I'm a summer girl through and through, but I won't lie: fall has been on my mind. I know I'm not alone when I say that I've already been Pinterest-boarding my fall wardrobe and bookmarking the autumnal staples I want to buy. But I've already spent way too much money this summer, so instead of hitting up designer boutiques, I shopped every fashion person's favorite way to get luxury pieces: Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale.

If you've ever wondered how fashion people dress like a million bucks without actually spending that much, this sale is your answer. From chocolate-brown flats to camel coats to cable-knit sweaters, an elite selection of chic pieces is on such a major discount, it almost feels like cheating. Keep scrolling to shop the pre-fall staples every fashion person will be wearing come September.

Stepping outside right now may feel more like opening the oven than the front door, but that doesn't mean we're not already thinking about fall. The earliest weeks of the season are often the best time to refresh a wardrobe—not with chunky sweaters and heavy coats, but with the pieces that bridge the gap between sweltering afternoons and the first crisp mornings.

The trick is investing in styles that hint at fall without waiting for full-on sweater weather. Think suede shorts that merge one of summer's easiest silhouettes with a quintessential autumn fabric, lightweight twill jackets that add just enough coverage while remaining breathable, and long-sleeve polos that channel that back-to-school feeling in a decidedly grown-up way. Leather bags in rich seasonal hues, supple suede flats, and loafers subtly signal the shift toward fall, while lightweight knits do far more than provide warmth. Draped over the shoulders, tied around the waist, or worn on their own, they're one of the easiest ways to ease summer outfits into a new season.

Ahead, shop the first fall pieces worth wearing now—and well into October.

The world of tennis and that of fashion have been intertwined for generations. Decades ago, Chris Evert popularized the diamond line bracelet—now aptly known as the “tennis bracelet”—by wearing one, along with other jewelry, as she competed in highly publicized matches. More recently, Serena Williams made headlines for her use of colorful designs and silhouettes on the court, in partnership with athletic brands like Nike. And, today, Naomi Osaka has made the “walk out look” a headline-making affair, as she collaborates with high-fashion designers on couture-ready looks to step onto the court in, before removing them to reveal a more practical playing outfit underneath.

From London’s Wimbledon in July to New York City’s US Open in August, our summer has been filled with tennis talk—and it’s certainly influenced our wardrobes. Whether or not you’re a true tennis player yourself, sporty details have infiltrated the summer aesthetic.

I find myself reaching for tailored silhouettes like pleats and polo collars, apparel details like zips and pulls, and incorporating more technical materials and bright colors into my everyday wear.

Ahead, find the pieces worth buying as we head into fall, from true tennis dresses for a day on the court to inspired shirts that feel fit for office wear. It’s time for your wardrobe to enter its sporty era.

There's something undeniably appealing about a dress that doesn't have an expiration. While plenty of summer trends fade with the season, this year's romantic silhouettes are proving they have staying power well into fall. This season's take is refreshingly wearable, trading dramatic flourishes for thoughtful details like delicate lace trims, breezy cotton fabrics, low-waist silhouettes, and charming babydoll silhouettes.

This versatility is also what makes these frocks worth the investment. On warmer days, style them with your go-to strappy sandals and a raffia tote; as temperatures begin to cool, the same silhouettes take on an entirely different personality when layered with oversized knits and suede boots. Instead of retiring them to the back of your closet after Labor Day, they're the kind of wardrobe staples you'll continue reaching for all season long.

Fashion's ongoing embrace of romance has only made the trend easier to shop, with everyone from luxury designers to contemporary labels offering their own take on the aesthetic. Whether you're searching for a new summer favorite or a wardrobe staple that can carry you into fall, these dresses prove that the right silhouette can work far beyond a single season. Ahead, shop the romantic dress trends to buy now and wear long after summer comes to an end.

There's no denying summer pieces have merit—that’s an indisputable fact. And while flip-flops, sundresses, and mini skirts are all well and good, there’s something about dressing for the fall season that hits so much harder.

Maybe it’s an ingrained nostalgia for “back-to-school” shopping that I never quite grew out of, or perhaps we simply yearn for the comforting embrace of a chunky knit. But when I add that first pair of pony hair mules, leather jacket, and/or dark-wash jeans to my cart, I'm hit with that same familiar rush.

It's for this reason that I've been positively chomping at the bit for Nordstrom's annual Anniversary Sale—a "back-to-school" sale for the most stylish adults. The mega-retailer has marked down all of fall's most elevated trends, so you can get more for much less.

If there's one piece I'll always reach for in the warmer months, it's a simple dress. There's something about mindlessly throwing one on and walking out the door that makes me feel like I have my life together. Dresses are one of the most straightforward things you can wear—on busy days, all you have to think about are accessories.

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, which runs through August 9, has no shortage of options—and I sorted through all 4,000 to find the ones worth buying. Luncheons, showers, the office, concerts, weddings, everyday wear—it's all here, in styles that will take you well beyond the summer season. With deals this good, I guarantee you won't just be buying one.

Nothing says fall like a Barbour jacket, especially for the Royal Family. Everyone from Queen Elizabeth to Meghan Markle has stepped out in the British heritage brand’s trusty outerwear over the years, but Princess Kate might be one of Barbour's most dedicated royal fans.

Catch the Princess of Wales at a casual outdoor event and you’ll likely find her bundled up in her go-to waxed jacket, a style she’s worn on repeat since 2012. But Kate also owns three other Barbour coats ranging from a trendy twist on a trench from the Barbour x Alexa Chung collection to a navy quilted puffer jacket.

Although the temperatures are still firmly reading summer on the East Coast, there’s no better time to plan ahead than the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I might already have four Barbour jackets in my closet, but there's always room for more when the deals are this good (says everyone except my husband).

In addition to some Kate-approved coats, you’ll find huge savings on the royal warrant holder’s sweaters, tees, vests and button-up shirts—but the deals won’t last for long. Shop the Anniversary Sale now through August 9 to save big on these royally-inspired finds, below.

If you ask me, transitional dressing marks the most exciting time of year in fashion. Even before temps start to dip, I find myself daydreaming about the jackets I'll wear come fall. One of the smartest times to invest in outerwear is actually out of season—and between the 100-degree days and the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale running July 18 through August 9, there's no better time to score a great deal on one.

Fashion people know that a great jacket changes everything about an outfit. Jackets can elevate the most basic layers underneath, or do something unexpected over a simple dress. Since it doesn't look like the temps are dipping anytime soon, all I can do is shop. And honestly, with picks like these, that's not the worst consolation prize. Ahead, the 18 sale finds that are not helping my impatience one bit.

While the summer heat is still in full swing, the fashion crowd’s attention has begun shifting toward updating their fall closets. Contrasting the light linens and barely-there sandals that define warm-weather wardrobes are the first fall handbag trends featuring rich materials and even more saturated hues. If you’re not quite ready to invest in a new knit or denim staple, a statement bag can jumpstart your fall shopping and transition your summer looks.

Shape, silhouette, and color are all getting the fall treatment when it comes to fashion’s hottest handbags. From slouchy suede shoulder bags and elongated east-west silhouettes to structured bowling bags and lived-in leather carryalls, the season’s standout bags are all about relaxed sophistication. Deep shades of espresso, oxblood, and camel are emerging as the new neutrals, adding warmth and depth to everything from breezy sundresses to longline shorts.

Woven details merge the seasons, trading raffia and straw for leather and suede. The appeal of these styles lies in their versatility; these are the type of purchases that instantly make summer staples feel ready for September while remaining hero pieces long after the temperatures drop.

