To wit, fall is when getting dressed gets good again. 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 never in danger of losing their September spots, but some newcomers have forced their way into a spot in the starting lineup for feeling especially on point. So this year we also convened a special meeting of the GQ braintrust to discuss the categories that feel genuinely essential for the totally unprecedented meteorological event they’re calling…Fall 2026.
That means western-leaning flannel shirts (and cooler cotton plaids) and weightier chinos, along with of-the-moment graphic tees and other timely additions. In other words, it means 84 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
The Cotton Plaid Shirt
First off, a note for the pedants among us: plaid and flannel are not, in fact, the same thing. Plaid is a pattern. Flannel is a fabric. A shirt can be plaid but not flannel, flannel but not plaid or, as is so often the case, both. Now that we’ve cleared that up, fall is prime time for checks of every persuasion. There’s an embarrassment of styles to choose from in every colour and weight, from heavier heritage tartans to thinner cotton twills to silk-infused flannels. Wear yours buttoned up, open over a tee or poking out from under a sweater.