5 Fall/Winter Fashion Trends Worth Adding to Cart
FALL FASHION
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After combing through the fall runway collections and more coffee-fueled try-ons than I can count, I keep landing on five trends that actually solve real-life dressing and refresh your 2025 fall wardrobe without trying too hard. The Preppy Academia trend earns weekday space in your closet with crisp shirting, disciplined knits, and heritage plaids that bring quiet, old-money polish to your fall outfits without the fuss. Sculpted Silhouettes, which dominated the runways of Schiaparelli and Givency, bring back expert tailoring after seasons of oversized structure, reminding us that a defined waist or rounded skirt edits proportions, making your fall style feel fresh. Meanwhile, the Modern Romance fall fashion trend adds movement and depth to your fall wardrobe with lace, satin, and tapestry textures that read elegant from first meeting to last call. The standout in outerwear this season is the funnel-neck jacket, the stealth power layer I trust with its tall collar framing the face and streamlining whatever is underneath. Finally, when it comes to fall color trends, Technicolor Pops of Electric Hues supply the mood shift we’ve been waiting for: one saturated hit of red, purple, cobalt, or lime green that wakes up neutrals and makes last year’s staples feel new.
Read on for the five Fall 2025 trends I’m actually adding to cart because they work hard, look current, and slide effortlessly into the closet you already have.
2025 Women’s Fall Fashion Trends
Top 5 Trends
Fall pieces featured by Favorite Daughter, Rabanne, Nour Hammour, and Rat & Boa.
1. Preppy Academia
Collegiate polish has grown up. Crisp shirts sit under tailored blazers, ribbed knits and corduroy add texture, and heritage checks bring a quiet authority. Plaid shows up in sharp jackets and trenches, while crests, patch pockets, and slim ties underline the school code without tipping into costume. The palette stays classic in navy, charcoal, camel, and oxblood, finished with loafers or polished derbies for a precise, real-life uniform.
Runway Receipts: Miu Miu, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Bally set the preppy tempo with book-smart accessories and layered shirting, while Auralee, Khaite, Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, and Burberry sharpened the code with crisp blazers, disciplined knitwear, corduroy, and heritage plaid.
2. Modern Romance
Fall 2025 blends soft romance with a wanderer’s ease. Lace, georgette, and liquid satin meet tapestry textures, eyelet, suede, and rich embroidery, creating clothes that feel poetic yet lived in. Silhouettes stay fluid and elongated with movement through sleeves and skirts, and the palette leans into cocoa, aubergine, antique ivory, and deep navy. It is a mood that reads romantic without fuss and bohemian without drifting into costume.
Runway Receipts: Chloé, Isabel Marant, and Etro set the bohemian pace with fluid layers and tapestry textures, while Valentino, Christian Dior, Simone Rocha, Alexander McQueen, Alberta Ferretti, and Erdem advanced the modern romance story with lace, chiffon, and elongated silhouettes.
3. Funnel Neck Jackets
A tall, sculpted collar is the season’s cleanest power move. The funnel neck jacket frames the face, sharpens the shoulder line, and streamlines everything from leather bombers to polished wool coats. It reads like modern armor, yet it is unmistakably refined, which is why it keeps appearing across daywear and evening pieces alike.
Runway Receipts: Victoria Beckham, Gucci, and Johanna Parv put the funnel neck front and center, while Max Mara, Ferragamo, and The Row refined the silhouette with face-framing stand collars across leather bombers and precise wool coats.
4. Sculpted Silhouettes
Designers are shaping the body again—cinched waists, drop-waist dresses, and rounded skirts that move with intent. Think hourglass jackets over column skirts or a drop-waist ball skirt paired with a lean turtleneck. The effect is precise rather than prim: architectural lines that make everyday outfits feel edited.
Runway Receipts: Schiaparelli, Givenchy and Ashlyn led the charge on nipped, curved tailoring while Alaïa, Undercover, Saint Laurent and Comme des Garçons explored sculptural volume.
5. Electric Color
After years of beige, saturated color returns with conviction. Chili red is the headliner, but aubergine purple, slime green, cobalt blue, and deep mocha brown round out the palette. If head-to-toe color isn’t your thing, anchor a neutral look with one bold piece—a crimson coat, a cobalt knit, or a purple skirt—and keep accessories quiet.
Runway Receipts: Altuzarra, Saint Laurent, Gucci, Dries Van Noten, Tom Ford, and Anna Sui embraced palettes of chili red, rich mocha browns, and electric purple, complemented by neon green, while blues of all kinds rounded out the mix.
More Trends You’ll Spot This Season…
Faux Fur and Shearling
Plush is back, but the smartest interpretation lives in details: a shearling collar on a tailored coat, a fur-effect stole slung over suiting, cuffs that add volume to otherwise clean lines. It’s an easy way to modernize outerwear you already own and a very efficient route to “I made an effort” on cold mornings.
Runway Receipts: Fendi opened its centenary with statement shearling; Miu Miu, Gucci, and Valentino echoed the theme; Gucci, Fendi, and Tod’s backed the plush outerwear story; Magda Butrym added shearling over soft separates.
Corporate 2.0
Workwear gets its swagger back. Jackets are cinched, shoulders are assertive, and skirt suits are long and lean. The styling is what makes it feel now: a brooch at the lapel, an oversized scarf tucked under the blazer, or a sleek belt to sharpen the waist. It’s boardroom energy you’ll wear to dinner.
Runway receipts: Stella McCartney staged office-sirens; Calvin Klein revived ’90s minimalist workwear; Michael Kors and Carolina Herrera glamorized commutes.
Skirts that Speak Volumes
Skirts are big news—literally. Rounded ball shapes, bubble hems, and “mighty midi” proportions shift volume south for a flattering silhouette that still reads modern. Keep everything up top clean (tailored knit, crisp button-down) and let the skirt carry the look.
Runway receipts: Saint Laurent’s evening lineup of nine floor-sweeping ball skirts; Chanel and others backed drop-waist drama.
Knitwear, Head to Toe
“Sweater dressing” graduates from cozy to considered. Expect ribbed midi dresses, matching knit sets with real structure, and après-ski textures reimagined for city life. Balance chunkier pieces with something refined—polished boots, a sleek shoulder bag—to keep the look from drifting into loungewear.
Runway receipts: Acne Studios, Marc Jacobs, Moncler, and Alaïa steered the “All Après Everything” knit story while Jil Sander’s micro-shorts-and-sweater styling set the tone.
Leather, Recut
Leather goes beyond the classic biker. We’re seeing boxy motos, sweeping leather trenches, pencil skirts, and tailored leather blazers with the finish of fine suiting. The best outfits use leather to ground something softer—say, a fluttery blouse or lace cami—so the contrast does the styling for you.
Runway receipts: Hermès, Tom Ford, and Saint Laurent set the tone with slick leather coats, lipstick-red trenches, and aviators, while Khaite and Ferragamo pushed boxy motos, tailored blazers, and leather skirt separates that ground softer pieces on top.
About the Author
Sarah Djafri is a fashion and beauty editor and social content creator who specializes in emerging designers, brand discovery, and trend reporting. With an eye for uncovering what’s next in fashion and a passion for testing the latest in makeup and skincare, Sarah has worked with brands such as Versed Skincare, Smashbox Cosmetics, and Dolce Vita.
