work together for stylish fall outfits. Next week I’ll be back with a second installment {read it HERE} which will have some fun, trendier ideas of things that you can add in this basic wardrobe. I figure this way if you are the type that prefers to own a streamlined collection of the classics, today’s post is for you. If you are interested in taking your wardrobe game up a notch each season, hopefully there will be fun ideas for you in the follow-up post next week.
I wouldn’t call this a capsule wardrobe though it definitely has ‘shades’ of that concept. These are just the things that if you have one hand, combine nicely for different outfits and still look fashionable. I tried to share affordable items, except for a few completely classic ‘investment’ pieces {I know some of you prefer that} and I tried to provide less costly alternatives. Most of these are less than $50 🙂
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Starting with what might be the most important Fall wardrobe basic–great jeans. I have shared my love for these AoS jeans before, they are the right price, fit nicely and are super comfortable. Mine are holding up great, especially for as often as I wear them! A curvy alternative is HERE.
If you aren’t a skinny jeans person, and I know some of you aren’t, these Wit & Wisdom flare jeans get rave reviews, they say they make your legs look longer and that isn’t considered a bad thing!
Another great basic is a pair of cozy black leggings. A nice pair can be worn with a long tunic top {scroll down for the perfect one} for a dressier look or you can add a cardigan to be more casual. A great solution for more coverage {and coverage is very important with leggings, amiright?!} is to layer with a long tank like this one. Here are two legging alternatives for you. A good rule of thumb is that inexpensive leggings tend to be thin, a better quality pair will suck things in and look more appropriate, well worth the investment.
These leggings are a great basic and have a nice wide waist band.
I bought these live-in leggings during the Anniversary Sale and they are wonderful, a great basic like the leggings above as far as style but these are more on the athletic side. They only have an inside seam so they don’t look like you just left the gym, and these definitely suck and pull everything in quite nicely. Oh and they are thick so they are also quite warm. I can wear them either with athleisure or with a tank/cardigan combo for a more casual look. They are not on the dressier side, but still I thought worth mentioning for more casual days.
Next up, sweaters! Because they might be my favorite part of Fall 🙂 These two cardigans are great basics from nice brands, they are on the pricier side but with their classic styling, I believe they could be worn for many years to come. Again, these can both be dressed up or down and next week I’ll show you some cute ways to do just that.
This Halogen Cardigan has been in my shopping cart literally for months, I finally treated myself to this for Fall. With its lightweight fabric and classic look, I am sure I will wear it all the time even in the transitional months (like now and again in early spring). The blush isn’t the most fall-like hue, but it goes nicely with a ton of other colors (like black, beige, cream, navy); I also love the beige one if only my closet wasn’t already bursting with beige, I’d already own it.
I know this one below is pricey but for cozy Fall cardigan this one can’t be beat so I wanted to include it. It’s so soft, perfect for snuggling up on a cold day or layering with jeans and a plaid scarf :).
While we are on sweaters, the quintessential accessory for Fall is a plaid scarf. These don’t have to be inexpensive, come in a ton of colors and make basic outfits much more fun. I buy most of my scarves from this flash sale site here. Today they have infinity plaid scarves here and blanket scarves here all at ‘steal’ pricing.
Here is another basic Fall outfit idea, just pair a classic denim shirt with a blanket scarf and either black leggings or cargo pants and boots. Denim looks great with black, mixes with leopard perfectly and gives you a casual but still stylish look at this time of year. Christy always mixes her denim shirt with a statement necklace and it always looks great, so this idea I credit to her 🙂
A dark olive pair of cargo pants is another great wardrobe staple for fall. I pair mine with a basic white tee {favorite here} during this current it’s-still-hot-but- I-wish-it-was-cooler time of year. They are a great casual alternative to jeans, and the cargo style is kind of fun. You can find a curvy version here. Also, you can find a less expensive version of this look here.
This tunic top probably should be the number one thing is this post, this is such a great wardrobe basic. I love the longer length, the white color goes with everything {though they have a ton of great colors} and again, it mixes perfectly with a scarf for fall. It would go great with cargo pants…or leggings or jeans…it goes with pretty much everything! You can wear it long for more coverage or do the ‘half-tuck’ if you are feeling sassy 🙂 and it’s less than $30 shipped.
Phew! The good news is that most of these items are probably already in your closet, so I hope this post gives you ideas for ways to mix them together to try some new looks. Next week, I will bring you 10 more items that you can mix in with these basics to be perfectly in style for Fall. If you want to see even more cute outfit ideas, hop on over to Instagram for the #seasonsofstyle hashtag and see all the great looks our friends are putting together!
Now, hop on over to this post HERE to see the trend items this fall that you can mix in with these items to be perfectly in style!
XO,
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Heidi Colton says
Great picks Amy! I love seeing what you girls come up with in the fashion world.
Amy says
I am so glad, I enjoy coming up with creative ways to use what I already own so I am glad you enjoy it. Thanks for letting us know! XO, Amy
Lauren@SimplyLKJ says
Great post Amy. And yes, I have all of these basics in my closet already. So looking forward to next week’s post for inspiration. For those who may be looking for great “leggings” at a good price ( a steal), Target has some in their A new Day collection. Thick, side zipper, back pockets and only $24.99. And thanks again for sharing the WHBM skimmer jeans this spring. I bought a few pairs on clearance and LOVE them.
Amy says
Those leggings sound great, I have a pair from Stitch Fix that sound very similar and I wear them frequently, they are more like “jeggings” I think I’d call them? However, I paid WAY more than that! I will check those out. Glad you still love the Skimmer jeans, I wear mine All.The.Time! XO, Amy
laura janning says
love all the fall essentials especially those leopard flats. I must have a pair.
Amy says
Aren’t they the cutest? 🙂 XO, Amy