6 Classic Pieces for Fall That Go from Work to Weekend

navy sloan pants fall workwear business casual outfit

This is another one of those outfits comprised of all basic pieces, but the mix of patterns and layering of textures keep it from being boring! Each one of these pieces (some very old) are versatile staples for both work and casual wear, so I’d highly recommend similar items for any fall wardrobe:

camel brown blazer plaid scarf fall work outfit idea

1. Camel brown blazer: Classic with a hint of prep, this neutral piece can be worn over blouses with trousers or pencil skirts for work, or dressed down with jeans and boots for casual wear. Mine is the shorter schoolboy fit from a few years ago, but I’d love a longer-length one (I think longer looks visually better with pants or skinny jeans) as well.

striped tissues turtleneck professional outfit ideas

2. Neutral flats: I can’t seem to stray from neutral flats, but they’re just the most flattering on shorter legs! My neutrals range from lighter beige to this richer brown color, which I like bringing out for cooler seasons. When I wear heels, I often keep a pair of these lightweight flats (see picture below with this outfit) in a small plastic bag, tucked away in my purse for changing into. I have these BP ones in 3 basic colors and wear them on heavy rotation – please note from my past reviews that these have pretty much no cushioning, so I go half a size up and add my own inserts from Target or the drugstore.

fall work outfit flat shoes_extra petite

3. Navy ankle pants: slimming and flattering, these stretchy pants are comfortable for all-day wear, and the length of the new Sloan-fit are perfect with flats and heels alike. I also love this particular style for travel, since they aren’t too snug and don’t stretch out throughout the day.

4. Navy pumps: a pointed toe silhouette with slim heel is classic and sleek. Navy pumps are versatile for year-round wear, as they’re also easy to pair with navy tights in cooler weather for a leg-lengthening look. Mine are old Zara but I tried on the Ann Taylor one’s linked, and they are pretty much an exact dupe and fit true to size.

jcrew camel blazer prada saffiano tote carmello

5. Striped turtleneck tee: lightweight layering piece to add a hint of pattern to outfits. The turtleneck and longer sleeves also shields jacket collars and sleeve cuffs from perspiration, dirt or makeup, thus helps prolong the # of wears between dry cleaning for outer layers ($$ which can add up!).

6. Patterned scarf: pick prints in the color families that you wear the most often. This one incorporates blue and burgundy, both of which I love for fall. For a dressier and office-friendly look, look for narrower, rectangular shaped scarves instead of oversized square blanket ones (which I adore, but they have a very Eskimo-on-a-frozen-tundra effect ; ).

jcrew banana republic petites fall office style

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30 Comments

  1. Miss JD MBA wrote:

    Stilleto Hardware has some slender ones so you don't need to cut them down as much. Those are my go to for memory foam slim inserts.

    Posted 10.13.16 Reply
  2. monca wrote:

    I own a few pairs of the sloan pants and love them! I am having a hard time finding a pair of booties to pair with them. Do you have any suggestions? Or is wearing booties with this type of pants out of the question? I just feel like it looks awkward, but its getting colder and I would really like to keep my feet warm 🙂 Maybe this could be a possible future post topic? thanks for your help! Btw LOVE this outfit!

    Posted 10.5.16 Reply
  3. Anonymous wrote:

    I love the blazer – can you talk a bit about sizing? Which size did you go with here?

    Posted 10.1.16 Reply
  4. Erica wrote:

    Beautiful color combination! I want to copy this outfit exactly. 🙂 Question: when you change into your flats, where do you keep your heels? Do they fit in your purse?

    Posted 10.1.16 Reply
  5. slee wrote:

    love the look! have you tried the j crew regent blazer and do you like it? i am wishing they have your schoolboy but it seems they don't.

    Posted 9.30.16 Reply
  6. Jean wrote:

    Thank you for your sweet comment, Jessica!

    Posted 9.29.16 Reply
  7. Jean wrote:

    I usually just use the memory foam ones which are easy to cut with scissors! Or, I just use the smaller shaped ones (that are meant to go under your heels) and insert them into the toes of the shoes.

