As the leaves change colour, and temperatures drop, we know it’s a time when wardrobes evolve to embrace warmth and comfort, and this is the perfect time to decode trends for the upcoming season. Fashion is cyclic and while some trends go, other age-old ones return with fresh iterations. Last year, nostalgia and a throwback to the 2000s and Y2K fashion remained popular for Autumn/Winter 23-24, but this year, it’s a return to classic styles. There is an infatuation with tailoring, minimalist elegance and tone-on-tone looks in a neutral palette.
For Fall/Winter 2024, the collections have a chic approach and there is a renewed interest in wardrobe staples such as long coats, tailored blazers, double denim, lace and non-conformist fashion like skirts for men and tartans for women. In terms of colour, red is making a bold statement, while beige remains a constant. So pull out your warm fuzzy jackets, and statement accessories because fall/winter fashion is here! From cosy layers, sustainable choices, and bold statements, Winter 2024 fashion trends ensure we step out in style.
Men
Cargo Pants
As military-inspired fashion makes its way back onto the runways as well as retail, cargo pants emerge as a key item for the upcoming Fall/Winter 2023 season. Brands are modernising the practical and functional garment with features that include wide-legged cuts, high-waisted silhouettes and alternative material choices. Its comfortable silhouette and modernised evolutions make it an ideal choice that appeals to a wider audience and environment, cementing its place as a wardrobe staple.
Burgundy Hues
A rich, deep shade of red that has been associated with royalty through the medieval and renaissance era, the shade is back in vogue for fall/winter 2023-24. Being a versatile and gender-neutral colour the trend has been presented in a plethora of fabrics including silk, leather, velvet and more. Louis Vuitton also presented an updated take on a mix between a long coat and blazer paired with a handbag, bucket hat and footwear in the same hue, and Zara has jumped in on the trend.
The Maxi Coat
Trench coats are timeless classics that have transcended the notion of time, and this season, they got longer in length. Almost to be called the Maxi Coat, a star piece, it goes down to the floor and sweeps the ground, preferably cut in a beautiful wool. Featuring a classic, timeless aesthetic, designers are updating long coats for the upcoming season by offering more oversized and deconstructed silhouettes in vibrant colours and featuring bold graphic prints.
Casablanca brought out the artist within with vibrant colour mashups and patterns, Givenchy played around with faux fur variations, and faux leather and patent leather variations also feature high as seen at JW Anderson. Striking graphic prints caught our eye at Alexander McQueen and Dhruv Kapoor.
Skirts for men
Adding a Scottish allure to fashion are skirts for men in fair isle and tartan prints. Today, the skirt is omnipresent and is often sported layered over pants in matching colours and tones. Keeping in the limelight pleated wrap skirt, the trend is not an easy one to sport, but if you are experimental and sartorial, why not?
Women
Something Red
Want to know about ‘the colour of the season’? There's no doubt amongst fashion insiders that the real on-trend hue for autumn is red. Not a soft red, or a ruby but good old-fashioned scarlet. Red has been ubiquitous throughout the fashion shows and is predicted to be a sweeping trend this season. Designers were seeing red this season, taking the bold hue beyond the classic red dress and putting it on fresh silhouettes, like silky floor-length slip-dresses. Wear it head-to-toe for bonus points.
Bold Shoulders
Whether worn during the day or night, the graphic shoulder designs emphasized the face and brought a sense of rhythm to the looks that were in tune with winter desires. The 1980’s the era-defining shoulder pad is back in an outrageously big way, and this year they are pushed to a new extreme.
Denim on Denim
Denim is a trend that will never die down. For 2023-2024, double denim is a vibe. Donning a head-to-toe denim look is the theme. The only rule of thumb? Choose similar shades for a flawless look.
Tartan Checks
Tartan, a classic pattern often associated with Great Britain, has made a comeback in the Fall/Winter 2023-24 Fashion Week. Designers on the catwalks have reimagined the traditional woollen fabric, with creative and innovative designs. The fabric was present on oversized tweed coats, draped as a cape, a tube skirt and a lavalier-collared shirt. This trend is surely transporting us back to the Swinging London era of the 1950s and 1960s.
Polka dots
We're going back to the '50s! The polka dot print, inspired by the '50s era was seen on many catwalks this season, reworked to stay in line with the fashion demands of 2023. From white polka dots on black tweed blazers, the classic black-and-white combo has been reworked in many ways.