Work: The Gent’s Top 10 Fall Essentials Check List

2. The Work Shirt: A new dress shirt freshens up any suit for a new fall look. This blue/purple Tattersall from Ledbury is the perfect fall update for navy and grey suits and sport coats. Available in both trim and classic fit, the small pattern works with stripe and other pattern neckwear, like this neat spaced floral pattern Hugo Boss tie.

3. The Dress Work Pants: A well-made, nicely fitting pair of wool trousers is a must for your fall office wardrobe. Wear them with sport coats or just a nice shirt and sweater for a professional casual look. Zanella has always made one of our favorite classic fit trousers. Not only are they made in Italy from the finest Italian fabrics, the fit and attention to detail is exquisite. Available in 5 colors, we like the charcoal grey because it is so versatile, but this is an item to buy in multiple colors. Wear it with a patterned shirt and cashmere sweater for a polished office look. And it is always the perfect pant for your favorite sport coat. For a trim, contemporary fit that will fill that same need, we recommend Z Zegna’s version.

4. The Work Sweater: For all the logical reasons, sweaters are a key piece of our fall wardrobes. And they are also very classically fashionable this season, bringing in interesting texture to our everyday looks. This Peter Millar Italian Donegal (that’s the specks in the material) sweater is so soft and stylish with its leather buttons and suede elbow patches. It works great with cotton twill pants, wool dress pants and jeans – and any patterned shirt underneath. You can pick your look for the day – dressed up casual or just plain ole’ casual.

5. The Casual Work Pants: Flat front cotton chinos have become a staple at the office, and continue in importance this season. Bonobos is known for their fit and quality – they started as a pants line. This is one of our favorites from them, in a wonderful Italian cotton fabric and dress pant construction, which is perfectly suitable for a client meeting. The fit is classic and the silhouette is modern, with a straight leg. Available in many colors, we like the dark grey for its versatility – grey is also a big color season, which we’ll be talking about more next week. Wear these pants with a tweed sport coat or quarter zip sweater and shirt. For an office-ready chino that is truly contemporary in fit, AG Jeans has a great khaki one.

6. The Work Coat: For those rainy fall days, everyone needs a great trench. This lightweight version from Hugo Boss will certainly do the trick. It is shorter than the old trench you may have in your closet, but still long enough to fit over a suit or sport coat – a must for a work trench. It even has an outside zip top pocket for a phone or iPod. While clearly a modern style, it has a classic look that makes it great for your everyday work needs. Trench coats are a strong trend this season, but they are always a good investment, so you’ll surely wear it for years to come.

7. The Work Shoe: It is often said that a bad pair of shoes can ruin an outfit. And we completely agree. Make sure your work shoes are updated and polished, by going with this plain toe oxford from To Boot New York. The clean look of a lace up is the direction of the season and works well with all your suits and sport coats. This style even works with your khaki's.

8. The Work Bag: Besides your shoes, few things say more about you than your briefcase or whatever you haul to work. There are so many choices, from sleek leather briefcases to backpacks. We know function is just as important as looks though, so how much you bring back and forth is a major factor in your choice. Assuming you have a laptop and normal amount of “stuff”, we recommend this cotton canvas, leather trimmed bag from Rag & Bone. It has a padded laptop compartment and a variety of sections and pockets to hold your papers, pens and keys. The leather trim takes it up notch while the canvas makes it durable and practical. The subtle pop of blue is very updated - you won’t lose it among the sea of black bags in your office.

9. The Work Accessory (Watch): Jewelry is an increasing important part of any gent’s wardrobe. A watch is the single most visible piece of “jewelry” a guy wears. The trend of larger faces continues this season. Since this is often the only jewelry worn, we like to have options – and they won’t all be a Rolex (unfortunately). Skagen makes a great quality piece, so it’s an ideal line to pick up some fashion, like this chronograph. The face is 40mm - big, but not too big, so it looks great with a suit. And the cleaner face, without a multitude of dials and a little pop of red, looks really sharp with all types of business wear. It is also well-priced so you can afford to buy a watch for your casual outfits, too.

10. The Work Accessory (Belt): Along with everything else, belts are on a diet – narrower belts work better with all the trimmed down ties, lapels and pants that are so current. If your dress belt is 1 ½ inches or more, it’s time for an update. The leather on this Magnanni is exquisite. The back side is also lined in leather which makes the belt slide on easier and wear much longer. The buckle is classic and will look good with all your dress wear and dressy casual pants. This is an easy way to update your office look.