    Posted 9.29.16 Reply
  8. Ev wrote:
    Posted 9.29.16 Reply
  9. Dolce Petite wrote:

    Love the classy look, it really gets me in the mood for fall <3

    xx
    Dolce Petite

    Posted 9.29.16 Reply
  10. Manavi wrote:

    Perfect staples for fall. Classic pieces, the camel coat, black jeans, neutral flats and the scarf. Loving that look- it's effortlessly stylish.

    Posted 9.29.16 Reply
  11. Maggie Zemanek wrote:

    This is so perfectly classic!! Gorgeous!

    http://www.maggiealamode.com

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  12. Sharan Kaur wrote:

    Love this fall outfit!

    xoxo
    Sharan
    http://www.MyGoldenBeauty.com

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  13. Alyssa Renee wrote:

    Great look! =)

    ~Alyssa~
    shesalyssarenee.com
    Follow Me:
    Instagram | 
Facebook | Bloglovin

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  14. Monic Sutter wrote:

    such a great post loving all the staples!

    Monic
    Simply Sutter

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  15. Julie Hiller wrote:

    Great fall outfit! I definitely need to get a nice tailored camel blazer.

    Lifestyle by Joules

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  16. Jessi wrote:

    I love the scarf! It looks so cozy 🙂

    Jessi
    http://www.thedarlingdetail.com/

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  17. Rachel wrote:

    This look is so perfect for fall! So chic!

    -Rachel
    http://thetrendytomboy.com/

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  18. Keri H wrote:

    Love this so much!! Perfect fall outfit

    Enclothed Cognition

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  19. emch3ng wrote:

    Loving the outfit! Thanks for the tips, I now have an idea of what items to buy for this fall! 🙂

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  20. Jessica Lee wrote:

    You are truly my inspiration for classy office and casual outfits. Love the way you mix and match all pieces. Stunning! Thank you!

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  21. Pamela Gonzalez wrote:

    That blazer is perfect for fall, love it!♥

    http://www.pamelayaquelin.com

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  22. Tess Felber_Sequins are the New Black wrote:

    Such a gorgeous fall look! I love the stripes with the scarf!
    xx Tess | Sequins are the New Black

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  23. Kimberly Robichaux wrote:

    Love the look! Do you have any favorite shoe inserts or tricks for cutting them down for small shoes?

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  24. Dressed With Soul wrote:

    You are really ready for fall! Such a beautiful and classy look with the plaid scarf!
    xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
    http://www.dressedwithsoul.com

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  25. Anonymous wrote:

    what a beautiful look, love the camel color!
    Fash 'n' fudge
    Fash 'n' fudge

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  26. Neeltje | Thoughts in Style wrote:

    I love this outfit! It's indeed perfect for fall. X
    http://www.thoughtsinstyle.com/

    Posted 9.28.16 Reply
  27. Anonymous wrote:

    Love how you turned such classic pieces to the next level by playing with patterns and texture!

    http://www.pennyanddash.com

    Posted 9.27.16 Reply
  28. Jessica | Petite Style Script Blog wrote:

    Hi Jean, this is a great list for fall basics. I absolutely love that you have the Talbots reversible belt on with this outfit; I have been living in these belts since your review of them last year and picked up all 3 of the new classic colors! (since I missed the navy color last year when X-Small sold out!). I love the neutral flats; I definitely would recommend fold-able ballet flats to transition from heels to flats when walking all-day. My favorites (and the only brand I buy now) are Tieks by Gavrieli. I saw you wear the ballerina pink color once but haven't seen them again on you. Do you still own any Tieks? And finally I love the Banana Republic Sloan pants; these are basically the only style pants I wear to work and I own them in 4 colors.

    Thanks for your style inspiration Jean! As a fellow petite gal I really appreciate all your outfit recommendations 🙂

    ~Jessica | http://www.petitestylescript.com/

    Posted 9.27.16 Reply
  29. Olivia DiTomaso wrote:

    The perfect fall outfit.

    Liv

    http://www.livforstyle.net

    Posted 9.27.16 Reply
  30. La Bijoux Bella | by mia wrote:

    Simply beautiful! Love the camel colour accent. 🙂

    La Bijoux Bella | by mia

    Posted 9.27.16 Reply

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