The Updated Fall Basics Fashion People Will Wear in 2026

Boatneck tops, cashmere sweaters, knee-length skirts, straight-leg jeans, and more.

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Published In Buying Guides
Anna Porte wearing fall basics.
(Image credit: @anna.porte)
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At the end of April, I wrote about the best updated summer basics, from colorful tops to slip dresses. With fall almost here, I just curated a new list of the best ones for the season ahead.

While basics are meant to be timeless, certain styles are popular every year. For fall 2026 tops, that includes boatneck tops, button-down shirts, cashmere sweaters, double-layer T-shirts, high-V-neck T-shirts, long-sleeve white T-shirts, and royal purple tops.

For bottoms, there are capris; cropped, flared jeans; knee-length skirts; and straight-leg jeans. Trench coats are the outerwear of choice, and ballet flats and kitten-heel pumps are shoe staples.

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When it comes to specific brands to shop, all of our editors love the Amsterdam-based label Flore Flore. J.Crew and Gap are also go-tos, along with CDLP, Cou Cou Intimates, Deiji Studios, Leset, and Tank Air. Keep scrolling to shop all of the above for fall 2026.

Ballet Flats

Boatneck Tops

Button-Down Shirts

Capris

Cashmere Sweaters

Double-Layered T-Shirts

High-V-Neck Shirts

Kitten-Heel Pumps

Knee-Length Skirts

Long-Sleeve White T-Shirts

Royal Purple Tops

Straight-Leg Jeans

Trench Coats

Audry Hiaoui
Associate Shopping Editor

Audry Hiaoui is a writer based in New York. For Who What Wear, she specializes in emerging designers, independent labels, and brand discovery, as well as interviews both on and off camera. Her writing has appeared in AnOther, Wonderland, Office, Interview, Love, and i-D, among others, with multiple cover stories and features in print, and she has worked as an editorial producer for Vogue during fashion months. She holds a master's degree in journalism and documentary filmmaking from City, University of London, and has an extensive background in film, having worked for Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, and Vice UK as well as on various projects including documentaries and music videos and most recently as a writer's assistant on an upcoming HBO/A24 series.