Kermit wasn’t wrong: the best fall clothes for men mean it is, in fact, time to really start dressing. What is autumn, after all, if not a reward for making it through the sweat-soaked days of summer—and the opportunity to dust off every lightweight jacket you put in storage way back in April? To paraphrase another fictional green menswear god: it’s not just onions that have layers, and the onset of peak layering season brings answers to life’s most pressing questions. Do I look like a creep in this trench coat? (No.) Can I pull off derbies with these jeans? (Yes.) Is this T-shirt too long for this jacket? (Maybe.)
To celebrate the changing foliage, we compiled a handy guide to the men’s fall wardrobe essentials that’ll carry you through the season in superlative fashion. Many of them—hardy jeans, slick boots, a solid rain jacket—are relevant every single September. This year, though, we also convened a special meeting of the GQ braintrust to discuss the categories that feel genuinely essential for the totally precedented meteorological event they’re calling…Fall 2025.
That means western-leaning flannel shirts, retro-doused ringer tees, corporate-adjacent zip-up sweaters, and no shortage of buzzy upgrades in between. In other words, it means 64 unimpeachable buys, all ready and raring to turn you into the flyest apple-picker at the orchard. Happy fall, and happy shopping.
The Best Fall Clothes for Men, According to GQ
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The Bomber
Every September, suddenly, you see it. All at once, the most stylish people in your neighborhood are stepping out in stealthy, sleek bomber jackets. They’re right to: Beyond making you look like you just hopped out of a chopper, bombers are actually perfectly suited to the unpredictabilty of fall. Light enough for a warm day, but insulated enough should the weather suddenly turn, they also bat away raindrops with more confidence than Steph stepping up to the free-throw line.
The Jeans
Unlike the raw denim that dominated the menswear conversation a decade or so ago, the jeans we’re talking about here can do more than just stand up on their own. The silhouettes are looser and flowier, the washes are more interesting than just indigo, and the hems are supposed to be worn uncuffed; the jeans themselves, not the red-trimmed evidence of their Japanese provenance, are the flex. They’ll still whisker with the best of ’em, but they’re meant to be worn how you want, with way more just than waxed jackets and work boots.
The Rugby
As it turned out, the secret to looking hot this summer was dressing in a striped polo like it was 2005. So naturally, this fall, striped rugby shirts—the warmer, burlier brother to the summer polo—are where it’s at. Lean nautical with Noah, preppy with Polo, or head back to campus with Kotn, which just partnered with heritage Ivy league athletic outfitters Barbarian for a range of collegiate Ruggers.
The Chelsea Boots
By now, you’re probably getting the idea that the name of the game here is versatility. And while you don’t have to opt for Chelsea boots, the right pair will be able to withstand the elements, as well as pretty much every dress code outside of true black tie. Also, while we’re here: Call it a funny case of fashion kismet or chalk it up to Australia’s topsy-turvy climate turbulence, but two of our all-time favorite versions hail from down under. Buy ‘em both and you’ll always be set, whether you swear by paint-splattered work pants or knife-sharp dress trousers.
The Western Flannel
In cooler temperatures, a reliable flannel shirt is more than a wardrobe essential: it’s a no-brainer. (The added bonus is that the best of them feel substantial enough to double as a light jacket, thanks to their lightweight wool or thick cotton make.) This fall, we’re especially bullish on Western-leaning flannels: Think two chest pockets, snap buttons, point collars. They’re a true cheat code: The grandpa comfort of soft flannel, combined with the young buck edge of a capable ranch hand.
The Thermal Long-Sleeve
On the most dastardly days of late fall, when you wake up achy and frigid and physically unable to roll out from under your duvet, you’re going to need some back up. You’re probably familiar with the thermal shirts you wore hiking and skiing as a kid, but those old-school long-sleeved tees are just as practical and relevant as ever. Tuck one into your jeans, throw a band tee over the top, and you’ve got yourself an unimpeachable cold-weather ensemble.
The Ringer Tee
Perhaps the coolest style to resurface this fall—with a little help from Paul Mescal and Sombr—is the ringer tee. With its contrasting collars and sleeve hems, the style injects a dose of youthful athleticism into just about any blank tee it meets: A handy trick seized upon this season by the likes of Kapital, Wythe, Celine Homme, and other leading design lights.
