We may still be basking in the sweltering summer heat, but the fashion editor inside of me is already thinking forward to the exciting fall season ahead, specifically to the clothes and accessories I should be investing in now that will carry me through the upcoming months in utmost style.

One of the easiest ways to transition into the new season is with a chic accessory—one that can amp up your summer outfit and give it a trendy fall spin. Below, I’m sharing some of the biggest accessory trends that caught our eye from the fall 2021 collections that you’ll undoubtedly want to be spotted in this upcoming season. From puffy pillow-like bags to oversize shades and chic hair scarves, these are the types of accessories you can add to your cart today and slowly integrate into your wardrobe between now and fall. Get ahead of the fashion curve, and shop our favorite accessories before everyone else.

Deep-scrolling through TikTok or a trend guide cements one fact: Y2K fashion is back. Sure, we may still be slightly traumatized by low-rise denim and exposed G-strings, but it’s all part of the moment. What makes a trend “of the moment” moves far beyond the cyclical nature of fashion. A bevy of things is required to make it happen. No one was thinking about going near anything aughts-related until it was trending on TikTok or championed as the Hot Girl Summer aesthetic by rappers like Megan Thee Stallion. But beyond the social influence, historically speaking, after any form of mass upheaval—pandemics, warfare, or recessions—clothing becomes, well, over-the-top. (See the recent rise in risqué trends.) This is why I’m placing bets that the next big trend will be rhinestone swimsuits. 

Sparkly swimsuits in every form—embellished, sequin, chain-mail, and rhinestone—had a hold on us in the Y2K era. There was one point in fashion history when runways, red carpets, films, and private islands were filled with celebrities wearing itty-bitty rhinestone bikinis. But the case for bringing back blinged-out rhinestone swimwear was unwarranted… until now.  If you’re not convinced, ahead we’re showing how rhinestone swimsuits (and other examples of embellished swimwear) were the epitome of peak-aughts style, how they’re coming back, and where to buy the 2020s version now.

Everyone has that one item that immediately gives them a ready-to-take-on-the-world attitude the second they put it on. It may be a pair of perfect-fitting jeans or a chic statement accessory or even a specific lipstick shade. For Beija Velez, basketball player turned model turned L.A. cool girl, it has always been a pair of fresh sneakers. The self-declared sneakerhead owns—wait for it—over 300 pairs of kicks and counting.

I was 0% surprised to discover that her current favorite pair is none other than Balmain’s BBold sneakers. The name is fitting, as the elevated, chunky-sole shoes really do inspire whoever is wearing them to be bold and use fashion for self-expression, something that Velez has been promoting for years. I can’t think of a better time to invest in a pair of footwear that elevates not only your looks but your confidence, too. And if you’re going to buy luxury shoes, a pair of sneakers you can wear every single day is a guilt-free choice.