Fall is here and winter is just around the corner. Am I prepared? Sort of. Are you?

If you’re not, here’s a little trend guide that will hopefully make your fall shopping less intimidating.

First stop, prints. Snakeskin is still very much a trend, along with other animal prints.

That’s not to say you should deck yourself out from head-to-toe in animal prints, but a pair of leopard-print shoes, a snakeskin-patterned denim jacket, or a leopard-print skirt is totally acceptable. Moderation is key in all trends, however. 

Next stop, shoes. Mules are still extremely popular if you are going for that chic, slightly more professional look. I recently got myself a pair and I love them.

 I will admit I am a little late to the trend because I spent all of last year searching for the perfect pair and never found them, but I finally did this month and they’re amazing. I got a pair in beige suede because I know they’ll go with anything.

Ankle boots are also hugely popular. Whether you opt for a heeled or flat pair, they go great with mom jeans, skirts — short and midi — or a nice tailored suit.

The fun thing about ankle boots is that I often like to make them my statement shoe.

You can have so much fun with them; there are so many patterns, materials, styles and colors out there. 

You can really go crazy with them and they’ll still look good, especially if the rest of your outfit is neutral. I have so many pairs; honestly, I might have a bit of a problem.

We’ve all seen the chunky, white Fila sneakers. They’re all over. I have a pair and to be honest, they go with everything.

The sneakers make any outfit look more stylish, and some may call them butt-ugly, but I will tell you that they’re so comfortable. If I could, I would wear them every day.

Another trend is athleisure, which is a trend that I love. This trend takes comfortable athleticwear and gives it a stylish flare that looks great. 

It allows me to be comfortable while still looking amazing and on trend. There are hundreds of super cool sneakers out there now that are popular, ranging from Fila to Louis Vuitton.

Now is also the perfect time to experiment with jackets. For the athleisure types, oversized puffer jackets are the way to go.

For the more professional type of look, very long coats like a peacoat or trench coat will be your jacket this season.

You will see me in both, since I like to go back and forth between casual and more formal.

Windbreaker jackets are also another win. They’re thin enough to wear now when it’s not too cold out, but they still provide some protection against the early morning chill.

And who doesn’t love leggings? All you need to do is pair your favorite leggings with a crop top or oversized t-shirt, throw on some cool chunky sneakers, put on some gold chains and hoops and you’re good to go.

That brings me to my next trend, which is jewelry. 

Layering chunky gold chains has become very popular and I do it all the time. It’s perfect for making any lazy outfit look more put together.

It’s a way of looking like you put effort into your look, even if you haven’t. Gold hoops can be found all over Instagram and the streets of New York, ranging from being on the smaller side to extremely oversized.

If you have more than one piercing in your ear, layering different sized gold hoops will look amazing.

I also like to wear a tiny hoop in my first piercing and another tiny one in my second.

Never be afraid to change up your style! Don’t think that you need to stick to the same style every day.

I wear something completely different often and I love it because it allows me to express all
sides of my fashion personality.

These clothes don’t have to be expensive either, so never feel like you have to shell out hundreds of dollars on new shoes and new coats.

All stores carry these trends, so look for what fits in your budget. Always beware of spending too much on trendy items because they might go out of style within the next year.