One of the best ways to decide what deserves a spot in your wardrobe is to look back at what you actually wore. Not just the pieces you loved when you first bought them, but the ones you continued to reach for week after week.
As I start thinking about my fall wardrobe, I went back through last season to see which pieces I wore the most throughout fall and winter. These are the MVPs—the jeans, sweaters, jackets, and shoes that worked with multiple outfits, held up through regular wear, and, when applicable, still looked great after multiple washes.
Many of these pieces are still available this year, so whether you bought them along with me last season or you’re considering them for the first time, these are the staples I can confidently recommend wearing again this fall.
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My Sizing: I’m 4’10”, and my bust, waist, and hip measurements are 32″, 24″, and 36″. My inseam is 25″ (the measurement from the inside of my leg to my ankle bone). The clothes shown are unaltered and show how they fit me right from the store. I list my sizing beside each item to help you compare when shopping online. When referencing my true size, that is often the smallest option available at a brand or petite xxs/00/24. I wear a size 5 shoe.
Quince Bella Relaxed Straight Jeans
Of all the jeans in my closet, the Quince Bella Relaxed Straight Jeans in Stormy Blue were probably my most-worn pair last fall and winter. They’re a relaxed straight style, but on a petite frame, they can look a little more like a slim wide-leg jean.
What kept me reaching for them was the combination of comfort and versatility. The leg shape works with nearly every style of shoe in my fall wardrobe—from ballet flats and sneakers to ankle boots—and they’re comfortable enough for everyday wear. The organic cotton denim is thick with stretch, so they’re comfortable to wear but hold their shape.
The Bella jeans have a high rise that averages around 10.5″, but the rise is a little lower in the smaller sizes. My size 24 has approximately a 10″ rise, which is a great high-rise proportion for me.
They also come in multiple inseam options, starting with Extra Short at 26″. I wear the Short length, which has a 28″ inseam. My ideal full-length inseam with flats is closer to 27.5″, so these are just a touch long and bunch slightly at the bottom when I wear them with flats. I don’t mind the little bit of extra length, though, because it also makes them easy to wear with boots.
Fit: True to size; I’m wearing size 24 Short.
One thing I’ve learned after owning and washing these jeans is that I recommend washing them in cold water and hanging them to dry if you want to preserve the original fit. Even drying them on low heat can shrink them a little over time. In my case, I actually don’t mind shrinking mine just a touch because it brings the 28″ inseam a little closer to my preferred 27.5″ length.
If you’re curious about the other jeans that have stood out to me after all of my reviews, I also regularly wear the Madewell Perfect Vintage Wide-Leg Jeans, J.Crew Slim Wide-Leg Jeans, J.Crew Factory Slim Wide Jeans, Quince Bella Wide-Leg Jeans, and Abercrombie ’90s Relaxed Jeans throughout fall and winter.
Jeans 24 Short in stormy blue | Sweater XXS | Jacket Petite XXS | Shoes tts | Bag
Quince Organic Cotton Boyfriend Sweater
If you’re looking for a sweater that’s cozy without requiring a lot of special care, the Quince Organic Cotton Boyfriend Sweater has been one of the best basics in my closet.
It’s made from 100% cotton and feels substantial and well-made. I love cashmere and wool sweaters, but they can be a little fussy when it comes to washing and drying. This cotton sweater is much easier to care for. I’ve owned mine for a couple of years, washed and dried it many times, and it still looks beautiful with very minimal signs of wear.
I’m wearing the Speckled Beige color, which is also a versatile neutral that works with just about everything.
The Boyfriend Sweater has a relaxed, oversized fit with a high-low hem that I especially love with jeans. I’m wearing XS, and it’s oversized on me with sleeves that I wear cuffed.
I often layer it over a crewneck T-shirt. The Old Navy crewneck T-shirt I’m wearing here is one of my favorites for layering because it’s thick and soft with a higher neckline that shows nicely underneath the sweater.
Sweater XS in speckled beige | Jeans 24 Short in stormy blue | T-Shirt Petite XS | Shoes tts | Bag | Scarf
Quince Quilted Jacket
I’ll have more petite-friendly jackets and coats to review for you this season, but I was excited to see that one of the jackets I wore heavily last year has been restocked: the Quince Quilted Jacket.
This is a lightweight jacket, so it’s a great option for transitional early-fall and spring weather. It could also work well through more of the season if you live in a milder climate.
It has a cocoon-style shape that’s slightly oversized on me in XS, but I really like the relaxed fit. The sleeves are a touch long on me, so I cuff them under for a cleaner fit.
