The best thing about starting a new season (especially fall) is wearing the clothing that you haven’t worn in six months to a year. You get much of the excitement of new clothing, but none of the price tag or credit card bill. Contrary to what you may read, you don’t have to buy a new wardrobe or even key wardrobe pieces each time the foliage changes.

Articles like Five Must-Have Items For Fall 20xx always make me smile because I’m a bit of a fortune teller (and so are you, for that matter). I can guess many of the items that you’ll see on that list: booties, cozy sweaters, scarves, cardigans, hats, leather gloves, oversized jackets, and classic denim; the same key pieces come back “in” again each season.

Keeping this knowledge in mind, I’ve focused on building a wardrobe around these common fall basics (like this Phillip Lim for Target sweater – check out how I styled it two years ago here) and then I add a new item or two to freshen up or replace older items.

This year I’ve added these Lou & Grey pants; I’ve been walking around like a weirdo making people feel them because they are so darn soft. My family just got a new baby French Bulldog (look at this face!) and the best way that I can describe the texture of these pants is they feel like her puppy fur. Is that weird? Maybe, but that's the best way I can describe how soft these pants are. If you’re unfamiliar with LOFT’s Lou & Grey line, the entire in-house label is designed based on comfort (think cozy fabrics, soft knits, oversized t-shirts, everyday sweatshirts, and baby French Bulldog pants).