Autumn’s Biggest Fashion Trends Include Business-Core Basics & Buckles

While we may still be living in a world of the Barbie-coloured, mermaid-inspired, poolside-lounging looks of summer, autumn will be upon us before we know it. According to the autumn 2023 collections, the best in fashion for the autumnal season includes all things sleek and sophisticated, though not without opportunity for a sparkly twist. 

We’re getting started on our autumn/winter attire by revisiting the biggest looks from the runways of New York to Paris and beyond. From Valentino betting big on shades of red to an enthusiastic embrace of serious suiting (and ties!) by the likes of Alexander McQueen and Dior, expect ensembles that are both bold and elevated this autumn. Keep scrolling for a list of the top autumn/winter 2024 trends to add to your closet now.

Get ready for a Shiv Roy kind of a autumn (Succession may be over, but its grip on the sartorial zeitgeist is not). Think: polished power suits, blazers over turtlenecks, button-downs, pencil skirts, and business totes. Dior, Alexander McQueen, Valentino and GCDS endorsed ties to complete the business core look, while Saint Laurent, Dries Van Noten, Tods, and Marc Jacobs made a case for pinstripes. 

The bevy of belts and buckles on the autumn/winter 2023 runways are likely derivatives of last season’s enthusiastic embrace of both utilitarian attire and biker fashion. The hardcore hardware is an edgy upgrade for your shoes and accessories à la Givenchy, Alaïa, and Peter Do, but we’re also seeing these bold details turned into dress straps, fringed hems, and outfit enhancements and enclosures by designers like Monse and Blumarine.

There’s something innately romantic about putting on that cosy autumn knitwear as the leaves begin to change colour. Add to that a visible hint of skin, and you’ve got yourself a look that’s anything but boring. Everyone from Rejina Pyo and Zimmerman to Victoria Beckham, Ralph Lauren, and Balmain is showing extra love to off-the-shoulder ensembles this autumn in the form of floor-grazing frocks, structured tops, and, of course, classic knit jumpers.

Add a daring pop of colour to your autumn/winter wardrobe with a pair of bright tights. There was hosiery in shades of orange and pink at Versace, green and blue at Miu Miu, purples at red at Rochas, and magenta and yellow at Rev. Added bonus: You don’t need a big budget to participate in this big-impact trend.

Red really is the colour of desire this season thanks to a number of standout looks by Valentino. The fashion house that was responsible for making Barbie Pink a thing way before the movie hit screens is now endorsing a new shade for autumn. And if that’s not reason enough to get behind all things love- and cherry-coloured, perhaps the fact that industry heavyweights like Jacquemus, Stella McCartney, Lanvin, Loewe, and Prada are all on board will do the trick. The list goes on. 

It is a simple fact of nature that, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction (thanks, Sir Isaac Newton!). The rule applies to fashion, too. In response to the rise of Barbiecore in all its hot-pink glory this past spring and summer, the autumn/winter runways were awash with ultra-wearable neutrals: whites and blacks, chocolates and creams, greys and dark greens. A signature of the perennially cool quiet luxury aesthetic, these sleek shades are making us want to max out on minimalism this season, as demonstrated by Marc Jacobs, Alaia, Paul Smith and Hermès.

Style from the past few years has been largely defined by the Y2K trends that dominated the early 2000s, but we’re noticing a gradual and chronological shift toward fashion from the 2010s in more recent collections. See: trending high-low silhouettes (Versace and Rochas); peplum shapes (Brandon Maxwell and Tove); and ruffled, asymmetrical hemlines (Acne Studios and Coach).

Each January, tenniscore briefly enters the trend cycle for its annual celebration of the Australian Open. In 2024, it's back, but with a more wearable and layered approach that will see it last through autumn and winter. At Miu Miu, short- and long-sleeved polos were layered underneath t-shirts, light knit sweaters, and oversized blazers. Meanwhile, The Row showed a lightweight pink cashmere polo, and Diesel veered more overtly towards 'blokecore', opting for a retro-style rugby polo.

Over-the-knee boots regularly pop in and out of style, but in autumn 2024, you'll be seeing them in a new light. The autumn/winter 2023 shows last February saw Bottega Veneta, Loewe, and Khaite send black over-the-knee boots down the runway, but the shows (specifically, KNWLS and David Koma at London Fashion Week) in September featured bolder iterations of the classic boot, with neon hues and slouchy silhouettes.

Perhaps it's also no coincidence that Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have worn over-the-knee boots throughout both of their highly publicised tours in the past year, with the former wearing everything from bedazzled architectural boots to a comparatively muted patent black on-stage.