It comes in several colors, but I have the Redwood Brown. It’s a rich fall neutral that looks beautiful with denim and other warm autumn colors.
This isn’t the jacket I would reach for once the really cold winter weather arrives, but as a lightweight layer, it earned its spot in my wardrobe last year.
Jacket XS in redwood brown | Jeans 24 Short in stormy blue | Navy Sweater XS | T-Shirt Petite XS | Sneakers | Socks | Similar Bag
My Most-Worn Fall & Winter Shoes
Shoes are another category where I can quickly tell which purchases were worth it based on how often I actually wore them. Last season, four pairs stood out. Between flats, sneakers, ankle boots, and knee-high boots, these covered most of my fall and winter outfits.
Sam Edelman Alie Flats
The Sam Edelman Alie Flats are one of those one-and-done pairs of shoes that work with nearly everything in your closet. I wore them with jeans and pants as well as dresses and skirts. I’m most impressed with how well they held up through heavy wear.
I especially love the soft neutral color because it blends easily into an outfit instead of creating a lot of contrast.
They’re soft and lightly cushioned, although I wouldn’t consider them a particularly supportive flat.
They also fit my small feet well. I wear my true size 5.
Shoes tts | Sweater XS in speckled beige | Jeans 24 Short in stormy blue | T-Shirt Petite XS | Bag | Jacket XXS oversized
Gola Elan Sneakers
I wore my Gola Elan Sneakers in Bone White so much last year. They’re a low-profile sneaker, which makes them easy to pair with different jean silhouettes, but I also wore mine with joggers and wide-leg pants.
They’re soft and cushioned and fit me true to size in a size 5. During colder weather, I wear them with crew socks underneath my jeans, which also makes them surprisingly warm.
Mine held up well through a full year of regular wear, although I did avoid wearing them on wet days. I also noticed some color transfer onto the sneakers when I wore them with dark-wash jeans, which is something to keep in mind with the light color and suede.
This year, I also picked up a pair of low-profile leather sneakers from Quince that I plan to wear regularly. Since they’re leather instead of suede, they are a little easier to care for. I recommend going up half a size in the Quince pair.
Jeans Petite 24 | Sweater XXS | Sneakers | Jacket XXS in marcona beige | Socks | Similar Bag
Steve Madden Dusty Boots
I bought the Steve Madden Dusty Boots toward the end of last season, so they weren’t technically one of my most-worn pairs for the entire season. However, once I bought them, I finished the season strong in them.
I love the sleek shape of these boots. They have an elongated toe that gives them a polished look without being sharply pointed, along with a low, walkable heel. The rich brown suede is also beautiful for fall.
I recommend going up half a size in this pair, especially if you plan to wear them with thicker socks.
I know many of you prefer leather boots over suede because they’re a little more practical for wet fall and winter weather, so I’ll also be looking for leather options to review this season.
Boots size up 1/2 size | Sweater XS | Jeans Petite 24 | Belt | Bag
Sam Edelman Sylvia Boots
The Sam Edelman Sylvia Boots were my go-to knee-high boots with dresses and skirts last fall and winter. Finding knee-high boots that work on a petite frame can be tricky, and these worked well for me in a size 5—but they do come with a few caveats.
First, I personally only find them comfortable in suede. The shaft is narrow and comes right to the bottom of my knee wiht a 15″ shaft height. Because of that height, the back of the boot can hit the back of my leg a little as I walk. I tried the leather version as well, but I found the leather too stiff and uncomfortable at that height. The suede is much softer and more flexible, so I’m able to make it work.
The shaft height is also noted to increase as the shoe size goes up. While the size 5 works for me at 4’10” (with longer legs than some), this particular style may not work as well for petites with a larger shoe size because the shaft could come up higher on the leg.
Still, for my proportions, these ended up being one of the knee-high boots I wore the most with dresses and skirts last season.
Dress Petite XXS | Boots tts | Similar Bag
Fall Staples Worth Wearing Again
It’s always helpful to look back at what actually worked before deciding which staples deserve a spot in your wardrobe for another season. Trends come and go, but the pieces I value the most are the ones I can wear in multiple ways, reach for often, and still feel good about after a season—or several seasons—of regular wear.
These pieces all passed that test for me. So whether you purchased them right along with me last year or you’re buying them for the first time this season, they’re staples I expect to keep wearing throughout fall and winter.
Stay tuned for my fall capsule wardrobes, where I’ll be sharing even more petite-friendly staples and showing you how to mix and match them to build an intentional wardrobe with pieces you’ll actually wear.
