The #1 Item to Buy for Fall and the 2 Items to Wear It With Starting Now
Shop the trend that'll elevate your fall outfits.
We love summer fashion just as much as the next person, but we have to admit the incoming fall trends have been too good to ignore. Even though it's still July, Tracee Ellis Ross seems to agree, as she was recently spotted in NYC wearing an outfit that subtly alluded to fall. On her way to an appearance on the set of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Ross opted to wear a plaid button-down shirt instead of a plain white one.
The rest of her look consisted of two items that provide the perfect styling idea to transition a plaid shirt from summer to fall: a pair of long shorts (hers in gray) and high-heel mule sandals. To accessorize, she wore black wraparound sunglasses and gold hoop earrings. Her look was chic, eye-catching, and definitely an early-fall uniform contender. Ellis Ross is always at the forefront of what's trending, so it's safe to predict that plaid button-downs will be one of the top fall trends of 2026—just like last fall.
If you're already thinking about fall outfits, keep scrolling to re-create this Ellis Ross–approved look and shop more plaid button-downs, long shorts, and mule heels.
How Tracee Ellis Ross Wears It
Get the Look
Shop More Plaid Shirts
Shop More Long Shorts
Shop More Mule Heels
Kerane Marcellus is a New York-based writer. She joined the Who What Wear team in 2025 after writing for Essence Magazine and freelancing for a number of other arts and culture publications. Fashion is a form of expression that she encourages everyone to take part in. There is no right or wrong in getting dressed! When she's not writing, she's reading in the park or gallery hopping in the city.