Consider this your sign to swap your straw tote for something a little moodier. Ahead, discover the fall bags fashion people are carrying now, from standout silhouettes and of-the-moment shades to, of course, the back-to-work tote.

As someone who lives in coastal New England, I have deemed a summer sweater a necessity that lasts well before the heat arrives and well after. Not only does a summer knit-and-shorts combo make you look like the hero in a Nancy Meyers movie, but it's, of course, incredibly functional. Summer nights can turn cool and also buggy, as the sun starts to go down, so it’s crucial to always have an extra layer at the ready, especially if you’re anywhere near water. What makes a great summer sweater that can transition into fall is, first, breathable, easy-to-wash fabrics that hold up against sun and saltwater over time. In building a capsule of these sweaters, I would suggest a variety of weights and styles ranging from casual to dressy, including some pops of color and prints for novelty. There’s no need to go crazy, but having a few sturdy options will serve you well on all different kinds of occasions for the summers to come and to bookend the seasons.

We are officially in the throes of summer—100-degree days in New York, iced matcha in hand at all times—and somehow, fall is still all I can think about. Though I'm a certified summer girl through and through, I've been catching myself daydreaming about crisp fall days, oversized sweaters, and the outfits I'll wear once the temperature finally breaks. There's something about the in-between season that always gets me thinking ahead, even while I'm still very much in flip-flops and sweat puddles.

Ahead, a few pre-fall finds worth shopping now, including fresh denim from Calvin Klein, funky bags, and fashion-girl favorites like Onitsuka Tiger sneakers.

All across Paris, women are lining up to shop Chanel's debut collection from creative director Matthieu Blazy. Inside the Fall 2026 fashion show on March 9, the designer presented 78 more looks that are bound to start another online frenzy, and some fall fashion trends, when they're finally available.

Blazy's second collection for Chanel is the opposite of a sophomore slump. It's a lineup that intrinsically gets what women want to wear: "I wish to create a canvas for women to be unapologetically who they are and who they want to be," he wrote in show notes. He delivers with pieces that make sense on crowded morning commutes or weekend meet-ups with friends, but that aren't so basic that they lose all personality. From actually-chic commuter bags to luxe drop-waist skirts, Chanel's fall 2026 show fulfills the fantasy Gabrielle Chanel created at the brand's start: "elevating the functional to high fashion." At the same time, it's setting an agenda for what everyone will be wearing next season.

If history repeats, Chanel Fall 2026 will be another collection in which online, show-day hype translates into sold-out status in boutiques worldwide. Here are the five breakout items and styling moments worth adding to your mental mood board now, before it heads to stores next fall.

The Zip-Up Jacket

Fashion people felt a rip in the space-time continuum when subway doors on Chanel's Métiers d'Art show runway opened to newcomer Bhavitha Mandava, styled in a quarter-zip sweater, jeans, and an oversized flap bag. Four months later, Chanel has decided it's time for another humble knit to get an unexpected runway upgrade.

Next fall's must-have jackets zip all the way up and come with four brass-buttoned pockets—at least, according to the opening looks on this runway. They'll feel more elevated than a fall pullover when they're paired with a coordinating knit midi skirt or dress, plus the resurgent shoe trend ahead.

The High-Vamp Heel

The shoppers flooding Chanel's Paris stores during fashion week have two items high on their wish lists: the flap bags with extra-long straps and the high vamp heels with two-tone detailing. Sizes are selling out quickly, but shoe collectors are in luck. Matthieu Blazy is bringing back the foot-hugging heel silhouette—what Marie Claire editor Lauren Tappan calls an anti-naked shoe—this fall. Updated versions replace the thin, contrasting leather border with a triangular cap-toe detail and V-cut upper. They'll add a point of interest when peeking out from beneath fall denim or roomy trousers; Chanel, however, suggests you style them front-and-center with a knee-length skirt.

The Chic Commuter Bag

The bag you carry to work every day is getting a promotion next fall. Even luxury runways get it: Carrying a striped, teddy-bear bag or a sequin tote just doesn't gel with the demands of a daily commute. So Chanel dialed back the novelty bags, sending the majority of its models down the Fall 2026 runway with a streamlined top-handle tote perched on their shoulders. They're bags for carrying a laptop in incognito mode: spacious, but not cumbersome. (And, a perfect pairing for the cropped jackets and zip-ups making the runway rounds.) Of course, the catwalk wasn't all work bags and no play: Rewind the show's stream and see if you spot the lone, compact mirror-sized minaudière.

The Matching Skirt Suit

It isn't a Chanel fashion show without a matching skirt suit. In the show notes, Blazy called them the "central canvas" of the entire collection. These, however, are not the co-ords from Gabrielle Chanel's heyday. Blazy got a little freaky with the idea of a perfectly paired collarless jacket and midi skirt, adding 3D floral embellishments or Rainbow Fish-esque plaid sequins to one set, then asymmetric, intentionally-frayed lining the next. Doubling up on a print or pattern always looks deliberate, but these matching sets invite an actual double take.

The Drop-Waist Dress

How low can a waistline go? Chanel's fall 2026 fashion show is asking. Nearly every dress—from monochromatic tank dresses to long-sleeve, bubble-hemmed jersey numbers—came with a waist that hit just above the model's knees. Some of the matching sets' pleated, drop-waist skirts barely hovered above the floor, punctuated with a skinny belt.

Make no mistake: These weren't pulled from a flapper's closet. Instead, Blazy scaled back the glitz and speakeasy glamour of his Métiers d'Art dresses with a slew of sporty, neutral cuts (and an occasional pop of color, like the bubblegum pink above). In a collection that's all about romanticizing everyday ease, Chanel's roomy drop-waist dresses make the case for trading trousers and trompe-l'œil sweatpants for a way more ladylike silhouette, while offering just as much breathing room.

Spring 2026 introduced a wave of creative director debuts. By Fall 2026, some designers were already onto their sophomore season, while others, including Demna at Gucci and Meryll Rogge at Marni, were making their first impression. Even when a collection was technically inaugural, many appeared more at ease in their roles, working in step with their teams and beginning to sharpen the vision that will define their tenure.

The conversation has moved from speculation to execution, and that shift is visible across the Fall 2026 collections. Instead of sweeping reinventions, many houses focused on refining their foundations through what they do best: precise tailoring, heritage knitwear, and the kind of outerwear that anchors a fall wardrobe year after year.

Material exploration also emerged as a defining thread. In New York, Daniella Kallmeyer developed her own shearling. In Milan, Louise Trotter experimented with sculptural textures that blended fine and technical materials. At Dior, Jonathan Anderson staged a collection inspired by a “walk in the park,” layering brocades, embroideries, and lamé into reinterpretations of the house’s feminine codes. Bar jackets returned with subtle adjustments and a peplum shape that is quickly becoming part of his evolving signature.

The season feels confident rather than theatrical. The most compelling Fall 2026 fashion trends emphasize clarity, craft, and a renewed focus on what each house does best. Tailoring is sharper. Knitwear leans into the classics. Coats reclaim their role as the season's defining statement. Together, the collections signal a moment when designers are no longer introducing themselves. They're settling in and showing their point of view.

Fairest of Them All

Fair Isle, the remote Shetland island known for its intricate knitting tradition, has long been part of winter dressing. The geometric, multi-color motif usually appears when temperatures drop. This season, though, the heritage pattern is simply everywhere.

