I am not going to focus on a particular outfit because I challenge myself to buy such versatile clothing items that I never have to wear the same outfit twice. That actually is usually my only requirement while I sift through my wardrobe.

So, I have chosen a few of my absolute favorite garments: a bracelet-sleeved, black-and-white coat for fall, a mustard potato-sack frock, calf-high tan leather boots, my collection of tights—my must-have for years—and a gray men's fedora.

I live in this coat. It's warm and the black-and-white pattern allows me to pair it with practically anything in my closet. I love the wrist-cut, which is extremely 1940s-inspired but updated for this fall season. It looks great with gloves and a patterned long sleeve that peaks out from the sleeves. Also, it pours where I go to school, so a hood is essential to my winter coat. I bought this at Anthropologie, my favorite clothing store. It was a birthday gift from my parents. Originally, it cost $298, but my sister manages an Anthropologie branch, so I got the coat for $180 with the discount.

My mustard frock that looks like a potato sack looks great layered for the fall and tightened with a belt. I love the bright color and material, a tweed. I also prefer when dresses have pockets. The button detail on the back adds a modish look to the dress. I found this at an H&M in Holland while I was traveling with my study-abroad friends. It cost 40 euro which translates to around $55, a total steal!

I recently bought these Frye boots at a local boutique where I go to school. I have always wanted a pair of Fryes for their authentic feel and durability. So, I splurged. These go great with more than I thought. I wear them with skinny jeans, dresses, skirts and against tights. Their rich color can contrast with particular shades, so I usually refrain from wearing them bright colors. They originally retailed for $310, but I got them half off.

I swear by tights. And this mantra is validated with my hefty collection of them: colored, patterned and textured. I hate leggings, so my legs have to keep warm some way. Everyone needs one good pair of black opaque tights for everyday ensembles. I often like to wear a black outfit with a bold color such as this bright purple pair by DKNY, which cost $12 at Nordstrom.

I love hats, especially ones that are mens-inspired, including caps, berets, bucket hats and fedoras. Fedoras were wildly popular during the roaring 20s for men and have now come back to make a statement—for women. I found this gray and black-pinstriped fedora at Zara in Barcelona, Spain while traveling this summer. During my stay, I spotted several men donning the hat and found one finally in the men's section at the Spanish fast-fashion chain. The fedora is a refreshing take on a typical men's hat and looks great on females.

So here are my favorite fashion finds. I typically buy items that have a long shelf-life. I don't want to buy a super-trendy piece that will be out of style in a couple months nor something that I will wash and subsequently discover a hole because of its poor quality. A good find at Zara and H&M is fabulous at times, but I would never want garments from those stores to constitute my whole wardrobe.