Brown Is Autumn's Most Wearable Shade – Here Are Our Must-Have Pieces

There's no two ways about it: brown is the dominant shade of AW18 and you'll be hard-pressed to escape it this season. From JW Anderson's chocolate exposed-zip coat to Sies Marjan's fluid chestnut jumpsuit, via Eckhaus Latta's tawny skirt suit and Marni's Matrix-esque trench coat, designers went wild for brown in all its hues. How did the staid shade – one we associate most with our Brownie uniform – end up feeling super contemporary and cool?

"There was a definite nod to the '70s happening across the runway, and it feels more modern than black," Ida Petersson, Womenswear Buying Director of Browns, told Refinery29. Look to Natacha Ramsay-Levi’s new Chloé girl for the best of '70s style, all corduroy jackets and printed blouses.

"Additionally, what every fashion girl should know is that brown is a great alternative to black for winter and rather than draining you it warms your features." The universally flattering shade not only suits every skin tone – ginger hues zing on pale skin, and darker skin tones make caramel shades pop – but also looks great paired with brighter colours like fuchsia or electric blue.

So how will we be wearing the fittingly autumnal trend? Elizabeth von der Goltz, Global Buying Director of Net-A-Porter says that the items of the season are "a camel coat, Loewe's Gate Bag or Chloé's Tess, and Gianvito Rossi's boots." Other labels we're looking to include Nanushka for its vegan and machine-washable leather, and Marques'Almeida.

On the high street, everywhere from Zara to & Other Stories has brown sewn up, from cinnamon to cedar. The former has a workwear-appropriate skirt which you'll have to prise from our hands come spring, and Mango has an empire-line dress that will flatter all.

Click through to find our must-have pieces from this season's most wearable trend.