Designers approached it from every angle. Altuzarra showed classic sweater versions. Khaite sent out embellished knits that sparkled under the lights. Marni pushed the idea further with knit underwear, while Brandon Maxwell offered a quieter take in soft neutrals.

The Fair Isle sweater suddenly feels essential again. It works just as well layered under a sharp blazer as it does worn on its own. Options run the gamut from designer versions to contemporary labels and vintage finds on Etsy. Either way, the message is clear: the heritage knit has returned.

Material Goods

Rarely do we see what happens behind the scenes in the months leading up to a runway collection. This season, the result was obvious; the material was the story. Heritage houses like Bottega Veneta and Dior leaned into the strength of their ateliers and sourcing teams, pushing fabric, texture, and surface treatment to the forefront.

Rich tapestry brocades appeared alongside engineered faux furs that looked and felt as plush as the real thing, a win for anyone who prefers their luxury cruelty-free. Designers also played with finish and construction through undone hems, sculptural ruffles, and bursts of feathers. The effect felt tactile and expressive, a reminder that great fashion often begins with a really exceptional fabric.

Tailor Made

Hand in hand with exceptional fabric came equally strong tailoring. Coats, blazers, matching sets, and pencil skirts appeared across the runways, cut with the kind of precision that makes a piece look custom rather than mass-produced.

These are the kinds of garments that work hard in a wardrobe. A blazer paired with a pencil skirt. A sharply cut coat thrown over simple separates. Pieces that hold their shape and elevate everything around them.

Much of that confidence comes down to the houses behind the clothes. Designers like Simone Bellotti at Jil Sander and Matteo Tamburini at Tod’s leaned into the tradition of fine Italian tailoring, where restraint, proportion, and impeccable construction speak louder than anything overtly trend-driven.

Heart Warming

On several runways, the outfit never fully appeared. Coats were buttoned to the top, wrapped tightly across the body, or cut with enough volume to eclipse whatever was styled underneath. Plush fur collars, sweeping wool overcoats, and generous proportions gave outerwear a big presence. When the coat is that good, there's little reason to add much else, aside from a great bag and a pair of workhorse heels.

Good Sport

Sports have long influenced fashion, and this season the connection felt especially timely. Milan Fashion Week arrived just days after the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics wrapped, and a subtle athletic energy filtered onto the runways.

The references were understated. Prada showed streamlined, bejeweled silhouettes with a technical undertone. Tory Burch introduced crisp polos that felt equal parts country club and runway. At Dries Van Noten, varsity-style blazers appeared newly refined, while Marni sent out colorblocked half-zips that balanced jock energy with high fashion.

Defining Layer

Layering is one of fashion’s most useful tricks. You don't need an entirely new wardrobe to make an outfit feel different, just a willingness to stack pieces in a slightly unexpected way. The runways this season suggested it should feel intuitive rather than overthought.

Instead of the usual formulas, the shirt sandwich or a tidy V-neck over a turtleneck, designers took a looser approach. At Chloé and Prada, delicate sateen dresses and ruffled maxi skirts were grounded with everyday pieces, woolly blazers, chunky knit scarves, and other mismatched materials. The combinations felt a little undone in the best way, the kind of layering that happens when you throw things on and it somehow works.

Most seasons, I watch Hermès fashion shows for the bags. Reimagined Kellys, Picotins, and Constances—and Birkins, always Birkins—always rank high on my list of the season's most splurge-worthy accessories. But at the brand's Fall 2026 Paris Fashion Week show, held March 7, my eye couldn't help straying to another leather accessory appearing in look after look. This time, it's confirmation that a major Fall 2026 boot trend is taking shape.

Models on the Hermès runway stomped through a twilight forest in a range of slick, thigh-high leather boots. Black pairs accentuated everything from belted zip-up jackets and a contrasting colorful turtleneck to eggplant purple leggings and a textured leather overcoat. Creamy tan renditions accompanied butter yellow playsuits and bomber jackets. If there was a slim pant leg, it was tucked into a towering boot shaft; if there was a short skirt or short short, it was only there to highlight how high these boots climbed.

Once I got back to my desk and reviewed my runway notes, I realized this wasn't the first Paris Fashion Week runway where girl-group, extra-high boots were stepping up their presence.

Between shearling-lined pairs at Chloé and slightly slouchy versions for Balenciaga, thigh-high leather boots are shaping up to be one of Fall 2026's breakout boot trends. After seasons of keeping silhouettes (mostly) below-the-knee, designers have declared it's time even our footwear reaches for the sky.

In some ways, it's a practical move. Pant silhouettes are getting narrower, and this is a statement boot style that fits the anti-wide-leg mold. (You simply can't appreciate a thigh-high boot under palazzo pants, can you?) But it's also a shoe trend that packs on the drama. When you're wearing a thigh-high boot, you're committing to making an entrance. No wonder Taylor Swift has been so loyal to her Gianvito Rossi pairs even when lower-profile styles were the boot of the moment.

With three more days left in Paris Fashion Week, I'm waiting to see the thigh-high boot trend's runway step count soar even higher. Chanel could try a quilted leather version on Monday; Zimmermann could pair its latest dreamy dresses with suede pairs on Tuesday. No matter what comes down the runway next, I know this: I'll be watching the boots as closely as the bags on the remaining fashion week runways.

Shop Sky-High Boots Inspired by Paris Fashion Week

Whether you're a mother of two under two or the proud parent of a fur baby, you know getting dressed for a walk—any walk—doesn't usually resemeble a fashion show. I know I feel attacked when I watch TikTok videos skewering moms' throw-on-and-go outfits for taking her brood outside: In my case, it's some hodge-podge of sweats, a hoodie, and mismatched sneakers or Uggs. Getting up and out the door is the main goal; style falls to the wayside. For Fall 2026, however, Jonathan Anderson and Dior would like to change that.

Sure, Dior's latest, 60-plus look collection opened the final stretch of Fashion Month for a rarified crowd including Emily Ratajkowski, Priyanka Chopra, and Love Story heartthrob Paul Anthony Kelly. The label's Paris Fashion Week takeover of the Jardin des Tuileries featured plenty of reworked Dior bar jackets (an emblem from Christian Dior's New Look), tulle mullet skirts referencing the iconic Juno dress, and awards season-appropriate evening gowns. But those weren't the whole collection. When I took a second look at Dior's Fall fashion show lineup, I saw outfits that could make a mundane walk feel like more of a moment—and without the effort I feel allergic to most days between the hours of 6 and 8 A.M.

There were plaid and brocade robe coats, cuddly in their shape but ready for a Jennifer Lawrence paparazzi walk with asymmetric bubble hems and deep, deep pockets. There were pants and button-ups with the same unbothered slouch as an excellent pajama bottom—only these were coated in painterly, Monet-like florals. Even the everyday, straight-leg jeans got an upgrade, thanks to pairings with suede moto boots and new editions of Anderson-era Dior bag silhouettes.

In show notes, Anderson wrote about Paris's iconic park as a place to "see and be seen." That wasn't just a reference to the aristocrats who walked the Grande Allée during the reign of Louis XIV, or the wealthiest tourists parachuting into town for the Dior front row. Everyday people like me—who might get their dose of daily Vitamin D in jeans and a little jacket—were part of the mosaic too. "The panoply of Parisians presents itself, consciously or not," Anderson wrote, "each with a different attitude, each dressed to play a part, whether mundane or spectacular."

