I'm a Stylist— 7 Basics I Always Buy at This Time of Year

You might think working in fashion means a closet full of extravagant clothes waiting at home. Feathers getting tangled up in sequins and elegant dresses for last-minute soirées hanging effortlessly next to vintage designer gems. Well, I’m sure some fashion insiders’ wardrobes are like that, but as a stylist of almost 10 years, I can tell you that mine is almost the opposite. Having seen so many trends and cult items come and go, I always seem to revert to the classics—basic items that can be layered together year after year, albeit in stylish and sometimes new ways to create outfits that you can always rely on.

I wear this Arket blazer so much, year after year. 

At the beginning of the season especially, you won’t often find me shopping for loud or statement pieces. I usually take this opportunity to take stock of what I already have and what might be the most useful pieces to update or invest in to make my existing wardrobe work as hard as possible throughout the coming months. In autumn, that mostly involves topping up on layering items, refreshing crisp white shirts and surveying which key coat or boot style I might be missing. Although these items might not be the most exciting purchases, in the past, I’ve found that even just a few simple buys like this can really make the rest of your wardrobe feel much less tired as well. 

Keep scrolling, then, and you’ll find a helpful edit of the basic autumn pieces a fashion editor actually buys at this time of year. From knits to blazers, these are without doubt the most useful items you could invest in for the season ahead…

1. Blazer

2. Shirting

3. Jeans

4. Boots

5. Useful Layers

6. Knitwear

7. Coat

Up Next: I'm an Editor—This Is Where I Secretly Shop for the Best Leather Pieces

This post was previously published and has since been updated.