I’m really feeling a more polished look for style this year (I write, as I await my LL Bean straight-leg khakis, which I’m planning to wear with a turtleneck, a fair isle sweater, and Bean Boot mocs. Maybe I haven’t veered as far away from Prep Persona No. 3 as I thought…)

In any case! I’m really eager to start dressing up again, even just around the house. We have our big black tie dinner dance coming up, so of course that will be a wonderful occasion. But I’m also trying to just be more polished again. I feel better when I’m wearing something other than leggings and an old t-shirt. Here are the five items topping my wishlist for a more pulled-together fall…

The Collins Pant (Molly Moorkamp, $325) I’ve decided that skinny jeans and skinny pants, for that matter, make me feel too juvenile. Once coming to that decision, however, I couldn’t find a good wider-leg pant that actually had good proportions. Then, VERY happily, Molly Moorkamp to the rescue! She’s just launched the pre-order for the amazing Collins Pant, which comes in three colors: navy, café au lait, and white. If you also want to look like Katharine Hepburn at her most elegant, be quick! The pre-order ends on Wednesday, September 22nd.

The Natasha Polo Sweater (Ann Mashburn, $295) I love the look of this polo sweater, and Ann Mashburn’s cashmere is to die for. A great transition piece as we finish out the summer!

The Faye Wide-Leg Cropped Pant (Ann Mashburn, $195) I tried on the Faye cropped ponte pants during a pre-pandemic trunk show at the Palace Hotel and fell in love with them. I couldn’t justify them at the time–I didn’t have good shoes to wear with them!–but now that I’m working from home, cropped pants seem like a great option. Plus, my new ballet flats have arrived, and they are perfection. Not sure how well the wide-legged shape will work when cropped on me (I’m 5’4″), so I might stick with the original pair I tried on.

The Fisherman’s Cardigan (Heidi Wynne, $195) I do not need another sweater. I especially do not need another Irish sweater, after collecting so many during my summers excavating in County Clare. But this looks perfect, and a touch more elegant than my practical, hard-wearing collection of Aran sweaters from Inis Mor and Inisheer.

The Cashmere Ruffle Travel Shawl (Bay by Merryn, £280) A family friend gave me a beautiful pashmina last year for Christmas and I found myself carrying it from room to room throughout the winter. It’s an easy way to keep warm (obviously not rocket science!), and very practical, as I run quite cold throughout the year. While I love the pashmina, it’s patterned, so I’m limited as to what I can wear when using it. I love the size of Bay by Merryn’s cashmere ruffle shawl, and the scallop cream is the perfect color to wear with everything!

What are your must-haves for this fall?