EDMONTON - Whether it’s down-to-earth basics, or out-of-this-world pieces rendered in daring new materials, there’s no shortage of must-haves for him and her this fall.

The season’s roster of wearables spans everything from A-line skirts and deconstructed, menswear-inspired pieces for her, to leather detailing, denim-on-denim, and large black watches for him.

There is a variety of silhouettes and fabrics to choose from, but no matter how you cut it, this year’s offerings come complete with a heavy serving of plaid.

“The ’90s are back, and plaid is such a huge part of this,” local stylist Marie Zydek says. “History always repeats itself, especially in fashion. Plaid shirts, coats and bags were all over the Fall 2014 runways.”

“This is something that carries over year after year — it is timeless,” adds Teaghan Whyte, an in-store stylist at Simons.

Her colleague, Yvonne Cowan, director of store operations at Simons, identified a muted plaid palette as the season’s fresh take on the evergreen trend, dubbing it “grunge redone.”

“This year, it’s more head-to-toe plaid as opposed to mixing the plaid with another print,” she says, transporting the timeless print to the realm of matching separates.

Yet there’s more to add to your back-to-cool shopping lists than just the beloved print.

Women can stock up on futuristic sportswear made of neoprene fabric — the material of the moment — and modern graphic prints, opting for bigger, boxier silhouettes while doing so.

“This boxy style also carries over to menswear, with neoprene and nylon fabrics cut in a boxy or bubbly fit,” adds Sam Moukhaiber, another in-store stylist for Simons.

“We are definitely seeing lots of layering for men,” he continues. “The colour scheme is jewel tones, but completely updated.”

Zydek offers cropped jackets, camel coats, leather jackets, printed sweaters and army boots as this season’s must-haves for men, while Cowan notes the importance of “heritage” menswear (think tweeds, flannels and wools) for more mature shoppers.

Just don’t confuse these options for men with normcore.

Moukhaiber says that a great pair of leather-embellished pants can go a long way this season, “or if you can afford it, full leather pants!”

Cowan also credits leather as a key player in womenswear this fall, but with a more subtle twist.

“Leather is still very prevalent, but in a modern, minimalistic way. It’s an embellishment as opposed to being the entire garment,” she says, adding that the subtlety of the trend makes dressing these pieces up or down much easier. But the real icing on the sartorial cake for women this season is the continuation of menswear-inspired dressing that gained popularity last year.

“What’s really strong for women again this year is the masculine image,” says Whyte. “Boho chic, suspenders, tweed trousers and a menswear-style vest is key — it’s suiting redone.”

But if all these style suggestions feel like an overwhelming amount of shopping, fret not; Cowan says shoppers don’t need to start their fall wardrobe from scratch to be on-trend.

“There were some great trends that carried over from last year that can simply be updated by implementing some of the hottest themes from this year,” she says.

“Look at what you have in your closet, then make notes of what’s missing or what can be updated. Then head out and ask the experts — being current doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money.”

Just don’t forget to add a nice blanket scarf to your must-buy list this year; with winter just around the corner, this popular accessory might be the most important purchase of them all.

ABOUT THIS CONTENT: This story was produced by the Edmonton Journal’s editorial department as a result of Simons’ interest in this topic. Simons was not given the opportunity to put restrictions on the content or review it prior to publication.