On this runway, it's the more "mundane" items, the pieces that already live in a so-called everyday wardrobe, that were the most alluring. Those of us rushing out the door already have a similar jean or jacket at home; we just need an extra second to juxtapose them with a lily-toned bag or a so-wrong-it's-right boot. Et voilà: Our outfit isn't any less functional, but it's a lot more interesting.

Anderson explained why he took Dior Fall 2026 outdoors and into the park in a pre-show conversation with Fashion Neurosis podcaster Bella Freud. "People used to dress up to go somewhere," he told her. With this runway as a guide, a weekday walk can now be that "somewhere." The next time you see me in Central Park, it won't be in leggings.

Dior Fall 2026

When Bottega Veneta creative director Louise Trotter was preparing her first collection, she told Vogue her starting point was "evolving" the house's most iconic offerings—that is, the best Bottega Veneta bags. "I wanted to open a dialogue between the heritage and my hand," she said. So her debut Bottega fashion show last September was filled with softened takes on the Lauren, Knot, Cabat and Veneta silhouettes, which have started making their way into A-listers' arms and onto store shelves.

Six months later, Trotter returned with her highly-anticipated Fall 2026 fashion show. The opening outfits reassured collectors that, yes, she's still putting her stamp on extra-oversize totes and intrecciato woven bags. But by the conclusion of the 81-look collection, it was clear Trotter wanted to elevate another item to hero status, or just plain status symbol: the fall coat.

Trotter's thesis statement for her era at the house is as follows, per her Vogue interview: "I believe Bottega Veneta creations are for the wearer." And as she considered the way her shopper will approach Fall 2026, she decided to do away with overly complicated layering and excessive styling.

The majority of looks boiled down to leveled-up takes on a classic coat paired to a knit beanie—not that that description can really do it justice. In her hands, a khaki trench levels up with an intrecciato woven collar and an oversize, contrasting leather belt. Black car coats are also entirely crafted from Bottega's preferred handcraft method: strips of leather woven into a slick, effortlessly cool trench. These coats, and armor-like, oversize wool versions, are the discerning shopper's upgrade in place of the usual scarf coats and seasonal jackets. They can definitely handle the wearer's commute or daily layering demands when temperatures drop; they also convey some if you know, you know energy without needing a logo or label.

Trotter also understands that some wearers want a little more drama from their shields against the elements. Or, if they're an A-list client, something over-the-top to style for dinner at Mario Baldi or Chez Margaux by next November. So the latter half of the collection leaned into capital-S statement coats: some in candy-color shades in the soft, shimmery recycled fiberglass from Trotter's debut, others in an imitation fur with extra-large shoulders and coordinating hats.

The more everyday-leaning Bottega Veneta coats were for people who fly under the radar with elegance; the latter are for making an entrance. Several in both categories walked the runway without a coordinating bag on the model's arm or hip—hinting that the It-item spotlight has shifted focus.

There's no world where Bottega Veneta isn't releasing leather bags. They've been integral to the house's DNA since its founding. But for Fall 2026, making an impression doesn't happen through the accessories. Here, the coat is the outfit.

Bottega Veneta Fall 2026

Open any social media app right now, and you'll likely stumble upon the many celebrity surprises at Prada's Fall 2026 fashion show: Mark Zuckerberg unexpectedly sitting front-row (part of the brand's partnership with Meta) alongside WNBA player Caitlin Clark and Love Story star Sarah Pidgeon, Bella Hadid taking four laps around the runway staged inside Milan's Fondazione Prada. But from my bleacher seat at the Italian fashion house's SoHo flagship for an early-morning livestream, the moments that made me do a double take had very little to do with the A-listers filling up the screen.

Over the course of the 60-look fashion show, co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons sent the same models down the runway several times in one outfit, followed by déjà-vu-inducing remixes of that original ensemble. It was a nod to how your look can evolve over the course of a day, as you add or shed layers. What was equally intriguing, though, were the blink-and-you'll-miss-them details that deserved a secondary livestream of their own (or, at the very least, a dedicated coffee table book full of up-close photos).

I first thought I was hallucinating when I set eyes on the outerwear. What from afar seemed like a classic, boxy barn jacket or a wool overcoat became much more opulent upon closer look, with inner linings and undersides of collars dripping with teardrop-shaped beads or splashes of clear crystals.

Not every garment needed as obvious of an outer layer for the same "Surprise!" effect. A sweater over a button-down and straight-leg pants looked completely classic, until my eyes traveled down to the model's feet, where cartoon flowers bloomed all over her socks. Knee-high, lace-up boots in shades of pastel yellow and blue seemed like they were serving the function of a proverbial pop of color; zoom in, and they're coated in Dr. Seuss-ish feathers for a hint of texture play.

In silhouette, these are pieces that could fit neatly into a Prada-head's archive dating back to the 1990s—or they could liven up a more everyday dresser's jeans and sweaters. Either way, they'll make you look.

Prada fashion shows reward the viewers paying close attention. Even the more easily replicable flourishes aren't immediately obvious, and they're often an Easter egg toward a past collection. Take the line-up of shirts with extra-oversize cuffs, jutting out from beneath roomy leather bomber jackets, glitchy knit zip-ups, and cropped parkas—those are nods to Prada's Fall 2026 menswear line, which debuted just weeks ago. Models who made their second or third lap down the runway in sheer, organza tops and dresses were calling back to the sheer layers that have become a brand signature, seen as recently as Spring 2026 and as far back as Spring 1997. Even without official show notes, the message was clear enough: These outfits aren't just distinct—they last.

On the whole subway ride home and throughout my morning, I kept scrolling back to the close-up shots of the collection. I fantasized about layering in Prada's decadent new barn jacket, yes, but I also thought of all the ways I could achieve the same "Wait, what?" styling with what I already own. I contemplated pairing my winter-to-spring ballet flats with printed socks instead of plain solid ones; I considered more garish color combinations, or wearing one big statement earring by itself, just because.

Overflowing with outfit possibilities, I slacked my colleague another zoomed-in photo with my final thoughts: "I'm SICK!" Prada's fashion show, I've decided, is style that doesn't settle at turning heads. It makes you feel something.

Every Prada Fall 2026 Fashion Show Look

It’s day two of Milan Fashion Week, and all eyes are on Fendi’s Fall 2026 runway. Today’s show marks Maria Grazia Chiuri’s debut collection as chief creative officer, a role she accepted after nine years at the helm of Christian Dior.

It’s the sort of industry move that even casual fashion fans can appreciate from afar. So few women are tapped to lead the brands that set the biannual style agenda across the four major fashion capitals. (This Milan Fashion Week will also welcome Meryll Rogge to the head of Marni—another rare, and exciting, debut for a female designer.) Second, Chiuri’s appointment doubles as a homecoming for the Italian designer: She started her career at Fendi in 1989, when she was 24 years old.

Chiuri ended up working at the brand for a decade. (She left to join Valentino in 1999.) While there, she crafted some of its most recognizable, enduring pieces—mainly, the Baguette bag immortalized in Sex and the City’s third season. Accessories that resonate with It girls and the masses alike are pretty much guaranteed to appear in today’s show.

In early interviews, Chiuri hinted that runway isn’t just about unleashing the next Baguette onto the market: It’s about starting a new chapter in ready-to-wear, one that can compete with the other power players on the Milan and Paris Fashion Week calendars. "I synthesize my vision for Fendi in this show," she told Vogue. "In the silhouette. In the shoes. For women and for men also—there will be some men in the show, too, absolutely, because we did the collections together."

