Remember that dork in your sixth-grade class? The one with the all-wrong hair. The one who wore plaid slacks while everyone else wore acid-washed jeans? The one who came to school dressed in a white blouse while all the other kids sported Bon Jovi T-shirts?

Yeah, that was me.

My mom was a big fan of classic clothing. As a grade-schooler, I wore barrettes in my stick-straight hair. My wardrobe consisted of corduroy wrap skirts, plaid shirts, herringbone pants and Fair Isle sweaters.

Left to my own devices, I chose harem pants, pink Lee jeans, jelly shoes and off-the-shoulder sweat shirts a la Madonna. Oh, and I teased my hair to gravity-defying heights.

When I look at pictures from the early years, I’m forced to admit: Things went downhill once I started choosing my own clothes.

Fortunately, I learned from my mistakes – granted, it took me a while. Now, I try to limit myself to one trendy piece per outfit, if that. I otherwise stick to my core wardrobe of cuffed black pants, wool trousers, tailored skirts and wear-with-all jeans. It’s idiot-proof dressing (and if you saw the pictures, you’d understand how important this is).

As I set out in search of items for my annual fall trends column, I realized that what’s in this autumn has been in forever – classic pieces such as a crisp blouse, a tailored blazer, flattering corduroys and cozy wool sweaters are the order of the day. For bargain hunters, this is a boon, because you don’t even really need to shop to have everything you need this season.

But where’s the fun in that?

The fun is in accessorizing – you can jazz up your look with velvet or ribbon details – or pick up a lacy camisole to wear under a sweater or blazer. Waist away with a silky belt – I’m smitten with the long, skinny scarves at Gap ($5.99), but I ended up finding a reversible taupe and green satin belt at Target for a buck. Add a little excitement with a sassy, classy handbag – I love the carpet bags at The Grasshopper Shop in Bangor in autumn-leaf colors, while my friend recently grabbed a fantastic green tweed and velvet bag at Target for $25.

Despite my extensive wardrobe of basics, I still have needs. Because I’m such a klutz, all of my blouses have spaghetti-sauce stains on them. What better excuse to pick up a button-down Oxford? I found my new favorite at Justice Clothing in Bangor – not only does it fit like a dream, it’s sweatshop-free and union-made. At $32, the price is right, too.

While I was there, I noticed a Fair Isle scarf that would make Mom proud – it costs $17 and bears a striking resemblance to one I recently saw in Vogue. Also mom-worthy were the tweed and boucle jackets I stumbled across at Marden’s. I grabbed a velvet-trimmed herringbone blazer for $12.66 – does it get any better than that?

Well, yes.

The best news this fall is that black is the new black. Not pink, not brown, but black. Universally slimming, always appropriate, black is back in a way that would make AC/DC proud. And there was plenty of it – skirts, cardigans, blouses – to be found on the clearance rack at T.J. Maxx.

But T.J.’s isn’t the only bargain destination out there – I had a hard time controlling my spending at Renys in Ellsworth last week, where I found fantastic lambs-wool turtlenecks from J. Crew for $16.99. I bought two, because I knew I’d wear them forever.

I would’ve bought two pairs of cords at Old Navy, but they didn’t have the color I wanted, so I ended up with one, in classic olive green. At $17.50, these are the nicest pants I’ve found for the money – nice tailoring, pretty accents at the seams and pockets, and a velvet belt, to boot. I plan to pair them with a sweet ’70s sweater that once belonged to my mom.

Of course, it’s still in style. Leave it to my mom to choose a classic.

ShopNotes

. Metropolitan Soul, a chic new boutique, has opened in the former Little Lad’s Basket space at 128 Main St. in Bangor. Owner Tracy Monaghan Darcy stocks fantastic, affordable accessories (LOVE the glass-bead bracelets), a few vintage treasures, yummy-scented candles and stylishly eclectic housewares with a city-meets-country vibe.