25 Fall Outfits for Women Over 60

A collar showing above a cardigan frames your face and makes a soft knit look finished. Button the cardigan to just below the collar points, pull the collar out flat, and roll both sleeves back once together so the shirt cuff shows.

The shirt underneath has to be thin and smooth, or the cardigan rides up in lumps. UNIQLO's Oxford Boxy Shirt is a cotton-rayon blend with a classic collar, about $39.90 at last check.

The boxy cut means it won't pull across the bust when you reach for the top shelf of the linen closet.

If white feels stark, UNIQLO's women's shirts page had blues and stripes from about $29.90 to $39.90 this month.

Is a trench worth real money when you already own a raincoat? If you'll wear it from late September to the first frost, yes. It does the raincoat's job and the blazer's job at once.

J.Crew's Icon trench lists at $348 and goes on promotion often, so wait for a sale if you can. It has water-repellent fabric, an adjustable belt and a removable hood.

Under it, skip slim pants. A structured coat over skinny legs looks top-heavy. Eileen Fisher's Soft Twill Wide-Leg Pant is drapey and ankle length, and it was marked down to about $77.40 from $148 this month.

The full leg balances the coat's shoulders, and the ankle hem clears a loafer. Tie the belt behind you when you want the shape without a knot sitting over your middle.

Saturday morning at the farmers market: cool enough for a layer, too warm for a coat. A denim jacket over black jeans handles it, and the contrast keeps you out of head-to-toe denim.

Levi's Original Trucker Jacket is the classic version, priced from about $55.98 to $98 depending on color this month. Wear it open over a white tee or a thin gray knit.

Wit & Wisdom's Ab-Solution jeans at Nordstrom have power-mesh panels sewn inside for shaping, in regular, petite and plus sizes.

Push the jacket sleeves to mid-forearm so a watch or bracelet shows.

Leather over cashmere is the outfit that gets you asked where you're headed. Tough on the outside, soft at the neck.

Fit decides it. A moto jacket should end at your hip bone and close across the bust without strain. AllSaints' Dalby Leather Biker Jacket at Nordstrom is fitted, fully lined lamb leather with a notched collar and zip cuffs, about $569.

That's a lot of money, worth it only if you'll wear leather twice a week for years. Otherwise a denim jacket gets you most of the attitude for a fraction of the price.

Underneath, keep the knit thin so the zipper lies flat. J.Crew's cashmere classic-fit crewneck, about $148, layers easily. Choose camel, gray or cream; black under black leather flattens the texture. Leave the zip open over dark trousers and a low boot.

This is the outfit for lunch with a friend you haven't seen in a year. Three steps:

1. Pick a blazer that buttons over a sweater and still lies flat.
2. Pick jeans that fall straight from hip to ankle, no taper, no flare.
3. Add a flat or low heel.

J.Crew's Parke blazer in Italian stretch wool is about $288. The stretch earns its keep when you're sitting in a booth for two hours.

NYDJ's Marilyn Straight Jeans were about $99 in black, with other washes up to $129. They use what NYDJ calls Lift Tuck Technology, a built-in panel meant to smooth the midsection, so a half-tucked top sits flat.

A barn jacket is a cotton canvas field coat: boxy, hip length, big pockets, corduroy collar.

J.Crew's Barn Jacket in cotton canvas is about $278 and frequently on promotion.

Canvas catches on chunky knits, so keep the sweater smooth. UNIQLO's Merino Sweater, about $49.90, is fine-gauge, meaning tightly knit from thin yarn, so it slides under the sleeves without bunching.

Oatmeal, gray or navy all work. Add straight jeans and ankle boots.

One print, everything else plain. That's the whole rule for leopard, and it's why the print looks confident instead of costume.

J.Crew's Short Barn Jacket in leopard cotton canvas is about $268, often less on sale. It's cropped and boxy, so it sits at the hip over a black turtleneck and black trousers, or a cream sweater and dark jeans.

Keep the rest to two colors pulled from the print: black and cream, or camel and brown. No patterned scarf or printed bag the same day.

A pleated midi with a slim turtleneck covers your knees and still moves when you walk. The skirt should end below the knee, ideally where your calf narrows, and the turtleneck should be thin enough to tuck.

J.Crew's pleated midi skirt in compact cotton poplin is about $148. Poplin is a crisp, tightly woven cotton, so the pleats keep their lines instead of clinging.

Tuck the turtleneck all the way in. A high neck plus a half tuck plus pleats gets busy. With a navy or chocolate turtleneck, choose a skirt in the same color family for one long line, or cream for contrast.

Feet: opaque tights and loafers for a library talk, knee boots once mornings drop under 50 degrees.

Watch the gap: when you sit on a cold bleacher at a Friday game, the boot top should meet or slip under the hem.

Nordstrom's Short-Sleeve Wool & Cashmere Sweater Dress was marked down to about $149.40 from $249 this month. Short sleeves leave room for a cardigan or blazer, and you won't overheat in a warm waiting room.

