Outfit Details: Sezane Dress (old, similar here), Tory Burch Boots (similar here), Mansur Gavriel Bag (similar here and here)

Dressing stylishly while standing out from the crowd is a goal for many of my readers. We all crave the feeling of putting on an outfit and immediately experiencing a boost in confidence, especially if we’re going through a hard season, want to do something nice for ourselves, or are experimenting with our wardrobe just for fun!

But creating outfits that pop isn’t always easy. It can be tempting to retreat to our most-worn pair of jeans and favorite tee, especially if it’s been a while since we tried something new or are in a rush. There are a few quick levers you can pull that immediately add ‘oompf’ to your outfits, such as texture, pattern, and layering, but one of my favorites for fall is COLOR.

These next tips will show you how to make your fall outfits more eye-catching using color as the key ingredient!

1. Add a Fall-Toned Bag

I always recommend investing in neutral handbags if you’re just beginning to build out your wardrobe. However, a seasonal pick for fall in burgundy, olive, navy, yellow, or an earth tone is a perfect next step. These colors greatly enhance the appearance of fall clothing you already own and aren’t “trendy” seasonal colors that go in and out of style year to year.

For example, I recently invested in the dark green Mansur Gavriel bag pictured in these photos, and I have already worn it many more times than I expected. Any bag in a classically fall color makes it easy to add the “X” factor to your looks. I shared 30 more cute handbags in fall colors in this blog post!

2. Try Seasonal Accessories

If you typically stick to neutrals and are feeling timid about wearing color, try starting small with an accessory. Hair accessories, like headbands, hair scarves, and bows, as well as hats, belts, and wool scarves come in so many fun fall tones, and you can almost always find them under $50 or $100.

In the pictures here I used this croc-embossed headband (barrette version here) to add interest to my classic loose curls hairstyle, but this silky green option would work all the way through the holiday season. Scroll down for a few more fall-toned hair accessories in the shop section of the post.

3. “Pick a Piece”

When you’re just starting to incorporate more color into your wardrobe, it can feel overwhelming. Rather than jump in the deep end and purchase autumnal-toned shoes, jackets, and pants, I recommend trying something I call “pick a piece.”

The concept is that you pick just one piece in a rich, fall tone that you absolutely love. From there, try to build an outfit around that item with neutrals that already exist in your closet. A few ideas:

• A rust dress with knee high boots like I wore for these photos.
• A cozy plum turtleneck tucked into jeans with neutral booties.
• Butterscotch corduroys with a feminine blouse and ankle booties.
• An emerald blazer over black pants with black booties for the office.

The point is to work that color into your outfits in a way that’s manageable. You can throw other fall-toned accessories and layers in down the road, but try to keep it simple when you’re just starting out.

I hope you’ll use these fall color tips to make your outfits pop! Remember that fashion is meant to be fun! There are very rules when it comes to color (I outlined those that “technically” exist here), but they can be bent. Keep scrolling for a few fall-toned pieces in burgundy, olive, and burnt orange in case you need a little something new to get started. xo!

Shop Colorful Fall Pieces