As an alum of the brand, Chiuri is sensitive to how she can carry the torch for the original Fendis: sisters Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla, and Alda, who were her mentors in the ’80s and ’90s. "I feel the responsibility to do a good job here so that [all the Fendis] can recognize themselves in the brand today," she told WWD. "I want to pay tribute to them and for me this is an honor, and it has a sentimental value."

Marie Claire is keeping close tabs on her homage to Fendi’s past and her plan for its future. Instead of attending the Fall 2026 show in-person at Milan’s Spazio Fendi, editors Halie LeSavage (that’s me!) and Ana Colón are monitoring the livestream right now from New York City. Follow along as we share our unfiltered thoughts on the new Fendi, as each look hits the runway.

Good morning! It's just after 8 A.M. in New York City, and I'm at the edge of my seat waiting to see the new Fendi. So far, the livestream is only providing a view inside the Spazio Fendi, where exposed bulbs hang from the ceiling and the runway sends a message stamped in black: "Less I, More Us." —Halie LeSavage

"It's fitting that the first glimpse we got at Chiuri's Fendi is an accessory, given her history at the house. In the lead-up to Wednesday's show, the brand posted an image of a black pointed-toe leather slingback heel, photographed by American photographer Jo Ann Callis. The way it's shot—with only the woman's ankles and calves visible, and two presumably male hands gripping them—calls back to her famed feminist portrait from 1976, "Hands on Ankles". (Chiuri was a big supporter of female contemporary artists during her time at Dior, often bringing them in as collaborators for shows and campaigns. Clearly, she plans on continuing this at Fendi.)" —Ana Colón

"The actual runway may also give us a sense of what's to come for Chiuri's Fendi: The phrase 'Less I More Us' is printed in big, block letters in both English and Italian. It's very much in the tradition of her time at Dior, where slogan tees referencing feminist artists and sentiments became a signature. Her debut collection for the French fashion house, with its 'We Should All Be Feminists' T-shirts (a reference to Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's oft-referenced essay), is one of her most emblematic—and not just because it reignited the slogan tee trend we still see today." —Ana Colón

"Before a single piece appears on the runway, we'll get a taste of Maria Grazia Chiuri's Fendi era through her front row. Early glimpses of her premiere guest list include actress Uma Thurman and Italian wheelchair fencer Beatrice Vio—who was a frequent attendee at Chiuri's Dior shows." —Halie LeSavage

"And....we're off! The first official look from Maria Grazia Chiuri's Fendi has hit the runway." —Halie LeSavage

"The set? A loose knee-length shirtdress with a blazer, sheer socks, and pointed-toe heels—all black. The model's also carrying two bags: a tote and a shoulder bag." — Ana Colón

"Up next? Look one is followed by a tailored suit (also black) over a cool blue button-up, no bags. Right off the bat, the collection is very tonally different from Silvia Venturini Fendi's Spring 2026 lineup." —Ana Colón

"Like Ana said: This show is a major shift from last season. Maria Grazia Chiuri has stripped almost all the color from the label, focusing on clean, minimal neutrals and pops of fur. The only bits of color I've seen so far arrived on her reworked Baguette bags—rendered in bright animal prints with contrasting leather." —Halie LeSavage

"Chiuri teased she was going to show some menswear on the runway—I like how, so early in the collection, we're seeing two riffs on the same concept (the black suit over a blue shirt) on both female and male models. The menswear styling has a little flair with the yellow socks." —Ana Colón

"A white button-down with a tea-length skirt strikes me as a tried-and-true Chiuri-for-Dior formula. With sheer black lace, it feels more Italian, and thus Fendi. The leather collar necklace and heels-with-socks styling make it feel less sweet." —Ana Colón

"I'm also seeing a few Chiuri-isms in the form of semi-sheer, lacy black layers. (Primarily, a few sheath dresses over pants.) Her Dior was filled with several naked dresses per season—it seems she's committed to putting a Fendi twist on the A-list beloved silhouette. Who's going to wear it first on the red carpet?" —Halie LeSavage

"I'm struck by how pared-back this collection feels. Other than the restrained color palette (mostly black, with touches of white and baby blue, plus the occasional pop of bumblebee yellow in accessories), Chiuri seems pretty focused on drawing these clean lines with tailoring and silhouette. There's not a ton of obvious embellishment, either." —Ana Colón

"While this collection is pared back in styling, it's not in breadth and depth. The selection comprised daily separates, upscale workwear, and plenty of red carpet contender gowns. But Chiuri still opted to end on an understated note: a black, silken dress." —Halie LeSavage

"Little print flourishes are coming through first in footwear, with some snake-like embossing, before the collection introduces beige and khakis.

"I'm excited to get a closer look at the handbags—so far, I haven't clocked any Peekaboos, which were the big focus for Spring 2026. Chiuri's accessories, surprisingly, feel more pulled back." — Ana Colón

"Am I seeing things, or did I spot a lucite wedge heel on the runway? I immediately thought of Emma Childs's take on the "It's 2016 again" trend." —Ana Colón

"A still doesn't do this look justice. It's a sleeveless tunic top that drapes beautifully in the back, tucked into tailored trousers made from the same material that seems lightweight, given how it moves. It looks so elegant and grown-up." —Ana Colón

"I take back my initial observation regarding pops of color. Maria Grazia Chiuri infused some of the later looks with a delicious cherry red, from a slip dress to a furry stole draped over a bag. These pieces looked even brighter against a backdrop of champagne sequins and neutral furs—another element Chiuri promised would be part of her collection. (Fendi is historically known for its work with furs.)" —Halie LeSavage

"Are we bringing back statement vests in 2026? Watch this space." —Ana Colón

"When someone asks me for anything while I'm watching my fashion week livestreams." —Ana Colón

"That's the thing about Maria Grazia Chiuri—she loves a statement tee. And really, isn't a powerful 'no' the biggest statement of all?" —Halie LeSavage

"First Peekaboo bag I've clocked on the runway—and I love that it's in a moody cheetah-spotted print that matches the top coat the model is wearing. An underrated matching set." —Ana Colón

"The closing eveningwear portion is, again, so restrained—but I appreciate how lightweight the gowns look: flowy slips and maxi dresses made from fabrics that move so freely. It gives them an ease and movement I love to see." —Ana Colón

"Agreed! I've interviewed my share of celebrities for our Close-Up column who report needing to lie flat in their town cars, because their dresses are so stiff and uncomfortable. This could be the start of a red carpet styling era that doesn't sacrifice comfort—or elegance." —Halie LeSavage

"The woman of the hour: Maria Grazia Chiuri took a lap through the show space for her bow. She coordinated with her debut collection in a black blazer, matching trousers, and animal print heels. Inside the venue, guests gave her a standing ovation." —Halie LeSavage

"Well! New Fendi has taken its final lap down the runway, and we fashion editors are left to digest all the looks. I saw Maria Grazia Chiuri keep her promise to revisit Fendi staples, from the bag silhouettes to the geometric, interlocking 'F' logo, with fresh eyes. I also noticed signs of a new, streamlined direction—one that feels a touch more mature than the free-wheeling, sequin-filled bags from last season." —Halie LeSavage

"The fashion set is now moving on to the next show—and we're moving on to the rest of our Milan Fashion Week coverage. Our Fashion Month hub is the ultimate destination for editors' favorite collections and no-holds-barred reactions to the shows. Want to hit 'Replay' on the Fendi Fall 2026 runway? You can stream it again at Fendi.com.

