Can you believe we’re nearly a month into Fall already? Time is going by so fast and yet so slow this year. Now that midterms are done, I wanted to share a few thoughts on the fall trends for this year! It’s a bit of a weird year to talk about trends and the “must-have” pieces, but I do still find myself wanting to look put together even if I’m primarily socializing via Zoom. After sharing the most recent fashion haul on Youtube, I feel like my closet is officially ready for the next few months. If you’re interested in the fall style trends, keep on reading!

Outfit Details: Zara top | J. Crew pants | Aldo heels | Chelsea28 blazer | Jenny Bird earrings | Uncommon James necklace

The 5 Fall Trends to Wear this Season

Leather

Recently on Instagram, I shared a peek into the cutest House of Harlow leather dress I picked up in collaboration with Wardrobe. Leather was on-trend last fall, and it has made its return for the second year in a row. This year, I notice there is much more variety and you aren’t only limited to finding a pair of leather pants. This material is very tricky to wear because of the limited amount of stretch, so find the clothing type that best fits your frame.

In addition to trying out the leather dress, I also picked up a pair of leather pants this season. I find leather pants to be the hardest version to wear if you’re legs have any kind of shape to them, but going up a size can help with this problem. Of course, you can also stick with the timeless option: a leather jacket.

Related: How to Style a Leather Jacket Year-Round

Chunky Boots

Everyone’s favorite thing to wear in the fall and winter months is a good pair of boots. There seems to be one style that increases in popularity each year, and this year it’s all about the chunky boot. Lace-up, chunky boots are a must-have this season. Depending on your overall style personality, this may not be the boot to splurge on. It’s cyclical in nature so it will come back in style every few years, but it is a less traditional boot when you think of fall style.

I tend to prefer a lace-free boot most years, but I do love the look of a chunky boot right now. Rather than spend a lot on a pair of boots for the season, I spotted a cute pair from Forever 21 that blends both the patent leather and laced up boots trends together. The easiest way to style a tough boot like this is to keep it casual with flannel and slim pants, but you can also mix it up and dress down your softer pieces. I’ve been styling my chunky boots with flowy daytime dresses over the past few weeks and love how it maximizes the wear I get out of those pieces.

Satin

This won’t be my first time referencing the ’00s, but this is yet another trend that reminds me of my time in high school. As we all know, fashion is cyclical. Remember when everyone was wearing silk camisoles paired with jeans? That subtle “lingerie but not really” trend has evolved since then and has since transformed into lace bodysuits and satin/slip dresses. The bodysuits were more prominent over the spring and summer months, but slip dresses and satin cowl-neck camis are still holding up for the fall season.

Honestly? I absolutely love this trend. I have yet to find the perfect slip dress, but I have indulged in the satin blazer and blouses in the meantime. I find them to be extremely flattering for people with smaller chests, and they can easily layer under a blazer or cardigan when the temperature drops later in the season.

Polished Prep

The preppy style instantly brings me back to high school life in the mid-’00s when “preppy” meant pink Polos and Abercrombie & Fitch branded clothes. To no one’s surprise, that was never my style. Fast forward to adult life, and I still don’t like what used to be the preppy style. This season, though, I’m a fan of what has evolved into a more polished prep look. Essentially, it’s filled with some of my favorite fall items: sweaters, collared shirts, blazers, and trousers. The key is in the tailoring and the color palette.

My version of prep is the outfit featured in today’s post. You can mix the colors around and swap my earth tones for cooler hues of gray or navy, but the basics are what pull the look together. This style is one of the easier trends to bring into the workplace, which is probably why I’m gravitating towards it these days. Socializing is still at a minimum for me, so much of the wardrobe I have right now is focused on versatile work attire. If you’re just starting out and you aren’t sure what you need to achieve this look, pick up either a tailored blazer or a semi-fitted sweater. Instead of pairing either with denim, opt for a tapered pant in a complementary color.

Exaggerated Sleeves

Sleeves are definitely the star of the show these days. Have you browsed a few online shops lately? Between one-shoulder bodysuits, bubble sleeve sweaters, and bell sleeve blouses, there’s plenty of variety to choose from. Depending on where you live, it may be too late in the season to comfortably wear one-shoulder tops. If that’s the case, I recommend shopping for the balloon sleeve sweaters.

Oftentimes, it can be a bit difficult to find the perfect sweater. The sleeves can be too short, the fabric can feel itchy, or it just isn’t flattering. I find a billowy sleeve to be more forgiving in terms of fit, especially upon wearing the sweater after it has been washed a few times.

Which fall trends do you plan on wearing this season?