The 18 Pieces We Bought For Fall And NONE Of Them Are Trendy
Fine, one is trendy.
by The Candidly Team
We do not endorse buying more clothes just because there’s suddenly a snap in the air.
Not if you don’t need them.
Don’t let the billion dollar machine of seasonal commerce convince you that some new whalebone corduroy trousers are the newest thing you need to finally be happy in this life.
However….
Fall is our favorite time of year. In all ways really, but especially when it comes to getting dressed.
Crisp, autumn weather presents a wealth of opportunities to copiously layer, trot out cozy knit things, cover the bits of our bodies we don’t always love exposing (just being honest), and of course, continue our lifelong mission to dress like Meg Ryan in every 90s romcom.
And so, with that, we present to you our arduously curated collection of untrendy wardrobe staple pieces for fall that we have already bought, are planning to buy, or are actively lusting after.
We are especially thrilled to present the first look on the list which frankly might just be the quintessential fall outfit we’ve all been dreaming about but didn’t realize it. If you wanted to stop reading the rest of this article after witnessing it we won’t be hurt.
Let’s dive in.
1. This Cableknit Cardigan
Quince 100% Organic Cotton Oversized Cable Cardigan
If you’re the sort of person who “connects” with a certain swaddling sweater at the start of chilly season and wears it like a security blanket til spring, this one is entirely for you. This sweater is the stuff of fall fantasies. Luxe, thick, almost weighted for supreme comfort. But it’s also gorgeous over everything we wear. You can even see one of us wearing ours below.
See? It makes any outfit into a cozy uniform. We wear it over our favorite wide-leg jeans (more on those in a moment), and our comfort level reaches its peak, while we simultaneously get to look autumnal and chic.
Price: $70
2. These Flattering Wide-Leg Jeans That Feel Like Soft pajamas
Paige Anessa Crop Wide-Leg Jeans
Finding the perfect length, perfectly breathable, perfect fit-over-your-curves jeans is a task. One we usually hate. And frequently fail at. So when we discovered these jeans, first, we nearly cried from how perfectly they executed across all categories. And then, naturally, we lamented their price, because no, we don’t usually spend this much on jeans. BUT seen as they were worlds better than any jeans we’d tried on before, and we knew we’d get 17X the wear from them than any pair we currently owned, we made the investment (see above photo for proof). Bottom line: we have never regretted anything less. And should you try them on, we’d guess that neither will you.
Price: $225
3. These Sleek Suede Boots
Madewell The Drumgold Boot in Extended Calf
The rarity of finding a rich leather boot that’s luxe and gorgeous but also fits over your calf. This one also has the low heel for max wearability. And for the ladies not in need of a wide-calf, there’s a more fitted version HERE.
Price: $298
4. This Gorgeously Cozy Cashmere Cardigan
Quince Mongolian Cashmere Oversized Boyfriend Cardigan
You know that famous cashmere sweater that we all lust after that’s $495 so we would never buy it? Welp. We found one that is just as gorgeous and just as soft. Maybe we’re insane, but we’ve felt the OG sweater and this one might be…softer? The only difficult part is deciding on a color…
Price: $140
5. These Dreamily Drapey Wide-Leg Pants
Maeve The Avery Pleated Wide-Leg Trousers
Simply put, these are the most flattering, wearable wide-leg trousers in the world. And we tried a lot. A LOT a lot. They sell out almost instantly each season so whenever we see that they’re back in stock, we furiously add them to every article we write because they are so worth it. They come in other colors this season, though it’s difficult to imagine they could ever be better than in black. Keep scrolling to see their perfect drape.
Price: $148
6. This Chic Leopard Belt
J. Crew Factory Calf Hair Belt
Truly incredible how transformative a belt can be for an outfit. We sort of only recently realized this. And right now, we are transfixed by how much this leopard belt can ztuhj (zhuszj?) up every outfit we own. Also superb with jeans. And here one of us is wearing all 3 pieces above. Don’t yell at us about the pant length. Heading to the tailor shortly! Pro tip: getting your clothes tailored (hemmed at least) is incredibly affordable and makes all of your clothes look expensive.
Price: $29.50
7. These Wildly Comfy Ankle Boots
The most mindless bootie that elevates everything you pair it with. And you can walk 30 city blocks in them, no problem. This boot emerges every fall for about 3 weeks and then is sold out for the rest of the year. Pounce if they’re available.
Price: $150
8. This Denim Maxi Skirt
We The Free Come As You Are Denim Maxi Skirt
An ingenius alternative to wearing jeans every single day. A denim maxi can be styled any which way while keeping us warm and covered up and content. We love it with the tall boots we went on about earlier in this very article and a sliiiiightly cropped sweater like #12 on this list. We’ve long been seeking a long jean skirt that we can physically move in without there being some absurdly high slit that ruins the whole point of a maxi. And this, my friends, is the stretchy, flattering jean skirt of our dreams. It comes in all the blue shades you could want but also black and white and a few other select hues. Here’s how one of us we recently styled hers.
Price: $118
9. This Perfect, Perfect Trench
We only recently realized that we are trench people. Maybe it’s that we want to be French people and the trench is the fastest way to get us there. We actually wrote an opus about trenches HERE, but this classic one from Gap gives any expensive version a run for its money. Fling it over any old shlubby outfit, and it brings instant chicness. Yes, it might be a hair trendy but we’re sticking by our choice because a trench has been in style since the dawn of time. Timeless, one might call it.