"I'll be live blogging again from Demna's Gucci debut on Friday, February 27. Ciao for now!" —Halie LeSavage

Word of a collaboration between Simone Rocha and Adidas only started spreading a few hours ago, but it's already taking a victory lap around fashion insiders' text threads and Instagram feeds.

On Feb. 22, Simone Rocha debuted a 60-look Fall 2026 collection at London Fashion Week that fused footballer grit with whimsical, girlish flourishes, like ruffles, bows, and cascading pearls. There were slim sneakers laced up with red and white ribbons instead of standard-issue laces; track jackets zipped with dangling pearl closures; tiny shorts Paul Mescal could grab for a jog with a ruffled hem.

From afar, the looks registered as Rocha's twist on the industry's broader fascination with elite sports and a rising "sportif" trend. Zoom in, though, and a Simone Rocha x Adidas Originals logo stamped on the fronts or embroidered into the sides indicated more was at play: In fact, the show served as an official collaboration announcement, set to launch this fall.

"The partnership allows unique interpretations of Rocha’s archetypical garments—cross-pollination of looks, hybrid pieces," Adidas said in a statement to Marie Claire. Translated into specific pieces, that means apparel, accessories, jewelry, and—of course!—Adidas sneakers. Representatives for both brands did not reply to inquiries regarding when, exactly, the collaboration would hit shelves.

In an interview with British Vogue, Rocha revealed she's been in discussions with Adidas for several years now. Few guests in the front row would have called her label—better known for its its Marie Antoinette-inspired ribbons and funky, yet wearable, proportions—"sporty" before this Fashion Month. However, the designer said the heart behind her brand makes her a "natural" collaborator for a titan in sportswear: "Sports are so emotional and I’m a very emotional designer," she explained.

While the first peeks at the collaboration feature recognizable Adidas styles, such as track pants and ballet sneakers—Rocha made sure to bring her signature touch to the collection, too. "I wanted the pieces themselves to feel very authentically my handwriting," she told British Vogue.

That came through the unabashedly feminine details seen on the runway, like an Adidas Tokyo-adjacent sneaker with rows and rows of crystals. It also translated to the styling of the collection, which made it clear this isn't locker room-variety fare. (Think: a white and red varsity T-shirt with a black popcorn dress boasting an exaggerated hoop skirt, and a zip-up track jacket paired to a half-unlaced corset skirt and a beaded black belt.)

The scope, sizing, price range, and exact launch date of the Simone Rocha x Adidas collaboration will likely remain under wraps until later in the year. What's obvious from the first impression—and from Simone Rocha's past link-ups with the likes of Crocs and H&M—is that this collection will sell out faster than someone can say, "Goal!"

Editor's note: This is a developing story. Marie Claire will add more details on the scope and release date of the Simone Rocha x Adidas collaboration as soon as possible.

In 2004, rich girls "cleaned out Vivienne Westwood in Galliano gowns." Over two decades later, they don't need a head-to-toe designer wardrobe overhaul to look intimidatingly expensive—at least, that's what I took away from Fashion Month's first nascent accessories trend.

From the moment I touched down at Copenhagen Fashion Week in January, I noticed an update to the usually streamlined coats at minimalist labels like The Garment and Gestuz: Where a stark, minimal neckline would usually be fastened with a button, it was hidden beneath an exaggerated fur collar or stole. Sometimes, they were tied with ribbons over crepe and velvet blazers; others, they were detachable. I Slacked my fellow Marie Claire editors with a dispatch on what I have now started referring to as "rich bitch fur collars." Little did I know that, a few days later and several thousand miles later, New York Fashion Week's Fall 2026 runways seemed to have gotten same, not-so-stealth-wealth memo.

Ralph Lauren unofficially opened the week with leopard faux furs draped and belted over tweedy longline coats, like an exaggerated collar. Anna Sui's glamorous salon runway included black, fluffy stoles wrapped over animal print matching sets. Models at Michael Kors shrugged off their mini furs and carried them over a single arm. (The real luxury here was just having the option to wear it.) Meanwhile, outside the shows, street style overflowed with Penny Lane coats and rainbow-hued shearlings, echoing the textured flourishes trending in the autumn collections.

Each fur stole or collar feels like something a grown-up, real-life Samantha Parkington or Muffy Crosswire would wear on a February afternoon shopping at Bergdorf Goodman. Is there enough material to keep you substantially warm? Probably not. Do you have a full range of motion once the more tubular versions are pulled over a bomber jacket (as seen in Copenhagen) or a strong-shouldered blazer (à la New York City)? Definitely not. Do you look like you're a Chase Sapphire Reserve member with an Hermès sales associate on speed dial? One thousand percent.

A real rich bitch doesn't need to do all-over texture. Just a touch of fur over a more neutral coat says plenty about her tax bracket—and discerning taste. Besides, she's not standing outside her town car long enough for a chill to really set in.

It's too early to tell whether designers will actually produce these removable collars and color-coordinating stoles. But if they make it down-market, they're a styling hack that instantly upgrades any outfit. One tie of a ribbon or shimmying on of a stole, and the Aritzia coat I've been wearing for the last five winters suddenly looks a lot more luxurious.

Unlike the color trends and necktie styling taking over fashion month in the present, the window for testing a rich bitch collar is narrowing. By the time the runways wrap in Paris, it'll be warm enough for layering in nothing but a windbreaker. But somewhere out there, the denizens of RichStack and RichTok are making notes for their Fall 2026 outfits. So, if I was a rich girl, I'd see about tracking down my own take now.

A recent Gallup poll found that U.S. optimism about the future at an all-time low. Two months into 2026, people have been dealing with unpredictable tariffs and trade policies. Rising costs of living that stretch nearly everyone thin. Violence against peaceful protestors. Unraveling protections against climate change. Restrictions on freedom of speech. The vibes so far are, to put it mildly, not good.

Naturally, the Fall 2026 runways at New York Fashion Week—the official kick-off to Fashion Month in February—couldn't help but reflect the ways designers are metabolizing the cultural climate. Nearly every show on the condensed calendar had something to say about the role clothes play when it feels like the world is in chaos. The way they each coped with big-picture issues through fashion, though, varied greatly from brand to brand.

It started with a hug—or rather, a series of scarves, shawls, and scarf-coat hybrids swaddling the wearer in velvet and wool, like an incredibly elegant comfort blanket. From TWP's Nantucket minimalist runway to Michael Kors's 45th anniversary celebration at the New York City Opera House, models cocooned to the highest degree, securing their outer layers with antique brooches, to dismiss any Snuggie comparisons. Still, it's hard to view the pieces as anything but taking shelter.

Some designers became more cerebral in how they internalized the present by referencing the past. Marc Jacobs took a self-referential route, resurfacing and slightly tweaking the silhouettes and patterns that defined his tenures at Perry Ellis, Louis Vuitton, and, of course, the earliest Marc Jacobs runways. Calvin Klein looked to its pre-boxer briefs boom in the late '80s and early '90s. Even if the pieces themselves weren't obvious throwbacks or allusions to a "simpler time," they often were informed by something personal—like how Sandy Liang referenced her mother's apron and a childhood bedspread. Tory Burch cut a new version of her father's favorite corduroy pants. Kallmeyer's entire show notes were dedicated to memory—even if, from afar, the collection played back the tailoring she's best known for.

After a triumphant runway debut for Proenza Schouler, Rachel Scott presented the Fall 2026 collection of her first label, Diotima, which more overtly engaged with what's playing out in the headlines. Several pieces were created in collaboration with Refugee Atelier, a group she defined in show notes as "women from across the world whose skills carry their own histories of displacement and resilience." Scott also engaged with the work of artist Wifredo Lam to inform who her woman is right now—someone who "refuses domination," she wrote.

