19 Essentials for Your Fall Capsule Wardrobe 2026

I am really excited about this post today! I have started to think about what I want my fall wardrobe to look like and I kept coming back to a very traditional Ralph Lauren esq style with rich navy, hunter green and burgundy.. It all feels very nostalgic to me for some reason, but I am really drawn to all of these colors this season. Which really shouldn’t surprise anyone because these colors scream classic fall. The color burgundy is new to me. It’s just never been my color, but I am seeing it everywhere this year (wrote a whole post about this color!) and I love it. Especially when it is mixed with navy and hunter green- so classic!

And I love the idea of a capsule wardrobe. I realized over the summer that I was wearing a small capsule wardrobe without me really sitting down to create one (read it here if you are interested!). I was reaching for the same pieces week after week and mixing and matching them. This made getting dressed so much easier and more fun. I had outfit formulas that I came back to and that worked for my lifestyle.

So naturally I want to do this for my fall wardrobe as well. I did incorporate some of my favorite pieces from last year and of course I have bought some new items too. I just can’t help myself- I really do love to shop! I’m also going to try and make a promise to myself that I will keep my shopping to a minimum this season. I want to feel good about what I own and that I have multiple ways I can wear the items I own which is why a capsule wardrobe is so good.

Let’s get into the 19 essentials to create your fall capsule wardrobe this year!

Fall Capsule Wardrobe

Sweaters

I am a huge lover of sweaters especially this time of year. My go to sweater this season is going to be this rollneck sweater that I got in navy. I love the oversized fit of it and the classic details of it. In my cart, I have the ivory version of it as well. I just grabbed this sweater from the Gap in burgundy and this is another one that I know I will wear a ton. Burgundy is still a new color for me so I am easing into it for now and going the more affordable route here. Marea makes the absolute best sweaters and I had to have this hunter green striped sweater when it first came out. It sold out so quickly so I’m sure they have a re-stock planned. The color is beyond gorgeous in person!

Shirts & T-shirts

AYR button downs are a year round staple for me but especially in my fall capsule wardrobe. I would say white is my most worn, followed by light blue and the lighter denim. Yes, I own three of the same shirt because they are just so good! I cannot sing their praises enough. I wear these on their own, tucked in, one side tucked in or fully out. And I also like to wear these under sweaters when the weather cools down because it keeps me warm.

My go to t-shirt is this one by Madewell. It is cropped but not too short and hits me right at my hip bones, which is a great length. They are lightweight and great to wear on their own or under a sweater. I wore these all summer long and just purchased my third one because I am always wearing them when they are clean.

Jeans & Pants

I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect pair of denim this season and I found this pair and absolutely love them. I’ve been reaching for them a lot lately because I love the looser yet still polished fit of them. They are also the perfect wash. Not too light but not too dark either. A great in between color. And you better believe I will be wearing my favorite white jeans this fall season too. I live for a white jean in the fall. It really makes all of these darker colors really pop. This pair is super comfy and hits at the perfect length.

I also bought these corduroy pants as part of my fall capsule wardrobe and I am really excited to wear them. Fun pants are all the rage right now and these corduroy ones feel very fall to me. They are a favorite style that I own in a pink/lavender color from the spring. This style runs very big, I had to size down to an xs. My mom bought them too and also had to size down as well. These are a great pant to have because they will easily match back to all of my sweaters and they can be dressed up if I need to in a pinch (but still feel comfy!).

Shoes

Shoes is a great place to invest in for any season. The change of a shoe can really change your any outfit up significantly. This season I am really trying to build out my flats collection. They are what I know I will be reaching for the most. In the spring I bought these flats in the color Amaretto suede and absolutely love them. They are sleek and very comfortable and make your foot look elongated. The plan has always been to add new colors and this season, I would love to add the Chocolate suede.

Last year, I bought these Mary Jane style flats and lived in them. They are so comfortable they feel like I am wearing sneakers. So when I saw them in my color this season, I had to order them. I especially think this color will be super fun for the holidays!

And I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect navy flat and I found it in this pair. I think they look so chic! Fingers crossed I can find a sale on these soon, so I holding out a bit but I will be buying these at some point this season. I am always very pleased with any pair of shoes that I buy from this brand.

Outerwear

Outerwear is where I really struggle. To me, a jacket needs to be warm and I want it to go with a lot of my outfits. This jacket is exactly what I have been on the hunt for. It’s the perfect color and I love that it can be more casual or even dressed up. I would wear this with leggings and sneakers and also with jeans out to dinner. I did order it so I am hoping it is as good as it looks online (I have a feeling it will be!). And I really hope it is warm because that is really important to me.

Accessories

Accessories is the fun part of getting dressed! I have a feeling we are going to see triangle scarves all over this season. And I have my eye on this one that is a good price point. And this smaller fun burgundy one as well. I’ve already been wearing this necklace this month. It’s a great way to start feeling more fall forward even when it is still really hot out. I love a good baseball hat and these ones from Ralph Lauren are the best. This green one really caught my eye for this season. It can be mixed and matched with everything from this fall capsule wardrobe.

And as far as bags go, I plan on carrying my brown woven tote that I got last year. I love the style of it plus it fits everything I need. If I were to buy a new bag this season, I would buy this one! And this little makeup case is on my wish list so maybe I will get it for my birthday?! We will see. I’ve seen it carried as a clutch and I think it is so chic. I would also use it in my tote bags to carry all the mom things like hand sanitizer, wipes, band aides, etc. Over the summer I carried this clutch all the time out to dinner and loved how chic it make me feel. This is a great replacement for that clutch for fall.

Other Items I’m Buying or Re-wearing

These items are the bulk of my wardrobe this season, but here are a few other things I have my eye or that would incorporate seamlessly into these looks. Or items I own from last season that I plan on wearing again this year.

Amazon makes the best leggings so I am going to add these in burgundy.
J.Crew makes some of my favorite sweaters so I had to add this rollneck reversable cardigan sweater in green. Love that this one feels a little dressier that I can add with a dressier pant if the event calls for that. My daughter is starting kindergarten this year and I have a feeling lots of events are going to pop up on my calendar and I want to make sure I have a variety of items in my closet I can mix and match, dressier or more casual. This one is also reversible so you get two looks for one.
Will be wearing my Madewell penny loafers again this year!
I’ve been on the hunt for a pair of navy and white sneakers and just found these that I love. I am also going to wear my brown Adidas. I also love this burgundy pair (I already own way too many colors of this sneaker or else I would buy them).
For dressier events, I bought this Boden lace blouse in ivory. Isn’t it gorgeous?!
Another fun pair of pants I own from the spring are these navy satin pants. They look great with a sweater for a dressier event.
This sweater is classic and absolutely gorgeous and I can’t wait to wear it more this season.
On my birthday wish list this year is this Guest in Residence triangle scarf.
I really want to add a nicer sweatsuit that I can wear on the weekends to sporting events or to run errands in. I have my eye on this sweatshirt with matching joggers in navy.