Boots are where most women give up, because the calf won't zip. Naturalizer's Deesha Knee-High Boot is about $290 and comes in regular, wide and extra-wide calf.

Will wide-leg pants make you look wider? Not if the top half stays close to the body. One loose half, one fitted half.

Eileen Fisher's Organic Cotton Pucker Wide-Leg Pant skims rather than clings, and it was reduced to about $79.50 from $188 as of this fall. The puckered cotton has a slight texture, so a drive across town doesn't leave sharp creases across your lap.

On top, a slim knit like the same UNIQLO merino crewneck, about $49.90, tucked in at the front only. That small tuck shows where your waist is without a belt.

Hem length matters more with wide legs than with any other cut. Bring the shoes you'll wear when you have them shortened, and aim for the hem to just graze the top of the shoe.

A flannel shirt under a quilted vest keeps your middle warm while your arms stay free, whether you're raking the front yard or running to the hardware store before the cider's gone.

L.L.Bean's Scotch Plaid Flannel Shirt in the relaxed fit is about $59.95, in Portuguese cotton flannel with several tartans to choose from. Relaxed means room through the shoulders for a tee underneath.

Lands' End's FeatherFree Quilted Insulated Vest has a water-resistant shell and covers to the hip. It lists at $69.95 and was on promotion at $38.47 this month.

Pick the vest in a solid from the plaid: navy over red tartan, olive over green. Leave the top two shirt buttons open so the collar lies flat over the vest.

A matching knit top and pant in one color is the closest thing to pajamas that still looks pulled together at the drive-through pharmacy. One color from neck to ankle makes a long line, and you get dressed without deciding anything.

Eileen Fisher's Sets edit pairs coordinated knit tops and pants made to mix or wear tonally, such as a Cotton-Blend Stripe Stitch Lantern Pant at about $178.

J.Jill's matching sets include Getaway Wide-Leg Knit Crops at about $79, sized XS to 4X with petite and tall.

Add a long cardigan or the trench, plus white sneakers or loafers. Navy, charcoal and oatmeal are the easy colors. Black knit picks up every bit of lint from the dryer.

The denim skirt you wore with sandals all summer now looks finished for the year. A burgundy sweater, tights and boots carry it straight into November.

Burgundy sits between red and brown, so it gets along with denim, camel, gray and navy, and it brings color up near your face without shouting.

J.Crew's cashmere classic-fit crewneck, about $148, comes in several colors each season; check current stock for burgundy, oxblood or a similar deep tone. Tuck it loosely at the front only.

The real fix is below the hem. Opaque tights in brown or black, then an ankle or tall boot in the same shade, so your leg reads as one unbroken line from skirt to sidewalk.

A sweater knotted over a striped shirt is the layer for a day that starts at 48 degrees and ends at 68. To tie it so it stays put:

• Drape a thin crewneck across your back, sleeves falling forward over your shoulders.
• Cross the sleeves once on your chest, loosely.
• Tuck each sleeve end under the opposite one so nothing swings when you lean into the car.

The stripe does the real work. UNIQLO's Oxford Boxy Cropped Shirt in stripes was about $29.90 on the women's shirts page. Cropped means cut shorter than a standard shirt, so it sits neatly over high-rise jeans or a skirt.

Choose a solid sweater in one of the stripe's colors: navy stripe, navy sweater.

The gap between your jean hem and your boot decides whether this looks deliberate.

Sit down. If the hem rides up and a strip of shin shows above the boot, cuff higher so the jean ends at or just above the boot top, or wear a sock in the boot's color.

Stand up. If fabric bunches on top of the boot, the cuff is too thick. Make it narrower and roll twice instead of once.

Thin cuffs need jeans that don't bulge when folded. Wit & Wisdom's Ab-Solution jeans come in skinny, straight and bootcut, in black or washed black, with interior control panels designed to stay smooth when cuffed.

Black jeans with a black ankle boot is the most forgiving pairing. Brown boots with washed black look more relaxed.

Velvet tells everyone you came for an occasion, so nothing else has to try. A symphony matinee, a retirement dinner, a family Thanksgiving: one velvet piece and plain trousers cover all three.

A simple velvet shell top in a deep color does the job without much spending.

Want more structure? J.Crew's Madelyn blazer in velvet is about $348, the pricier upgrade. Buttoned over a thin camisole, it does a velvet top's job.

Keep the trousers plain and sharp. Eileen Fisher's Stretch Cotton Twill Wide-Leg Trouser Pant was reduced to about $126.75 from $198, and it looks tailored without a stiff waistband.

Choose emerald, navy, burgundy or black velvet. Add matte flats or a low block heel, and skip shiny jewelry beyond small earrings.

Black pants, black sweater, black boots for a gallery opening, and in every photo you fade into the dark wall behind you. Swap only the sweater for cream and the same outfit comes forward.