There were also moments where unraveling was the main mode of dress, from distressed shorts and ties at Coach's fashion show to the ripped-up sweaters and decaying corsets at Elena Velez. Instead of retreating from the tumult, punk-rock flourishes suggested embracing it instead.

But the most optimistic takes emerged at NYFW regulars that encouraged their clients to fight back—and gave them the armor to do so. Some houses, like Ralph Lauren, Mel Ursine, and Christian Cowan, mixed Joan of Arc-esque chainmail with their fall riding boots and oversized coats. On Valentine's Day, Khaite displayed several riffs on military jackets, reworking eighteenth century epaulettes and trimmings into heavy-duty leather.

New York City designers have always had a tendency toward modes of so-called "power dressing." This is a market filled with career women who need outfits for their offices and work trips, after all. But the stronger-than-usual shoulders and glints of Camelot metallics said Fall 2026 can't just be a season for retreating into nostalgia and comfort. With critical midterm elections on the horizon, it could be another time for change. So maybe, the answer is to dress like you won't accept defeat just yet.

Editors are as fixated on their sleep schedules as their show schedules during New York Fashion Week. Days start early; nights go late; sprinting from event to event turns even the most comfortable flats and heels into blister factories.

By the time Sandy Liang was set to present her Fall 2026 fashion show in the New York Academy of Medicine's library on the Upper East Side, front-row under-eye circles and whispered pleas for a Lorelai Gilmore-style coffee IV were as common as neck ties and political pins. So, the designer provided guests a look that would wake them right up—or at least speak to the highest-ranking item on their wish lists: a slumber party remix of the slipper shoe trend.

In a bow-laden collection inspired by Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon (her private chateau on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles), Liang punctuated a few bedrot-but-make-it-fashion sweatsuits with white, fuzzy bunny slippers with a two-ish inch heels.

This turns the page on the slipper shoe trend we saw emerge last fall, when brands like Calvin Klein and The Row presented slip-on mules that attempted to disguise "I hit snooze five times this morning" energy beneath rich, elegant satin and leather. Their takes were much more understated. Liang's approach is direct, giving tired girls permission to go out looking like they truly just woke up and not hiding where their inspiration came from.

Footwear wasn't the only place where Liang brought sleeping-in chic to the fore. Her collection notes' emphasis on "tactile metamorphosis" manifested as a floral bedspread reimagined as a quilted jacket, a two-piece pajama set cut from glossy pink satin, sleeping bag puffers, fur-trimmed coats, and jersey princess dresses.

Even the looks that weren't quite so suited for lounging on the couch—like a paillette-coated mini dress bisected by a semi-sheer stomach panel, or a knit cardigan with ribbons trailing behind like streamers—came accompanied by a third and final twist on slipper shoes: ladylike opera heels trimmed not by lace or satin, but Ugg-adjacent fleece. Liang knows not every setting will allow actual bunny slippers, but these capture the same comfy-cozy feeling in a slightly dressier form.

All in all, this Fall 2026 runway put a signature Sandy Liang bow on a philosophy fashion girls know well: The best part of going out is getting ready...or just staying in, wearing nothing but princess pajamas and a fluffy pair of slippers.

Sandy Liang Fall 2026

One of the Tory Burch Fall 2026 fashion show highlights unfolded just off to the runway's side. Somewhere between a gray, slim-fitting suit paired to low pumps with oversize studs on the toes and a tweedy coat with a popped black collar, Dolly Parton's 1980 hit "9 to 5" began thumping over the speakers. Front row VIPs like Tessa Thompson, Amanda Seyfried, and Pamela Anderson, plus the usually-stoic fashion people gathered at the Sotheby's at the Breuer on Wednesday night couldn't help themselves: All around the room, guests began lip-synching and bopping in their seats.

The impromptu sing-along matched the mood of Burch's 42-look Fall 2026 collection. "When the world is so chaotic, desperate, and sad, I felt like I wanted to go back to familiar territory," Burch told reporters backstage following the show. On the runway, it materialized in cardigans handcrafted by Indian artisans and intentionally-undone drop-waist dresses. When times are tough, her woman wants a more interesting version of a comfort blanket—and maybe a playlist filled with odes to women who keep striving even when The Man holds them back.

Burch wasn't explicit with what, exactly, in the world was fueling her desire for a mood-boosting collection this season. (Turn on CNN today, and you'll see she has plenty to choose from.) Her soundtrack, combining a spoken-word poem with that familiar anthem of women's resilience, was a way for "this dystopia to come through a bit" and "a nod to how how women are feeling."

The clothes, meanwhile, reflected Burch's desire for "things to feel a little safer, in a way." References from a pair of her dad's corduroy pants to the colors of Bunny Mellon's vibrant Antigua estate (which Burch purchased and restored) made the cut. There were cashmere crewnecks with the sleeves rolled up just so over another button down; tissue-thin knit tops in orange and lavender; a three-tone raffia bag posted on countless editors' Instagram Stories before the show ended. (Trust: Those bags are the next pierced mule.) The collection also included Burch's first-ever watch on the runway, itself vintage-inspired with lizard black and croc brown straps.

Burch told press she's "obsessed" with the idea of longevity: "How do you have something that you can take today and wear ten years from now, and not really have a date on it in mind of when it existed?" The answer for Fall 2026 wasn't just resorting to safe basics—it's designing a piece that feels as good to wear as singing along to Parton's chorus: injecting an easy-as-breathing silhouette with a riot of color, or pinning on a sardine brooch just because.

As Burch wrote in show notes, "The mix reflects how women dress now: by instinct, not by rules." So, go ahead, wear your summer sardines in fall!

Tory Burch Fall 2026

There are a few guarantees at a Coach fall fashion show: plush shearling jackets, an evening dress or two, leather bags destined for the arms of celebrities and everyday shoppers alike. All of these were present and accounted for in the collection debuting at New York Fashion Week on February 11. But the brand's Fall 2026 look turned up the volume loudest for a favorite reference of Stuart Vevers': the creative director's love of all things counterculture.

In a sea of grunge, Marc Jacobs-esque plaids, frayed Bermuda shorts, and prep school neckties left intentionally off-kilter, Coach welcomed show-goers to its take on My Chemical Romance's Black Parade. The overall vibe was back to school by way of the Warped Tour. Even mini backpacks with a kisslock closure had a bit of an attitude.

In show notes, Vevers called the collection a fusion of 1940s tailoring and '70s sportswear—plus a potpourri of references ranging from Film Noir, varsity uniforms, and the Wizard of Oz. "Youth" and "counterculture" got multiple shout-outs, too. A few runway looks spotlighted satin-y, high-neck dresses set with a celestial brooch or a jacket with silver stars down the side. But the punk influence still came through: Black and gray were the predominant colors, with splashes of bright red in between; the outfit-finishers of choice were high-top skater sneakers and inside-out blazers.

Leather bags—where Coach often flexes its ability to guess what the kids want—also took a trip through the wayback machine. The design team looked back at its 1970s archives for more reinterpretations of Bonnie Cashin's earliest accessory designs for the brand. Oversize leather messengerss and mini East-West bags with coin purse closures had the most potential to resonate with prepsters and minimalists, as well as this runway's punk rockers. But sticking to the theme, the mini bags weren't carried by their strap or hoisted over a shoulder; they had to be scrunched in one hand like a newspaper (or a detention slip).

