A collage with a brown turtleneck sweater, olive green tote bag, orange sunglasses, and dark red booties.

Fall’s 5 Coziest Outfit Formulas, Defined

There’s nothing quite like breathing in the crisp fall air, folks—even if it’s through a face mask. (Safety first!) As we launch head-first into the season of crunchy leaves, steamy pumpkin spice lattes, apple picking, and pumpkin patches, it’s time to fill our closets with fall pieces. After all, autumn is the premiere season for shopping all things cozy: chunky knits, oversized sweaters, booties, and animal print. It’s easy to peruse brands’ seasonal collections and add everything to cart, but once you’ve successfully maxed out your credit cards, you’ll need some plus-size fall outfit ideas to keep in mind for the season. Spending money on autumnal fashion is a no-brainer—styling it all is where we come in.

Fortunately for everyone who likes a sort of order and organization to the way they get dressed, there are easy fall outfit formulas you can use all season long. Odds are, most of your new fall clothing will land in one of five easy-to-style categories—and all you have to do is get dressed. Consider this a similar situation to that iconic scene in Clueless, where Cher uses her futuristic closet computer to pick out an outfit for her. (A dream!) We may not be able to choose exact pieces from your wardrobe that you should pair together, but we’ve come pretty damn close with this outfit guide.

For most of us, fall fashion holds a special place in our hearts, and it’s high-time that all your cozy sweaters and autumnal dresses get a chance to stand in the spotlight. The fall outfit formulas below will allow you to show off all the pieces in your closet—even the ones you can’t seem to figure out how to wear.

No matter what fall clothing you’ve already stocked up on, there are plenty of easy ways to style it all. From the classic cardigan and turtleneck combo (with a chic twist) or a street style chic fall maxi dress and sneakers situation, these plus-size fall outfit ideas will have you getting dressed with ease in no time. All that’s left to do now is go pick up the PSL you ordered.

Here at Unruly, we’re committed to featuring plus-size pieces we genuinely love and want to share with you. We’re connected to an affiliate revenue program, which means we might make a small commission when you buy products through our shopping guides. This in no way affects the pieces we choose to feature, and it never will. (Confused? We’d love to answer any questions you have about this. Email us at beunrulyinfo@gmail.com!)

1. The Cardigan & Turtleneck Combo

Um, hello! It’s a classic combination! Take a slightly oversized cardigan sweater (Or a form-fitted cardi. It’s truly up to you.), then pair it with a lightweight turtleneck, comfy jeans—the stretchy kind, puh-lease—and your favorite fall booties. We like to add some oversized sunglasses for the drama, but hey, that’s just us.

A collage with a dark green cardigan, brown turtleneck, jeans, brown booties, and oversized sunglasses.

shop the look

cardigan — $89.50 from Madewell
turtleneck — $10 from Target
jeans — $34.99 from H&M
booties — $156 from Everlane
sunglasses — $96 from Tezza


2. The Fall Maxi Dress & Sneakers ‘Fit

Fall maxi dresses are the wardrobe staple you might not have known you needed until right this moment. They’ll give your autumnal wardrobe the elevated addition it deserves—even when you pair them all with sneakers. We’re loving animal print maxis for fall, but you can also opt for florals, stripes, or classic neutral hues this season.

A collage with a zebra print maxi dress, dark green bag, white sneakers, and a phone case.

shop the look

dress — $168 from Anthropologie
bag — $78 from Madewell
sneakers — $60 from Topshop
phone case — $50 from Casetify


3. The Tunic Sweater & Leggings Look

Oversized and tunic sweaters are an absolute must-have for fall, folks. They look polished while still keeping you cozy and comfortable all day long. (!) Plus, they look great with leggings—a true win. Add some statement earrings, your favorite sunglasses, and fall booties to complete the ~perfect~ look.

A collage with black leggings, a brown sweater, dark red booties, and tortoise earrings.

shop the look

sweater — $118 from Anthropologie
leggings — $14.62 from Torrid
booties — $89 from ModCloth
earrings — $45 from Nordstrom
sunglasses — $184 from Shopbop


4. The Blazer & Graphic Tee Combo

If you’re a sucker for a good blazer, join the club. We’re obsessed with pairing oversized or boxy blazers with a graphic tee and jeans for fall. It’s workwear meets weekend-wear, and it might just be the coolest outfit formula you’ll ever see. So stock up on blazers and tees ASAP, because this combo is all you need this season.

A collage with a black and white blazer, Rolling Stones graphic tee, ripped jeans, and black booties.

shop the look

blazer — $168 from Madewell
tee — $17.99 from H&M
jeans — $55.57 from Torrid
booties — $119.95 from Chinese Laundry


5. The Plaid Ensemble (Duh!)

You can’t have fall outfits without a good dose of plaid! Whether you opt for a plaid trouser and denim shacket (an oversized shirt + jacket, in case you haven’t yet stocked up on plus-size shackets this fall) or go for a plaid flannel and leggings, just make sure you have a little plaid in your life this autumn. It’s a classic, after all.

A collage with plaid trousers, a denim shirt-jacket, black loafers, and black sunglasses

shop the look

shacket — $34.99 from H&M
pants — $38.67 from Torrid
loafers — $59.99 from DSW
sunglasses — $79 from Crap Eyewear