What are the 10 basic pieces you need in your fall wardrobe? When helping a client get ready for the upcoming season, one of the first things we would do before shopping was take an inventory of her basics. Basics are your starting points. They are what you’ll wear every day as the base of your outfit, and then you’ll add fun, trendy pieces on top. They are the essentials for your closet. A reader wrote in who is re-building her wardrobe (after losing it in Harvey) and asked for some guidance on what items she should have for fall. I’m honored she asked!

Here are the 10 fall essentials to have in your closet:

1. A black skirt (my favorite here): I’ve been surprised how many times I’ve worn this skirt.
2. A  pair of black pants and/or black jeans (my favorites here and here)
3. A basic white/cream blouse (my favorites here and here): I’ve worn this blouse so many times, I’ve lost count. I’ve worn it tucked into jeans with animal print shoes and under a blazer tucked into a skirt.
4. A black blazer or black jacket (my favorites here and here): Sometimes you can get away with wearing a black leather jacket instead of a black blazer for an entire season.
5. A pair of basic blue jeans (my favorites here and here)
6. A basic sweater (my favorite here): I usually have a black, grey or navy sweater that I wear a ton during one season. I’ll splurge a little on this item (sold out) because I know I’ll wear it all the time, and I love comfy, cozy sweaters.
7. A black or brown boot and/or black flats (my favorites here and here)
8. A black heel (my favorites here and here)
9. A camisole or two (my favorites here and here): I’ve been surprised how much I wear my black silk camisole. It’s the one shirt that always works when nothing else does.
10. A turtleneck or two (my favorite here): I love these specific turtlenecks because they’re not too heavy and bulky. I love the simple look of a turtleneck with jeans and loafers. You can even layer a turtleneck under a sleeveless dress to continue wearing it later in the season.
11. A black coat (my favorite here): This is a debatable essential if you’ve lived in Houston the last couple of years, but I sure have been happy I have it when I travel.

Here are my favorite fun, trendy items to layer with your basics:

• a pop of red (my favorites here, here and here)
• camo (my favorite here)
• animal print (my favorite here)
• chambray (my favorite here)
• neutral pants (my favorite here)
• black coated denim (my favorite here)

JICYMI:

My favorite bags for the fall are here!

My all time favorite beauty item is here!

Click on picture for my favorites: