7 Elegant Yet Fresh Basics I'm Buying Now and Wearing Through Autumn

They may not be the most fun thing to shop for, but basics are truly the backbone of a wardrobe. They're the pieces you'll wear the most, no matter the time of year or occasion. When a new season is approaching, the wardrobe-related activity I do first is take stock of my basics and make a list of what I want to replace and add to my collection. Despite how useful they are, the fact of the matter is that basics are inherently boring, so I'm here to talk about trendy basics.

Trendy basics are those items that work with lots of different outfits and that you'll still get tons of wear out of, but they look current and fresh. That said, they aren't items that'll go out of style after one season. They have longevity.

As we approach that transitional time of year, I'm shopping for a few trendy basics that I can wear now and throughout the fall season—think light jackets, denim, and dresses. This well-edited assortment of seven standout items is sure to see you through many upcoming occasions, so you can thank me later.

On that note, keep scrolling to shop seven trendy basics I'm buying this season and recommend you do too.

Shop the Trendy and Elegant Basics I'm Buying This Season:

1. Elevated Denim Skirts

Woman wearing a denim pencil skirt.

(Image credit: @sylviemus_)

Style Notes: Instead of denim miniskirts, I'm shopping for elevated styles like dark-wash pencil skirts and flared midi skirts.

Shop Elevated Denim Skirts:

2. Barn Jackets

Woman wearing a barn jacket and jeans in NYC.

(Image credit: @lucywilliams02)

Style Notes: Light jackets always perplex me, but this season, I'm putting a no-brainer barn jacket—the ultimate casual, lightweight jacket—on my wish list.

Shop Barn Jackets:

3. Leopard-Print Shoes

Woman wearing jeans and leopard-print heels.

(Image credit: @anoukyve)

Style Notes: Leopard print is set to be huge this autumn. I'm getting a head start by shopping for a chic pair of leopard-print shoes, which are surprisingly versatile.

Shop Leopard-Print Shoes:

4. Bubble Skirts

Woman wearing a white bubble miniskirt.

(Image credit: @claire_most)

Style Notes: Bubble skirts are definitely one of the trendier items on this list, but I think this is one that's going to stick around for a while.

Shop Bubble Skirts:

5. Boat Shoes

Woman wearing a striped sweater and Miu Miu boat shoes.

(Image credit: @annabelrosendahl)

Style Notes: In case you haven't heard, boat shoes are here to dethrone loafers, initiated by the viral Miu Miu pair that's sold out everywhere. Luckily, there are plenty of other brands making chic boat shoes.

Shop Boat Shoes:

6. Burgundy Bags

Woman wearing a trench coat and jeans in Paris.

(Image credit: @slipintostyle)

Style Notes: Not all basics fall under the category of clothing like tees, jeans, jackets, etc. Accessories such as handbags can also be classified as basics, and the bag trend I have my eye on for autumn is burgundy bags, which I'll be wearing instead of black ones.

Shop Burgundy Bags:

7. Polo Jumpers

Olivia Perez wearing a camel sweater and cream skirt.

(Image credit: @livvperez)

Style Notes: Polo necklines have been everywhere this year, and you can expect the style to transition to autumn in the form of jumpers.

Shop Polo Jumpers:

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor forBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing . She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories forBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing . Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.