Your official guide to cozying up for fall

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Your fall starter pack

Business Insider has gotten into the colder-weather spirit as the leaves fall off the trees, pumpkins abound, and your work wardrobe suddenly needs to change.

And many companies have too — from Starbucks to Amazon to Trader Joe's to Target. It's a smart business strategy as companies seem to have figured out how to increase sales during the traditional lull before the holiday season.

"It gives you another twist around the calendar and a different season to be able to get people engaged," Ronald Hill, a professor of marketing at American University's Kogod School of Business, told Business Insider in 2024.

If you need inspiration to cozy up to fall, we've got you. Here's your official guide to fall — with suggestions on what to cook, what to wear, what fragrances are in, and what home decor is out.

• Fall fashion: Stylists told us what items we should ditch from our closets right now. Sorry, ankle boots.
• Autumn in a bottle: Fall scents are all about woodsy, vanilla, and sandalwood notes. Find your new signature scent.
• Cozy couches: Seasonal decorations can get pretty tacky pretty fast. One interior designer shared which items to avoid.
• Sip, sip: We spoke to three bartenders to find out what people are ordering. Turns out, darker days call for darker spirits.
• Savory treats: Looking for a comforting soup, or maybe a sweet treat? Our food reporters tested out the best fall bites.