Keyword – elevated fall wardrobe basics
Fall season is here and if you are wondering how to update your looks this season, then checkout all the elevated fall wardrobe basics you need. These basics will not only make your fall wardrobe versatile, but they will also refresh your fall outfits and give you a modern look.
These are not trendy pieces of clothing. They are purely basics that women ignore for some reason which are way better to wear and style your outfits around.
But before we jump in.
9 Best Work Wear Jackets
Basics vs Elevated Basics
If you are wondering if what is even elevated basics? Aren’t they all the same thing, then this section is helpful for you.
Basics are clothing items that can be worn with other pieces easily. You don’t have to put a lot of thought into styling these pieces. They go well with most colors and can be worn anytime.
A basic white tshirt would be considered basic. Even a black one. But it could be a V neck, crewneck, scoop neck or even square neck style. And not all of them will elevate your everyday style and make you look more polished and sophisticated.
And that is pretty much the definition of elevated basics. These pieces are still versatile and can be worn with different clothing items. But they make your outfit much more stylish than just basics.
So, in the case of tshirts, an elevated basic would be a crew neck with piping stitching around the neck that would be considered an elevated basic. Instead of a V neck white tshirt.
So, its important that you look at these basics in a lens of whether these just compliment your outfits or enhance them.
But you don’t have to worry about it because I am listing the best elevated basics for fall season in this post.
Elevated Basic Tops
Mock Neck Top
Fall season is long sleeves season and its a great time to add some coverage around the neck. Crew neck tops look really basic and not so stylish. But a mock neck top instantly adds some sophistication to your outfit even if you are wearing a casual one.
You can easily wear this with jeans or tailored pants and switch the look completely.
I love a good mock neck, its not really a turtleneck which has a lot of neck fabric, but it’s also not a basic crew neck, that I find really boring in a long sleeve top.
In terms of colors to pick, you can go with the basic shades, or have fun with a certain color that you have picked in the fall capsule.
If you haven’t picked out a plan, go for the classy fall capsule plan which will help with building a stylish and sophisticated fall wardrobe.
Silk Tank Top
Tank tops are life saver for cold weather when we are wearing a million layers. But your basic jersey tank top does not look polished. But if you wear a silk tank top instead, it looks much more polished and sophisticated.
The shine of the silk balances any matte woolen clothes you are wearing. And brings a luxe touch to your outfit.
Silk is a great fabric choice for the cold season as well. It’s not as breathable as cotton, hence you will feel more comfortable.
The tank top would be a great basic layer and can be worn with any style of bottom.
I feel like a silk tank is an excellent alternative to the basic jersey tank top that looks very laid back and casual. Now, this is not the same as silk camisoles, which are not basics in my opinion because you can’t wear them everywhere.
Collared Sweater
Collared sweaters are excellent alternatives to basic crew neck sweaters. The collar detail instantly elevates your outfit. And makes you look smart and put together. Even if you are wearing casual bottoms you can always elevate it with collared sweaters.
You can either pick a short sleeve collared sweater and add more layers to it. Or you can wear a long sleeve one that you can wear till winter season.
And if you can find ones with button detail, they just look even more stylish and elevated vs the zipped ones.
They add a subtle elegance and put together a look to your outfit. It feels like the sweater was well designed and looks classy.
Relaxed Buttoned Cardigan
I am absolutely in love with this style of cardigans. They are not your 90s cardigan which was see through and felt second to skin. You know what I am talking about. These cardigans are much more stylish.
I love that they have more detailed buttons, either with gold buttons or much more detailed style. This detail makes the cardigan look fancier than your basic wood button cardigans.
And being relaxed fit, they look more polished and not tacky at all. If you haven’t picked one yet, I highly recommend this style of cardigan. You can wear it as a top with jeans or with skirts for a fun yet stylish take on top and bottom look in the fall weather.
I have found these cardigans versatile where I can layer them over basic tops and elevate the look. Or I can wear it as a top and instantly look put together effortlessly.
Elevated Basic Bottoms
Wide Leg Jeans
If you haven’t tried them, its high time to wear them in fall and winter. They are way more comfortable with boots and you can also wear tall boots with them. How wild is that.
And even if they are jeans, in the wide leg style they look really polished and sophisticated.
And this is crazy theory, but I feel like women who wear wide leg jeans look younger in their outfits instead of women who wear skinny jeans.
Its because this style looks modern and updated. And even if you don’t have the skinny model body, you look put together.
While black jeans might become your go to, I would recommend going for dark wash jeans and white wide leg jeans.
These shades look refreshing and more polished than plain black wide leg jeans. But if you need black, you can pick the next elevated basic for that shade.
Tailored Wide Leg Pants
These are trending this year, but they are not trends at all. If you already own a pair then you don’t need to buy one for fall. Just keep on wearing it till the temperature drops.
Tailored pants in wide leg style just have a classy lady vibe that you can’t ignore.
The key is to focus on the fit here. I would not recommend anything that hugs your lower waist too tight.
Then that looks smaller for your body. So, go for an upper size so your lower waist looks smooth and polished. You can always add a belt if the waist is too loose.
The same goes for your thighs, pay attention that the wide leg style is not too fitted in the thighs.This again looks tacky.
In terms of colors, stick to basic shades like black, navy that you can wear with different tops in your wardrobe.
But if you already own that, then you can pick a shade that goes with the rest of your fall wardrobe so you can get a lot of wear out of it.
Flowy Maxi Skirts
Maxi skirts look way better than midi skirts and we all can agree on this unanimously. They elongate your frame and add elegance to any outfit. And we have seen a lot of these in 2024. While this could be considered as a trend, there are some classic timeless styles that you can keep wearing as basics for years to come.
And these are flowy maxi skirts. You can either pick them in cotton, silk or wool blend ones. You do not need to wear maxi skirts that cover your legs, but styles that show ankles would be a great alternative.
This way you can show the pretty fall footwear you are wearing.
These full length skirts look really classy and elegant. And you can again wear them with sweaters, tops or cardigans.
Elevated Basic Outerwear
Tailored Long Coat
You should already own a tailored long coat. And when I say long its not your mid length coats. They are outdated and does not look good with anything other than skinny jeans.
I am talking about long coats that would fall around your ankles. Invest in one good black long coat. And as you can save money invest in a white one.
Trust me, they last a lifetime and will elevate all your cold weather outfits. In terms of style of long coat, picking a double breasted style with collar details will make your outfits polished instead of a relaxed oversized one.
You can always size up to get a better fit. This is a trick I do with all my coats, so I can wear them even with thick knitwear.
I recommend Mango as a brand for these coats. They have really high quality pieces at a budget friendly price point.
Collared Knit Jacket
Love wearing denim jackets, well you will love these knitted collared jackets even more. They are an excellent denim jacket alternative that will elevate you everyday casual outfits.
And you don’t need to just wear them with jeans, you can also wear them with tailored pants to create an elevated casual look.
You can pick them in basic shades or go bold with a colored option to refresh and modernize your fall outfits.
I love these knit jackets that are perfect for transitional weather. I can layer them on tshirts to create a classy and sophisticated look.
These jackets are also not too long, so they literally look like a better version of your casual denim jacket.
