Fall Necessities You’ll Need for Your Best Fall Outfit

Written By Diana Arvizu

Because sometimes the difference between “I got dressed” and “this is a fall look” is one very good accessory.

September 1st arrives and, regardless of what the thermometer says, I’m emotionally finished with summer.

The sandals can stay out. The tiny dresses aren’t necessarily going anywhere. And if you live somewhere warm, you may still be sweating through your morning coffee.

None of that matters.

It’s fall.

And fall, more than almost any other season, is about styling.

Summer can survive on a good dress and a pair of sunglasses. Winter has the coat doing most of the heavy lifting. But fall? Fall gives us layers. Texture. Jewelry. Boots. Belts. Jackets thrown over shoulders. Bags in rich colors. Fabrics that look like you should be drinking something warm even when it’s still 87 degrees outside.

So instead of giving you a shopping list of whatever happens to be trending this month, these are the pieces I consider the building blocks of a really good fall outfit.

Not necessarily things you need to buy.

Things you need to use.

1. A Boot That Changes the Entire Outfit

The easiest way to make almost anything feel like fall is to change the shoe.

Take the same little dress you wore with sandals in July and put it with a knee-high boot in September. Suddenly, she has plans. She has somewhere to be. She may or may not be ordering a cinnamon latte afterward.

1. Ariat‍ ‍| 2. Staud | 3. Steve Madden | 4. Lauren Ralph Lauren‍ ‍| 5. DV Dolce Vita

And this fall, I don't think your boots need to disappear quietly into the outfit.

Go tall. Go slouchy. Go pointed. Go western. Go burgundy, chocolate, snakeskin, suede or something slightly ridiculous.

A great boot gives even the simplest outfit weight—and fall outfits need a little weight.

2. Something Furry

Faux fur, shearling, fuzzy textures, fluffy collars—I want something in the outfit that looks genuinely enjoyable to touch.

There is something about fur that immediately makes an outfit feel luxurious, dramatic and slightly indulgent, which is exactly the energy I want from fall dressing.

And it doesn’t have to mean a full-length fur coat.

Try a furry handbag. A coat with a fuzzy collar. A little shearling jacket. Fur-trimmed shoes. A stole thrown dramatically over something completely inappropriate.

1. Wayf | 2. Tory Burch | 3. Show Me Your Mumu | 4. Schutz‍ ‍| 5. Lamarque

Sometimes one little patch of fluff is enough.

3. Jewelry That Can Hold Its Own Against Your Clothes

Summer jewelry gets to be delicate.

Fall jewelry has competition.

Once we start adding coats, sweaters, scarves, velvet, leather and heavier fabrics, tiny jewelry can get swallowed alive.

This is when I want the giant cocktail ring. The enormous stone pendant. The dramatic cuff. The earrings that can still be seen underneath your hair and your coat collar.

Especially right now, oversized stones feel perfect.

There’s something very satisfying about pairing a chunky sweater or tailored jacket with a completely unnecessary gemstone the size of a small appetizer.

Fall is not the season to be shy with accessories.

4. One Delicious Texture

If your outfit feels boring, there’s a very good chance it needs texture.

Velvet.

Suede.

Leather.

Satin.

Corduroy.

Faux fur.

Snakeskin.

Patent leather.

Bouclé.

Even better: mix them.

A velvet blazer with denim. Suede boots with a silky skirt. A leather jacket over lace. A furry bag with something tailored.

The colors don’t even have to be particularly “fall.”

You can wear lavender velvet. Pink suede. Turquoise leather. Leopard faux fur.

The texture does the seasonal work for you.

Jacket: Reformation | Jeans: Levi’s‍ ‍| Boots: Ariat | Bag: Coach‍ ‍| Earrings: Jennifer Behr | Ring: Jenny Bird

5. A Really Good Belt

Belts are one of those accessories we forget about until suddenly everyone remembers how incredible they are.

And fall is their natural habitat.

A belt over a dress.

A belt over a blazer.

A belt around a cardigan.

A belt over a coat.

A giant buckle with denim.

A skinny belt against something oversized.

They create shape when fall layers start getting bulky, but more importantly, they make an outfit look intentionally styled.

Sometimes the outfit does not need another layer.

It needs a belt.

6. Animal Print

At this point I’m not even sure animal print should be categorized as a trend.

It’s practically a neutral with teeth.

Leopard is obviously having another glorious moment, but zebra, cow print, snakeskin and other animal-inspired patterns all bring exactly what fall outfits need: visual texture.

And while the easiest move is an animal-print shoe or bag, I support going much further.

The leopard coat.

The zebra trousers.

The snakeskin knee-high boots.

The giant spotted bag.

If maximalism is calling, answer the phone.

7. The Third Piece

This may be the most important one.

A shirt and trousers are clothes.

A shirt, trousers and a fantastic jacket?

Now we have an outfit.

The “third piece” is that extra thing that makes everything feel finished: a blazer, cardigan, vest, jacket, scarf, statement belt or even a dramatic piece of jewelry.

Fall makes this especially fun because we finally have an excuse to pile things on.

Even if the weather isn't ready for a full coat, you can still introduce lighter layers—a vest over a blouse, a blazer over a camisole, a cardigan tied around the shoulders.

It creates dimension.

And dimension is what makes people look twice.

Jacket: Wayf | Skirt: Reformation | Earrings: Roxanne Assoulin | Shoes: Steve Madden | Bag: Tory Burch

8. A Bag With Personality

The easiest thing in the world would be for me to tell you that you need a sensible brown handbag for fall.

I refuse.

Brown is beautiful. Burgundy is beautiful. Chocolate suede is beautiful.

But so is chartreuse.

So is metallic purple.

So is leopard.

So is a fuzzy pink bag that looks completely impractical.

Your fall bag does not have to coordinate politely with everything you own. Sometimes the bag should be the reason the outfit works at all.

Think of it as punctuation.

Your clothes made the sentence.

The bag gets to add the exclamation point.

9. Sunglasses

Yes, sunglasses.

Fall sunglasses are underrated.

There’s something very chic about a heavy coat, boots, a big handbag and dark sunglasses—even if you're only walking across a parking lot.

Try oversized frames. Tortoiseshell. Amber lenses. Cat-eyes. Something slightly retro.

Fall outfits already have a cinematic quality to them.

You might as well commit.

1. Swarovski | 2. Prada | 3. Tory Burch | 4. Loewe | 5. Prada

10. One Thing That Makes Absolutely No Practical Sense

This might actually be the secret.

The giant brooch.

The gloves when it isn't particularly cold.

The feather trim.

The enormous cocktail ring.

The silk scarf tied dramatically around your head.

The leopard coat in Houston in October.

Great style has never been built entirely around practicality.

Of course we need the jeans. The sweaters. The boots. The jackets.

But the thing people remember is usually the thing you didn't technically need.

And maybe that's my favorite part about getting dressed for fall.

After months of trying to wear as little as possible because it’s hot outside, we finally get to start adding things again.

Another texture.

Another accessory.

Another layer.

Another little piece of personality.

So no, your best fall outfit probably isn't hiding inside an entirely new wardrobe.

It may already be hanging in your closet.

It just needs a fabulous boot, a giant ring, a little leopard, something furry and perhaps one completely unnecessary accessory.

Now that feels like fall.

Diana Arvizu
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