Most worn this fall - 2016 · Randi with an i

I have always loved fall. Growing up in Michigan meant that the start of fall signaled a host of my favorite things: color tours, cider mill visits, football tailgates, pumpkin carving, birthday celebrations and — of course — sweater shopping.

Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons to dress and shop for. Cooler temps let you layer, and I feel like you can get way more use of out of your wardrobe when you can pair the same pieces in different ways.

I recently read “The Curated Closet” by Anuschka Rees, and I would definitely recommend it. Anuschka has a lot of great advice about shopping for a collective wardrobe, not just individual pieces. I already do a lot of what she suggested, but it was really nice to have affirmation that I’m forming good shopping habits.

The older I get, the more I find myself knowing exactly what I like, and choosing quality over quantity. It’s not really a secret that I like keeping track of what I wear and how often I wear it. I think it’s really useful to take a step back every so often to analyze what I wear season-to-season. This lets me see what pieces have inadvertently become outfit staples that can — and should — be upgraded to a higher quality.

So, it was cool to look at the pieces I wore the most this fall, and compare them to what I wore last fall.

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Puffer vest. I finally broke down and bought the J. Crew Excursion vest in navy blue during a sale. It was still a little pricey, but I’ve actually gotten way more use out of it than I thought I would. It’s surprisingly warm!
Wool blazer. A gray blazer had been on my “want” list forever, and I finally caved and picked up this one from J. Crew a few weeks ago. I was sold on the colorful lining. It was really easy to slide this piece into my workwear wardrobe.
Penny loafers. I bought these in a beautiful mahogany leather. They’re really great for those early fall days when you just want to ditch the sandals, but it isn’t quite boot weather yet. The color on these is great, and I feel like they’ll only get more beautiful with wear.
L.L. Bean flannel. In my opinion, Bean makes the absolute best flannels. They’re thick, soft, warm and comfortable. Every time a new pattern makes it to the site, I snatch it up. There’s a reason these things go on backorder so early! They’re definitely worth the money.
Chambray button-up. I feel like this will top the most worn of any most worn list I ever make, and for good reason. It goes with just about everything and is my default go-to top.
Rose gold and leather watch. This was a birthday gift from Mando, and it goes seamlessly with just about everything I wear.
Fisherman sweater. I love my classics, and this one definitely qualifies. This sweater is really stiff, but the cut and length make it great for layering over flannels. I like pairing it either simply with jeans and boots, or dressing it up with a skater skirt and tights.
Barbour jacket. This was on last year’s list! I do believe I wrote — word for word — “I’m already looking forward to keeping this thing in my closet for the next several decades,” so it looks like I’m off to a great start!
Puffer jacket. I finally caved and bought a fun bright red Nano Puff from Patagonia at Mando’s insistence. He swears by his, so I grabbed one when they were on sale during the off season. These jackets are lightweight and super warm, so they’re great to pull on for a quick trip outside or a fast errand.
Gingham shirt. You can never go wrong with a good gingham shirt! I have this J. Crew boyfriend shirt in a few colors. They’re great for either wearing alone or under sweaters, and they have a simple cut that is very forgiving… so pass along another piece of pie, please!
Gray v-neck sweater. When I accepted my first big kid job after undergrad, my mom took me on a workwear shopping spree as a congratulatory present. We went to The Limited, which is a favorite store of both of us. The store was running a “spend x-amount, get x-percentage off” promotion, and I was just short of reaching that “x-amount,” so I spontaneously grabbed a thin gray sweater to meet that minimum. The Limited doesn’t carry the exact sweater anymore which is unfortunate, but this was one of the best impromptu pieces I’ve bought in the past. It’s thin so it’s great for fall, but is still soft. I really, really wish I could link the exact piece!
Riding boots. I bought these riding boots in a simple cognac leather color a few years ago, and — a resoling and a few polishes later — they’re still proving to be worth every penny.