With lacklustre weather and a fleeting opportunity to fully embrace summer styles, it’s no surprise that we’re already anticipating the arrival of next season’s clothing. The reality is that autumn pieces are incredibly versatile, even for now, and can seamlessly blend into our so-called summer wardrobes, extending their wearability well into the coming months. Clothing suited to tick the transeasonal boxes arrives in stores already under the preseason guise, giving a taster of the trends we can expect to dominate the rails.
While discussing the cosiest layers that will shield you from the cold might be a little premature, one knitwear piece can easily be worn now for chillier days as an alternative to a heavy jacket: the cardigan. A mainstay of the catwalks, cardigans have shaken off their cutesy, frumpy connotations and will become a staple for autumn styling with straight-leg denim or full skirts.
Full, flared skirt styles rendered in everything from leather to satin flounced down the runway at Valentino, Marni, Bottega Veneta and Prada, heralding the return to ladylike, feminine shapes. The skirts’ styling was far from retro; they were paired with oversized knits, crisp collared polo shirts, and buttoned-up jackets. Full skirts were also paired with a pointed courts – a key silhouette in the autumn 20024 footwear realm for many designers and a shoe that can be adopted for now before it turns to boot season.
Prada, Miu Miu, Celine, Simone Rocha, and Marc Jacobs showcased more classic forms of femininity, referencing the 1950s and 1960s with prim and proper pieces that wouldn’t have been amiss on Jackie Kennedy. Think refined and restrained styles like skirt suits, faux-fur shawls, duchess satin dresses, pearls a-plenty and elbow-crooked handbags.
More practical for chiller temperatures, designers including Jil Sander opted for covered-up legs in floor-skimming trousers. Wide-leg and barrel styles were the trousers of choice for Max Mara, Stella McCartney, and Michael Kors.
But it wasn’t just full skirts that brought the flounce. Chloe revealed a haute bohème collection that instantly became one of the most talked-about shows. Already spotted on A-listers on the red carpet, the collection will undoubtedly filter down the high street in frilled blouses, maxi dresses and knee-high boots.
For evening dressing, designers suggested suiting with classic tuxes or riffs on Le Smoking, a term coined by Saint Laurent that introduced the concept of women wearing tuxedos. Versace, Valentino and House of Dagmar all showed the satin lapel in deconstructed styles like tux dresses, while Louis Gabriel Nouchi, Khatie and Loewe played with proportions with oversized and cropped styles, giving a more modern twist to the timeless tux.
If you’re looking for a worthy everyday jacket that will seamlessly blend into your wardrobe rotation now and happens to be one of autumn’s biggest trends, then the leather jacket is just that. Biker styles were spotted at Prada and JW Anderson. But if you’d prefer an alternative to the classic style, bombers and pea coats were all decked out in supple, sumptuous leather at Loewe and Prada.
When it comes to the hot hues and prints for the season ahead – we see a khaki comeback with earthy tones of olive and moss popularised by Bottega Veneta, Gucci and Saint Laurent. Zesty lime and neon also made a surprise appearance at Prada and Alexander McQueen. Fiery red is replaced by deep-dark shades of burgundy and oxblood, which looks fresh and timely when paired with shades of powder pink or cream.
Did you think mob wife was a fleeting trend? Think again. Make way for the winter “mob wife” era, with faux fur a significant component of the look and leopard print, seen at multiple shows including Dior, Zimmerman, Acne, and Michael Kors, and already across the high street.
If your style is more “lady of the manor” than mob wife, heritage tweeds, checks, aran and argyle knits that conjure up cosy country weekends were touted at Chloe, Tommy Hilfiger, JW Anderson and Burberry. Wear now in the form of a check blazer thrown over jeans and a T-shirt before you replace it for a heavier heritage-check tinged coat come winter.
