Fall Fashion Must-Haves

Michael Kors Leather Jacket - Currently in stores for $450

Yes, I do realize I advised in my last Closet Goddess blog entry that it was too early to go shopping for Fall clothes because trends are not yet fully established and you want to wait and see which runway trends actually stick before you buy.  However, somebody's got to do the dirty job of getting out there and testing the waters, so it may as well be me.

The good news is that in the course of this weekend's mall excursion I gathered some good intel to share--particularly as it pertains to key season must-have accessories. The focus here are investment pieces--the items you'll be wearing frequently, if not every day, and get good mileage out of during the coming months.

If you are anything like me, you don't have unlimited funds to spend on threads, so your best bet is to pick what  you want to be your neutral color scheme early on in the season and plan to buy your "anchor" pieces in these hues--so that later on you can build the rest of your wardrobe and color accent pieces around them. My own neutral foundation choice this season is the combination of gray and fawn. With that said, let me show you what I am building upon, most of which I found over this weekend:

A Kick-Ass Leather Jacket
After looking around for a while for the next addition to my outerwear collection, I went with this fawn-hued leather beaut from Michael Kors. She's hooded, zippered, and fitted just right to make me look like a fashionable badass on my free time. As you shop for outerwear, look for the details--such as the stitching, buttons, lining, etc.--they make all the difference! In this case the quilted shoulder and cuff details  along with the oh-so-luxe gold hardware were what had me at hello.

It's all in the details when it comes to outerwear

Suede Platform Booties
The high heeled platform bootie is the season's hottest footwear trend. My pick is the "Lesly" bootie from Michael Kors--they come in several colors and finishes (suede, leather or reptile), and are basic enough in design to go with just about everything in your closet, from skinny jeans to opaque tights and pencil skirts.

Michael Kors "Lesly" booties, currently in stores for $220

A Touch of Fur
Please, make sure it's faux fur. I realize this directive is in conflict with the last two items I just highlighted, both made of leather-- but leather usually comes from cows, and we eat cows. We don't eat fox or mink--and to kill one for its fur alone is downright wrong. In this vein, a faux fur vest is what first comes to mind as a go-to trendy piece this season...but a scarf is the most versatile if you're looking to have something that you can wear in cold weather with a coat, or in milder weather as means to add visual interest to a sweater.

MK faux fur scarf currently in stores for only $59.50 (it's also available in a minky brown!)

Wrist Candy 

So this post so far has been biased in favor of Michel Kors' merchandise, but how can you blame me when the stuff is so affordable and so hot?  These days MK is the girl-on-a-budget's version of Burberry. More so, a watch is an accessory you wear just about every day, so why not pick one you love? I've had my eye on this MK tortoise and gold tone watch for a while...Right in line with my "anchor" color scheme, it's bound to take me far into the Fall season, if not all the way through the Winter.

My watch pick this season, an MK tortoise design currently in stores for $250. The multi-toned metal cuff bracelet and starburst stud earrings are from The Limited, both under $40

A Classic Handbag with all the Bells and Whistles 
In all truth, I jumped on this Louis Vuitton handbag when I visited Boston last month--and it pretty much determined what my Fall wardrobe was going to be built upon--i.e., shades of brown. A luxury handbag may be expensive, but when you consider that you'll be wearing it every day straight for a few months and do the math as to what the cost-per-day boils down to, chances are it's cheaper than the average blazer or designer jeans you're only wearing once every couple of weeks. So go ahead and splurge guiltlessly.

 This handbag currently in LV stores, retailing for about $1,500. The matching wallet is $600, and  the flower clip- on charm is about $500

Cool Sunglasses
Just like a watch and a handbag, chances are your sunglasses will be an everyday item. I personally dig aviator style shades--they look good on most face shapes and have a bitchy badass cool look to them. Again, MK is my choice this season for aviators--so crazy affordable and stylish all at once.

MK aviators, a bargain for $99 -- Currently in stores

What colors and wardrobe pieces do you plan to make your anchors this season?