The Leather Jacket
You want to know what Austin Butler, Jacob Elordi, and Harris Dickinson all have in common? (Aside from the wildly successful careers…and the sculpted-by-god bodies…and all that money.) A great leather jacket. Why? Because they’re luxe and lush and simply scream movie star. Pro tip: Grab one in a classic style that’s cropped right at the waist. It’ll lengthen your legs, accentuate the butt, and sync up oh-so-well with some high-waisted pants or a pair of classic Levi’s 501s.
The Derbies
Over the last couple of years, the derby has reclaimed its rightful place in the hearts and closets of stylish dudes across the globe. At a moment when the sneaker’s supremacy is in flux, the silhouette has stepped in—and stepped up its presence, courtesy of the type of pleasantly hefty soles that make loafers tremble. A lot has changed since the derby first rose to prominence, but one thing hasn’t: it’s still one of the most versatile shoes on the planet.
The Crewneck Sweatshirt
The humble gray crewneck helped Steve McQueen evade capture in The Great Escape, cemented John Travolta’s heartthrob status in Grease, and made Eddie Murphy a badass in Beverly Hills Cop. Paul Newman, the patron saint of laid-back menswear, wore one religiously. In 2025, the crewneck sweatshirt comes in a rainbow of different colors and silhouettes, but for our money, ever-dependable gray is still the shade to beat.
The Corduroy Suit
When the weather is all doom and gloom, a corduroy suit is your much-needed boost of fashion seratonin, like a mug of soothing hot chocolate. The bottom half is plusher than your jeans, the jacket is miles more comfortable than your tight denim trucker. And that’s exactly it: The fall corduroy suit’s biggest selling point is its ability to break itself down. Unlike your usual business casual fare, it works even better when you wear the jacket with a knit polo and jeans, or the pants with a plush sweater. (Though if you’re going for full Wes Anderson cosplay, Drake’s sells a full cord suit so luxe it’d make even the tweeist auteur blush.) One last thing: All of the below jackets have a matching set of trousers to complete the suit, but are sold separately because the designers are that confident of their versatility.
The Full-Zip Sweater
Think of the full-zip sweater as the crewneck sweatshirt’s edgy younger brother. Unzipped and left open, it can take on the role of a picture frame ready to display your sickest graphic tee. Alternatively, make like a mid-aughts garage band and wear yours over a dress shirt and tailored trousers, a high-minded fashion move with a jolt of Scandinavian cool. And of course, the one thing a zip sweater will always have over its metal-free cousins is the ability to open and close as the temperature climbs and falls—some much needed versatility during fall’s ever-unpredictable conditions.
The Deck Shoes
The deck shoe’s appeal is pretty obvious: it boasts no splashy logos, no tech-age fabrics, and no extra paneling or ergonomic curves beyond what’s entirely necessary to keep your foot in place and help prevent untimely slips, whether you’re hopping aboard a schooner or hustling to a brunch reservation after a light fall shower. There’s a reason mood board legends like Paul Newman swore by them—but unlike, say, Newman’s sought-after Rolexes, there’s nothing “grail-worthy” about the ’em, in the best way possible.
The Trench Coat
Decades before the kids on TikTok were showering in their Arc’teryx, trench coats were the first line of wardrobe defense against all kinds of hellish weather. When they were issued to British soldiers during World War I, trench coats were long, double-breasted, and cut from gabardine, a durable cotton cloth you might call the Gore-Tex of its era. But in the time since, trench coats became prized for their civilian benefits too: roomy enough to drape easily over a razor-sharp suit, elegant enough to class up a hoodie and jeans, and warm enough to wear during anything shy of a full-blown blizzard.
The Lightweight Fleece
Fleece jackets were once the exclusive remit of dads and crunchy climber types with tips on sleeping in a Subaru’s trunk. Those folks have our gratitude—bundling up in a fuzzy pullover is one of the kindest things you can do for yourself in the depths of a surprisingly brisk fall. But this fall, our heads are being turned less by the plush, rug-depth fleeces of family campfires, and more by the stealthy, slips-under-a-jacket type fleece that is capable of intense, rapid warmth—but can also pack down capably into even the most space-restricted tote.
The Denim Jacket
So secure is the denim jacket in its status as a core component of the stylish guy’s fall wardrobe, we knew it could handle being at the bottom of this list. Whatever you call them—jean jackets, denim jackets, trucker jackets—the all-American stalwart is the longtime layering MVP of every fall fit. Honestly, adding one to your closet makes looking hot while leaf-stomping almost too easy.