Cream is softer than bright white, and many women find it kinder next to the face.

Eileen Fisher's Woven Plissé Wide-Leg Pant in black was on promotion at about $119.25, with other colors down to about $79.50. Plissé is fabric pressed into tiny permanent pleats, so the leg flows when you walk.

Over it, a cream knit, chunky or fine, tucked or loose. Repeat the cream once lower down, a bag or a pair of cream sneakers, so the top half doesn't sit alone like an island.

For a library board meeting, a hospital volunteer shift or a part-time job, the blazer says you're there to work without the stiffness of a suit.

J.Crew's Regent Blazer in Four-Season Stretch is single-breasted, made to dress up or down, and comes in standard and petite fits. Petite is worth trying if regular blazers usually hang past your knuckles.

Then do the sleeve test. Arms relaxed at your sides, the cuff should stop at your wrist bone with a sliver of shirt or skin showing. Any longer and the jacket looks borrowed. A tailor can shorten sleeves from the cuff.

Gate areas run cold, jet bridges run hot, and the overhead bin is full by the time your group boards. Dress in layers you can peel off and stash under the seat.

UNIQLO's Ultra Light Down Vest packs small enough to tuck into a tote and keeps your core warm on a chilly plane.

NYDJ's Marilyn Straight Pull-On Jeans in black have a stretchy, no-fuss waistband, so nothing digs in during a long flight, and black hides a coffee splash.

Dinner reservation at seven, and your hand goes straight to the black pants you always wear. A pleated skirt that moves as you walk to the table changes how the whole evening feels.

J.Crew's pleated drop-waist midi skirt in select prints showed sale prices near $82.99. Drop waist means the pleats start lower on the hip, so the top stays smooth and the swing happens below.

The way to keep it from looking overdressed: pair the floaty skirt with something plain and slim on top, a fine black knit or a thin turtleneck, and a low boot.

Prefer heels? A block heel of an inch or two handles restaurant tile and a dark curb on the way back to the car.

You need a coat that sheds water and covers your hips, and boots that keep your calves dry.

J.Crew's Rivington car coat in water-resistant cotton was about $498, the high end. Before you spend that on any rain coat, check three things:

• The hem covers your seat when you sit in the car.
• The collar stands up on its own.
• The pockets hold your keys and phone without gaping.

For boots, Naturalizer's tall boot range runs from narrow to extra-wide calf, in the same price range as the Deesha above. The right width keeps the shaft from gaping, so splashes stay outside.

Tuck slim jeans into the boots. A loose wet hem soaks water halfway to your knee.

Sunday, guests arrive at noon, then a walk if the rain holds off. Skip the fleece and old leggings; this takes the same five minutes: a tee or thin sweater, straight jeans, a denim jacket, and sneakers or ankle boots.

Levi's Original Trucker Jacket was priced from about $62.98 to $98 depending on color.

Make it look intentional with exactly one detail: a striped tee instead of a plain one, a scarf in olive or rust, or white leather sneakers instead of gym shoes.

On a colder weekend, keep everything else and trade the jacket for a quilted vest over the sweater.

A poncho can look like a blanket you forgot to take off, or like the most put-together thing in the stands at the Friday football game. What's underneath makes the difference.

Go slim and dark under it: a fitted turtleneck and straight or skinny jeans. The poncho adds volume on top, so nothing else should.

Choose one with a clean hem or a short fringe that stops around your hip or upper thigh. Longer styles swallow a shorter frame.

The turtleneck fills the open neckline so no cold gap shows. Ankle or tall boots anchor the bottom.

Shop for a poncho in a solid that matches the turtleneck or sits one shade lighter. Camel over chocolate. Gray over charcoal.

The field is muddy, the hayride is scratchy, and someone will want a photo of you holding the biggest pumpkin. A cardigan over a tee, dark jeans and boots you don't mind getting dirty is the outfit for that afternoon.

Choose a cardigan that ends at the hip so you can bend and lift without stepping on it. Wear dark wash or black jeans.

Look for cardigan pockets, since both your hands will be full the moment someone hands you a pumpkin. Keep orange to one small thing, a scarf or a knit cap, or skip it for rust, olive or cream, which look warm against the field.

A capsule wardrobe is a small set of pieces that all work together, so a few things make many outfits. There's no official piece count.

Eileen Fisher has built its line around the idea. Its System of Dressing lays out mix-and-match cores (tees, pants, shirts, skirts, jackets and wraps) in neutral colors meant for repeat wear.

This starting set covers most fall days:

Build it from your own closet first. Lay everything that fits those slots on the bed. Pick the two neutrals you already own most of, say navy and camel. Anything that works with neither goes to the back. Buy only the gaps.

Then test it. Each top should go with at least two bottoms, and each bottom with at least three tops. Anything that pairs with only one other piece is just taking up a hanger.