Neutral Fall Outfit Essentials to Complete Your Wardrobe

It’s beginning to look a lot like fall! <3

Just kidding…

Our leaves don’t usually turn until December lol! But we did find this beautiful “fall-looking” location completely by accident (more on that below). Since I’m not really a jeans-wearing kind of girl, my fall uniform during the weekends usually looks a little bit like this – a flowy maxi dress, boots, hat and crossbody bag. It’s still very feminine and romantic but in a cool California kind of way. Read on to see which neutral fall outfit essentials I can’t live without!

Neutral Fall Outfit Essentials to Complete Your Wardrobe

Outfit Details 

Le Contour Dress c/o (also seen in this post – similar here) | BedStu Boots (similar here and here) | Michael Kors Handbag (old – similar here) | Anthropologie Hat (old – similar here) 

Fun Fact: These photos were totally unplanned and were NOT going to be shared. My husband recently had some interest in taking fall photos for someone. They wanted a “fall-like” location but the problem is… it’s not exactly fall here lol! Sadly, there are no colorful leaves and the temperature is still over 100 degrees. We decided to check out one of our favorite hiking spots and just started taking photos in different areas to get a feel for what they would look like, essentially creating a mini portfolio to show. There’s a ton of photos where I’m not smiling because these were meant to be test shots to test the location, lighting, colors, angles, etc so I wasn’t in “model mode.” Most of these are just moments that were captured or me trying to be silly. I did all the editing myself and I couldn’t be more proud of how they came out! The golden hour sunlight was just magical! I had so much fun with this project and even though they don’t incorporate pretty florals or my signature pink outfits, I still think they have that dreamy and romantic vibe that I love so much. I hope you love them as much as I do! <3

Now onto my outfit! I typically dress up more than the average person but there are some days during the week when I like to be more casual. For some people, that means jeans and a tee but for me, it’s a maxi dress and boots. 😉 This outfit is very typical of what my casual fall uniform looks like and since each item pairs equally well with other things, I thought it would be fun to share my neutral fall outfit essentials with you!

Neutral Fall Outfit Essentials

Flowy White or Cream Maxi Dress

There is nothing better than a light-colored maxi dress! I have so many white and cream versions in my closet because they’re beautiful, go with everything, can be styled a million different ways for nearly every season and can be dressed up or dressed down easily. I think this is definitely an item that everyone should have in their wardrobe! It’s easy to throw on yet looks so polished. This dress in particular might look familiar because I styled it earlier this month as part of a dressier outfit.

Brown Lace Up Boots

It’s a given that boots are a fall staple but I specifically love lace up boots! While lace up boots aren’t essential, I do think they have a really nice old world, vintage charm about them and they dress down an outfit in the best kind of way. Plus they are much more unique than your typical riding boot (which I love as well!). I love boots of all lengths but I love wearing calf, knee high or over the knee boots with my flowy midi and maxi dresses. I also think that brown is the perfect neutral for pretty much any fall outfit or color combo, especially the rich deep dark brown that I’m wearing. Other styles and colors that I wear often in the fall are my cream, mauve, and burgundy ankle boots, my black over-the-knee boots and my black knee high lace up boots (the iconic Jeffrey Campbell Joe Boot from Free People that I stalked on Pinterest years ago!).

Wool or Felt Hat

So I almost got rid of this hat in my latest closet purge but I’m so glad I didn’t! I only kept FOUR out of my entire stash (which was a lot) – a mauve boater, a taupe rancher, a grey floppy hat and this taupe floppy hat (but I am on the hunt for one more light color). I think that wool hats are soooo chic and they look amazing paired with fall dresses, coats and sweater/jean combos. They add a bit of warmth and fashionable flair to any outfit. They are usually pretty affordable and come in a ton of gorgeous colors! I recommend sticking with a neutral color at first since it goes with pretty much everything.

Neutral Crossbody Bag

This is hands down my most worn handbag EVER. I bought it a few years ago on a whim while in South Carolina for my cousin’s army graduation and it’s been my go-to everyday bag since! I told myself that I would never own a Michael Kors handbag and here I am….not that I don’t like MK because I do but I don’t like to “jump on trends” and I don’t like items that are emblazoned with an abundance of flashy logos. But this is perfection! Simple, beautiful and effortlessly classy! It’s the perfect shade of mauve, a pinkish-nude that goes with literally EVERYTHING. I’ve worn it with both dressy and casual outfits and it compliments both beautifully. I love that it’s similar to my Gucci bag so it looks very luxe but it’s also much more attainable and better for everyday wear.

Plaid Throw or Scarf

Not really part of an outfit, but a fall must-have nonetheless 😉 I’ll be honest… I don’t have many scarfs at all but I do love a good blanket haha! I have sooo many because I’m one of those people that gets cold easily. We have few blankets of varying thicknesses located in a bin next to our sectional and I have an abundance in my car for things like impromptu picnics, an extra layer of warmth for when I’m hanging out outside and of course, to be used as protection when I’m changing in my car lol! With fall comes crisp, cool air and there’s nothing I love more than being snuggled up in a blanket, especially a small portable one that I can take with me wherever I go.

Hope you loved learning about my neutral fall outfit essentials! 

What are some of your fall essentials?

xo