Exactly How to Wear What’s Cool Right Now

You might not know it, but I’m manifesting something for you right now. It’s that you look so fucking good this fall. I want you to walk down the street and have at least five people ask you where you got your outfit and say, “I just had to stop you because you’re fabulous.” The way we’re going to accomplish this is by you reading this article, FYI. Because essentially what this is is a guide to wearing all of autumn’s coolest looks.

As we all know, today’s trends can be a flash in the pan, but I promise you, these ones are the ones with real staying power. These are the kinds of trends you can get multiple seasons or years out of, because they’re fun enough to stand out but still so classic.

Scroll on to dive into each trend category (clothing, shoes, bags, and jewelry) and—best part, IMO—shop them now so you can start wearing them stat.

Miu Miu jacket, shirts, skirt, gloves, bag, and shoes. 

The Bag Trends

Fall’s bag trends are the perfect blend of funky and functional. You’ve got more out-there moments, like statement-making east-west silhouettes, quirky add-ons, like bag charms, and bold leopard print. But then you also have wristlets (love any fashion that makes me hands-free!) and travel bags, which can literally fit your whole life inside.

I love that you can get in on these trends so easily (and inexpensively) with something simple, like a keychain that you can put on any purse you already own. Or with something small, like the wristlets (which, by the way, can also act like a bag charm, if you clip them onto a bigger bag’s handle—so meta!).

Excited about bag trends? You can read more about which purse styles are in right here. Or shop the trends below!

Shop fall’s coolest bag trends:

Freja Caroline Bag Espresso

The Clothing Trends

The standout overarching fashion trends for fall are so eye-catching. But probably the best thing about them is that you most likely own things already in your closet that can help you achieve these looks. I can’t wait to see you experimenting with color-blocked layering (as seen at the Miu Miu show in Milan), putting together an entire “office siren” look, wearing head-to-toe ’60s-inspired pieces, ski bunny details, or, fall’s enduring staple, leopard print.

The key to styling these trends is the commitment to the bit. Think of it almost as playing dress up and stepping into character. To wear the “office siren” aesthetic is to be a corporate girlie running late for her proposal presentation in a full early-2000s-esque suit. I need those Powerpoint pages in my inbox by 5 p.m., by the way.

Want to get a deeper understanding of each of our favorite clothing trends for fall? Read our fall 2024 clothing trends story. Or shop the trends below!

Shop fall’s coolest clothing trends:

Staud Sheila Sheath Dress

superdown Ryan Blazer Top

Gucci jacket, shorts, shoes, and necklace.

The Jewelry Trends

Jewelry is really out here pulling all our outfits together, and I think it needs more credit than it gets. Without jewelry, our weekend uniforms of white tees and jeans would look so plain! Jewelry is the easiest way to update all your staple apparel to feel more “now.”

Exhibit A: Without buying one more piece of clothing or a new bag or shoes, you could add sculptural metals, ’80s-style earrings, long pendants, bold colors, or pearls and instantly look like you are with it. The versatility! The creativity! It abounds.

Learn more about which jewelry trends you should grab hold of in fall 2024 right here. Or skip the details and just shop them below!

Shop fall’s coolest jewelry trends:

Roxanne Assoulin The Puffy Heart necklace

Heaven Mayhem Tower Earrings

The Shoe Trends

The one rule of this season’s shoe trends? The chunkier, more platform-y, the better. Add a stacked heel to any of the stand-out shoe looks for fall and it will instantly be cooler. So, prayers for all our ankles. Beyond sky-high platforms, our feet will be obsessed with paper-bag boots (slouchy boots’ quirkier, yet more refined big sister), square toes, biker silhouettes, and delicate pumps. Oh, yeah, and loafers are still having their moment.

If you’ve bought into the loafer, square toe, or slouchy hype before this season, those pieces are about to get even more wear, and I love that for you!

Now is the perfect time to read our fall 2024 shoe trends story, FYI. Or you can shop the trends below!

Shop fall’s coolest shoe trends:

Charles & Keith Davina Buckled Thigh-High Boots

Now 19% Off

For Love & Lemons Chateau Heel

Linea Paolo Malone Loafer Pump

Photographer: Ruben Chamorro. Digital creative director: Abby Silverman. Visual director: Scott Lacey. Model: Kitty Lever. Hair: Lilly Cantrall. Makeup: Joshua Hilario. Social posts shot on Apple iPhone.

Rachel Torgerson is the fashion features and lifestyle director at Cosmopolitan, overseeing fashion and lifestyle coverage online, in print, and on our various social media platforms. She has over a decade of experience in the fashion and media industries. Before landing at Cosmopolitan as a digital fashion editor in 2016, she worked at Us Weekly, The Knot, and Fitness Magazine, among others. When she’s not discussing runway trends, you can definitely catch her trying out (and, in many cases, failing) a new crochet cardigan pattern or in a spirited debate about the difference between the Bridgerton books vs the Netflix series. Follow her on Instagram and TikTok: @RachelTorgs