Your official guide to cozying up for fall

James Andrews/Getty Images Your fall starter packBusiness 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. Joi-Marie McKenzie is the editor in chief of the Life team at Business Insider, overseeing entertainment, real estate, lifestyle, health, parenting, and our Style & Success coverage.Previously, she worked for nearly a decade in network news at NBC and ABC, along with Good Morning America, where she earned an Emmy Award. McKenzie was also a senior entertainment editor at Essence magazine and deputy editor of entertainment at Insider, now known as Business Insider.While serving as deputy editor of entertainment at Insider, McKenzie earned several journalism awards and recognition. She was also nominated for the editor executive of the year in 2022 by the Drum Awards.The fifth-generation writer and editor has moderated conversations for The Paley Center for Media, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, and Barnes and Noble in New York City.McKenzie has written two books, both released by Hachette. Her first was a critically-acclaimed memoir titled "The Engagement Game," and she also wrote "The Pursuit of Porsha," the memoir of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Porsha Williams.McKenzie also sits on the board of Color Vision, an organization that helps, educates, and informs women of color in creative fields. She's also a board member of The Afro American Newspaper, which serves the Baltimore-Washington area and was founded by her great-great-grandfather, John H. Murphy Sr., a formerly enslaved Civil War veteran. Newsletters Newsletter