The Fall/Winter 2026 Trends And How To Wear Them Now

“The overarching mood across fashion month for fall/winter ’26 felt polished and expressive, while also making a shift away from the more extreme trends that we’ve seen in previous seasons, towards a more wearable aesthetic,” says Brigitte Chartrand, NET-A-PORTER’s chief buying and merchandising officer. “Slim tailoring and structured silhouettes dominated the runways, balanced by luxurious textures such as velvet, charmeuse, shearling and head-to-toe leather. Color also became more expressive, with chartreuse, deep red and rich purple appearing throughout collections. As expected, statement outerwear was key and we saw lots of nods to the ’80s, with many brands referencing their archive.” Read on for more…

A darkly romantic, gothic glamour began in London with Erdem, Pauline Dujancourt and Simone Rocha, becoming the thread that stitched the season together. Picture Margot Robbie’s Cathy Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights on a night out in 2026 and you’ll get the mood. In fact, many fashion editors at Simone Rocha’s show lamented that the Irish designer hadn’t been the one to create the costumes for Emerald Fennell’s ultra-stylised revival of the literary classic. Rocha’s gorgeous fall offering was as whimsical and romantic as we’ve come to expect – this time with a side serving of athleisure courtesy of an Adidas Originals collaboration. In Milan, Demna’s Gucci debut signaled his intentions to take the house back to its sensual, Tom Ford-era glory with second-skin silhouettes in an inky palette, filtered through his signature subversive lens. While in Paris, Saint Laurent and Tom Ford co-signed on this trend with latex, lace and evening dresses styled with vampy collars.

Each season brings fresh color focuses and for fall, the palette has evolved from spring’s poppy primary colors to sophisticated bottle green, ochre, scarlet and purple. Colors that help paint the story of the gothic, romantic and nostalgic mood that played out on the runways, as well as pairing perfectly with all the lace, velvet, leather and rich brocades. Whether worn head-to-toe for maximum drama or used as just a styling accent to enliven neutral pieces, they make a compelling case for weaving more color into your wardrobe. Embrace the trend for purple and red as seen at Willy Chavaria with Magda Butrym’s bouclé mini dress and grape accessories or try Versace’s racer-back tank with a pair of red pants.

Fall’s over-the-knee boots are so long they could be mistaken for pants, with Givenchy most convincingly tricking the eye. This season, many designers moved away from oversized silhouettes – with The New York Times’ chief fashion critic Vanessa Friedman simply stating “oversize is over” – and ultra-tall, ultra-narrow boots are the perfect pairing for streamlined silhouettes. On the runways, they came in soft suede to nail the folk revival and smooth leather to complete sleek evening looks. For daytime, look to Christen’s slouchy ‘Santiago’ boots or Tom Ford’s buckled leather pair to pep up weekend outfits or elevate workweek tailoring with a heeled pair by Aquazzura or Toteme.

From patchworked brocades reminiscent of centuries-old tapestries to elaborate embroideries and decorative fringing, there was an abundance of antique and vintage references on the fall/winter ’26 runways. Erdem (who celebrates his 20th anniversary this season) took fragments from past collections, themselves inspired by women throughout history, and pieced each one together to create silhouettes that felt at once nostalgic and inherently modern. Elsewhere, Julian Klausner looked at 16th-century Antwerp and Flemish still life paintings through the lens of teenage discovery and Daniella Kallmeyer explored the beauty to be found in family heirlooms, even referencing a dress handmade by her grandmother. Channelling the mood, Jil Sander’s exquisite floral-jacquard shirt is a chic way to elevate off-duty denim and workwear alike, while Erdem’s crinkled satin midi skirt looks gorgeous paired with a silk-trimmed cami in the evening. Not forgetting Dries Van Noten’s ornate strapless top in contrasting floral jacquard fabrics, which gained instant cult status. Wear it layered over a shirt to work with a slip skirt or pair it with simple cigarette pants for an effortless evening look.

This fall, gloves need to be at least elbow length – bonus points for bicep height. At Max Mara, all 45 looks were styled with long suede gloves, while at Sportmax, Balenciaga, Ralph Lauren and Khaite, extravagant gloves served as a key finishing touch to many looks. It’s an accessory that was spotted between shows too with tastemakers wearing theirs with everything from short-sleeved shirts to trench coats, proving how impactful this simple but sophisticated styling trick can be. Make a statement with Anna Sui’s leopard-print gloves or keep things classic with Nour Hammour’s pair in butter-soft burgundy leather.