Price: $134
10. These Incredibly Flattering Ankle Jeans
Levi’s Ribcage Straight Ankle Women's Jeans
We’ve heard people talk about these flattering jeans for ages. But Levi’s always felt like the cool girl jeans brand, made for size 0 girls with 3% body fat who were described as posessing “athletic builds.” We didn’t think us hips-and-a-butt girls had any business sniffing around them. But after reading article after article about how their high-stretch and high-waist was actually ideal for curves, we broke down.
Friends, they are perfect. See them on one of the aforementioned hips/butt girls below. The fit is a stretchy dream, and while we tried them with UGGs and favorite sweatshirt, they’re perfect with white sneaks (keep scrolling) and a striped (of course) tee.
Price: $98
11. These Sneaks That Have Ended Our Search For Chic White Sneaks
Dr. Scholl's Time Off Platform Sneaker
As promised, these are the white sneaks we made mention of before. But they’re not just any white sneakers. They are THE most comfortable walking sneakers while still looking somewhat fashiony. The platform gives you some height (bless) and the wide toe box means we can walk for miiiiiles without a whisper of soreness or pain. And fine. These ARE trendy. Sue us.
Price: $70
12. This Cashmere Crewneck We Need in Every Color
J. Crew Cashmere Cashmere Shrunken V-Neck Sweater
At first this just seems like a basic v-neck sweater. And then you see that it is cashmere and you notice the very, very good price for cashmere. Next, you notice the color, which is potentially the most beautiful pink shade any of us have ever seen and will, without question, make all of our faces look brighter, lighter, rosier, happier. But those are not actually the reasons why we chose this miraculous sweater. No. We chose it because of its incredible rare and perfect length. Nearly every sweater like this is oversized and therefore, when we want to wear it with jeans or high-waisted pants (scroll up) we find ourselves wondering what to do with all the extra fabric. Leave it untucked, and we look like an unmade bed. Tuck it, and we have all this unwelcome bulk around our hips. And no. We are not using a fucking hair band to tie our sweaters up in the back. Nor are we tucking them into our bras. Let’s get serious.
But this perfect, slllliiiiightly cropped length means it sits gorgeously right at the waist, right where it nips, with zero bulk anywhere. Even if you are self-conscious about your tummy, wearing a sweater this length with pants actually elongates your entire body. You’ll be amazed at how many pants and skirts you’ll wear this sweater with. We actually bought it in black at first and then had to go back for more.
And the softness…
Price: $138
13. This Most Perfect Column Skirt In Existence
This skirt won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and we have made our peace with that. But for the 37% of who who love it the way we love it, hi.
The wide waistband: ultra comfortable and wildly flattering. The ribbed knit: incredibly stretchy and easy to wear. The STRIPES: breathless. We’re throwing in a button below for the matching sweater for anyone who wants to go the distance with us.
Price: $175
14. This Only Button-Down You’ll Ever Need
The Bennet Buttondown Shirt by Maeve: Striped Edition
We have long been on a hunt for the very best, most crisp, most effortlessly well-fitting white button-down shirt in the world. We are not ashamed to tell you that we have now tried no fewer than 18 of them. 18! That’s commitment you guys. But this one is the hands-down the runaway winner. Crisp poplin, pert collar, washes great, incredible size range, and so easy to tuck and tie any which way. We love the stripe, but it comes in every solid under the sun.
Price: $98
15. This Whisper Soft Turtleneck
A supremely soft, layerable staple for fall. The piece we put under all our finest sweaters and blazers and oversized coats to look just a touch chicer than when we throw on yet another plain ol’ tee. Plus, it comes in every color, sizes up to 3x, and fits and feels like heaven. So a no brainer really. Oh and it’s on sale as we speak.
Price: $39.50
16. These Jeans That We Get Stopped On The Street To Be Asked About
Everlane The Way-High Sailor Jean
Yes, we have the other jeans on the list, but these are a new discovery and we had to shout it from the rooftops. While only shown on a pin-thin model, these jeans are MADE for curves. They have zero waist gap, are wide leg but in a tailored way, have a higher waist but one that doesn’t go up too crazily high, and their colorways feel like a classic pair of denim. We’ve been pairing it with Doc Marten boots and feeling quite tough. If jeans never fit you, try these jeans.
Price: $128
17. This Genius Knit Blazer We Layer Over Everything
Quince 100% Organic Cotton Knit Blazer
A blazer that feels like a cozy sweater? We’re in! Quince has such high quality clothing at almost bizarrely low prices, and this piece is no exception. It’s giving quiet luxury, no?
Price: $70
18. This Insanely Flattering Set We’ll Be Living In Until March
Spanx AirEssentials Half Zip and Wide Leg Pant
And finally, we leave you with something we’ve been on the hunt for for about 4 years straight: the perfect sweat set.
Must be cozy but not oversized and frumpy, must be so soft we could sleep in it, and must be as flattering as “real” clothes.
We are happy to say that after that endless journey, we found it in the form of this Spanx set. Yes! Spanx makes clothes! This set comes in many fall-centric colors and runs up to a 3X. Ahhhh. We can finally rest.
Price: $128 for the sweatshirt, $138 for the pants
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
We have to eat.
