When building your fall wardrobe layer by layer, you begin by establishing a solid foundation of classic garments, shoes and accessories that are high-quality and versatile. Next, you add in unique garments, shoes and accessories— pieces that add contrast and visual interest to your outfits. All together, this will make up the bulk of your wardrobe. Finally, you might want to add in additional optional layers that are focused on things specific to your lifestyle.

If you have not already sorted through and prepped your wardrobe, read my last post!

Cardigan (I sized down one size) | Earrings | Necklace | Jeans (I sized down one size) | Shoes (tts)

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Fall Wardrobe Layers

Layer 1: Classic Garments

• Neutral garments in classic cuts made of high-quality materials.
• Investment pieces that will last for years in your wardrobe.

Examples:

Sweater Blazer (I sized down one size) | Denim Jacket | Green Jacket | Black Shirt | Tan Sweater (this year’s version) | White Jeans | Blue Jeans (I sized down one size) | Black Jeans (I sized down one size) | White Shirt (use code: MICHELLE TOMCZAK for $25 off of your purchase)

Layer 2: Classic Shoes & Accessories

• Neutral shoes, hats, scarfs, jewelry, belts, and bags.
• Items made of high-quality materials, in classic shapes that will last in your wardrobe for years.

Examples:

Cognac Tote Bag | White Sneakers | Gold Hoop Earrings | Cognac Belt | Black Belt (old from TopShop – similar) | Tan Fedora | Necklace | Baseball Cap | Woven Mules (size up 1/2 size) | Black Boots (old from Matisse – similar) | Mary Jane Shoes (sold in whole sizes only so I sized down 1/2 size) | Bracelet | Tan Crossbody Bag

Layer 3: Statement Garments

• Items with unique element(s) (colors, prints, textures, cuts, detailing) that add contrast and visual interest to outfits.
• Statement or trend pieces that will might last for a shorter time in your wardrobe.

If you’re someone who sticks pretty close to solids and neutral colors, you can stay in your color comfort zone, in this layer, to keep things true to you. However, you can experiment with texture, neutral prints, detailing (i.e. pleats, smocking, etc.), and different cuts (i.e. cropped, puffy sleeves, wide-leg pants, etc.) to add interesting statement pieces to your wardrobe.

Examples:

Red Blouse (old from Target) | Small Floral Blouse (old from Old Navy) | Gingham Blouse | Black and Tan Floral Blouse (old from H&M) | Bing Sweatshirt | Pleated Jeans (old from Agolde) | Ripped Mom Jeans (same style in a newer wash) | Rainbow Cardigan Sweater | Red Blazer (old from Jenni Kayne – similar)

Layer 4: Statement Shoes & Accessories

• Shoes, hats, scarfs, jewelry, belts, and bags that are made of interesting shapes, prints, colors, and textures.
• Statement pieces that might last for a shorter time in your wardrobe.

This will probably be a small layer for a lot of us, and again if you prefer neutrals and solids, then here you could try out different textures and styles in neutral colors instead of adding colorful items to your wardrobe.

Examples:

Sneak Print Flats (old from Target) | Baseball Cap (same hat in a similar color) | Cheetah Print Mules | Blue Bag (old from Joy Gryson) | Checkered Sneakers | Green Bag (same style in a different color) | Red Bag (old from ABLE – similar)

Layer 5: Optional Add-On Layers

• Optional lifestyle-based collections including garments, shoes and accessories.
• Category collections: workout items, pajamas, cold weather items, or swimwear.

My layer five workout collection:

Examples:

Black Leggings | Tan & Blue Leggings (old – similar from the same brand) | Burgandy Leggings | Green Printed Leggings (old – same style in a similar solid color) | Orange Crop | Teal Bra (old) | Tanks/shirts are all old Nike | Black Shorts | Green Shorts | Black Hoodie (old – similar) | Both pairs of sneakers are old Nikes (similar black) | Apple Watch | Hair Tie

I hope this gives you a good understanding of how to organize your fall items into each layer of my buildable wardrobe strategy. If compared, all of our personal layers will probably look somewhat different because we all have our own perspectives.

Maybe you see all solid, muted tones more as basic pieces and almost neutral so you put them in with your classics. Maybe you see leopard prints as neutrals that will last for years, so you put them in with your classics. Or, maybe you don’t even need one of the layers.

The photos above show how I have organized mine, but yours does not have to look exactly the same. The idea is to separate what is neutral, versatile, and long-standing from detailed trend and unique pieces that make more of a statement. There are some items that you could make a case for either way, so it’s up to you to pick which layer works for you. It might be helpful if you look at the bulk of what you have in each category to see where you think items that you are unsure about belong.

Up next, I will go more in-depth into each layer, one post at a time! I will show you additional items I have included in each layer, where I tend to shop for different types of clothing, and I will share some outfit ideas!

***This post was originally published on August 19, 2020 and was updated on September 4, 2021.***