As always, Coach's front row was populated by young stars, including Elle Fanning, Odessa A'Zion, Emily Bader, Storm Reid, and Mckenna Grace. On Instagram before the show, Vevers dedicated the collection to a name fans might not have known: Fawn, his nine-day-old daughter. Will Generation Beta's revolution come with a vintage Coach dress code by the time she's old enough to wear today's collection? Vevers seemed to hope so. "We embrace the continuous reinvention of what it means to be young and forward-looking, resourceful and creative," he wrote in the show notes.

Coach Fall 2026

It's a new dawn at Proenza Schouler, a brand that has been defining the look of cool New York women for over two decades. In this new chapter, though, the designer doing the defining is a woman.

This is the first collection under the creative direction of Rachel Scott, who took over for founding designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez last September. (She consulted on the Spring 2026 line that debuted last New York Fashion Week, but was fully involved in this one.) She's already a beloved name in the industry, having worked behind-the-scenes at Rachel Comey before launching her award-winning label Diotima in 2021.

Wearing an "ICE OUT" pin on her blouse while talking to press backstage, Scott explained how it was important to her to respect what the brand has been and meant to customers for over two decades. "The legacy there is so strong and so beautiful," she said. At its forefront is "a really strong love of this incredible New York woman who's intellectual, who's tied to the arts." Her goal was to get closer to her using the design language Proenza Schouler has already established: "the use of color, the use of pattern, the sharpness, the precision, the tailoring, the fluidity of the dresses."

Scott has been preparing for this debut since the summer, when she first got to dive into the brand's archives. She then went out and met with actual Proenza Schouler customers to better understand not just who they are, but also what she could bring to their lives and wardrobes.

The overall inspiration for Fall 2026—and modus operandi for Scott—was moving away from an idea of perfection in favor of precision, she said. This was part of her goal of wanting to add "a bit more complexity and texture" to the Proenza Schouler woman: "Sometimes, she can be a bit more erotic. Sometimes, she can be angry. Sometimes, she's not quite so perfect, because, as a woman, I find perfection imprisoning. I wanted to give her that grace."

The result is an invitation for "self-authorship," as Scott put it. "It's not our expectations of her perfection—she can be as perfect or imperfect as she wants to be," she said. In the show notes, the brand painted a picture of a woman who seems "put-together, precise, deathly punctual," but is in a rush, and her clothes reflect that: fabric that looks worn-in and slightly wrinkled; irregular draping and lapels; buttons that are done up alongside some that have been abandoned. "She actually embraces that," Scott explained. "It's not about trying to mold to someone's vision about who she is."

Her smart separates, tailored pieces, and fine knits convey a confidence, refinement, and understanding in who she is and how she likes to dress. She doesn't need to give her dress one final steam before heading out the door, or triple-check her buttons are all aligned—she has places to go, things to do, and people to see. Her clothes aren't a distraction.

Another element of the brand Scott is beginning to play with—and will continue to in future collections—is "the new understanding of color" at Proenza Schouler. "There's no way for someone to use someone else's color language," she explained. "What Jack and Lazaro did was so beautiful, but it's their language. What I really thought about was more what the color language they had did. It was colors that reverberate. So I took that and put my language into it."

Scott's take is a touch moodier, with the occasional jolt of bright red and creamy white that immediately catches the eye. She incorporates texture in the finer details, like silver grommets and leather fringe, in a way that gives the collection a sense of continuity with the ones that came before.

Another thing remains certain in the Rachel Scott era: The Proenza Schouler woman is still the best-dressed person you know.

You didn't need an invitation to Ralph Lauren's Fall 2026 fashion show to know the brand is having a moment. "Ralph Lauren" was tagged more than 33,000 times on Instagram and TikTok in December as an aspirational aesthetic, the name now a shorthand for a baby shower theme, a genre of holiday outfits, a coffee shop where the line is reliably around the block; patriotic gear worn by Olympic athletes and suburban parents alike. Then, there's the brand itself and what the internet considers its hero product: a quarter-zip sweater, which catapulted to the top of fashion search engine Lyst's hottest products ranking of Q4 2025, with searches climbing 132 percent over the last three months.

But all those headlines and viral moments leave out the other side of Ralph Lauren, the one that's built around enduring craftsmanship and that defined modern American luxury over nearly six decades. They forget that Ralph Lauren had accumulated 59 years of prestige: designing in modes from boho-Western to Hamptons prep; winning coveted industry awards; becoming the first American designer to open a dedicated storefront in Europe (in London, in the 1980s). The brand has dressed Oscar winners (Gwyneth Paltrow) and beloved characters (Diane Keaton as the titular Annie Hall). As Oprah Winfrey noted in a 2007 CFDA Awards speech preceding the brand's American Fashion Legend Award: "Ralph is as much an ambassador for American values as anyone appointed by the White House." Just last November, the brand took home another Womenswear Designer of the Year trophy from the same institution.

Tuesday's Fall 2026 fashion show, held before a grand marble staircase in Manhattan's Jack Shainman Gallery, had this version of Ralph Lauren—the discerning, insider version—at the fore. There was still plenty of covetable knitwear across the 59 looks, but not the type with a neatly-stitched polo player logo.

Attended by Anne Hathaway, Lili Reinhart, and Lana del Rey, the show opened with Gigi Hadid dressed in a knit corset layered over a thin tank top and coordinating knit skirt, a chain-link belt strung across her hips. It ended with Hadid taking another lap around the runway in a caramel velvet gown, with flutter sleeves crafted from crystals. In between, looks incorporating more than fifty custom materials, according to show notes, followed an avant-equestrian beat.

In the first act, familiar tweed blazers and oversized turtlenecks found new life over plissé metallic skirts or silky floral jacquard pants. Riding boots trotted back into the spotlight in a mid-thigh silhouette, with heavy-metal buckles matching the belted mini dresses just above them. The fabrics and textures someone might imagine as quintessential Ralph Lauren—like denim or cable knits—were nowhere to be found.

In the show notes, the overall vibe was summed up as "chic pragmatism." Indeed, the floor-length scarves secured asymmetrically across models' collarbones with an oversize jewel-toned brooch or the velvet loafers hand-embroidered with sequins struck editors bundled in parkas and balaclavas as an upscale alternative to the winter accessorizing necessary for making it through fashion week.

While slouchy double-breasted suits and a selection of slim-fitting velvet dresses likely landed on celebrity stylists' wish lists, this wasn't a runway for tracking down a new It item. The Ralph Lauren woman, show notes argued, "honors heritage while embracing reinvention." In other words: If she's wearing the quarter-zip, she's finding a way to dial it up with the scarf-tied bags or splashes of leopard print on display here.

This isn't a version of Ralph Lauren you can imitate at home with just tartan peel-and-stick wallpaper and a cream cable-knit sweater. It's more refined, and speaks to a business with a global scale rivaling labels in the LVMH or Kering luxury stables. (According to its latest earnings report, it's also generating the financial results to compete with the European power players.)

Despite all the glamour, the underlying thesis of Ralph Lauren Fall 2026 isn't that far off from the function of its Internet-beloved knitwear, it turns out. "Her clothes must work but also excite," show notes read. The rush from securing a sought-after sweater or unboxing a limited-edition velvet dress isn't that different from item to item. The important part is remembering Mr. Lauren and his team have the range to do it all—and they've been doing it for decades.

Ralph Lauren Fall 2026

Fashion people never met a J.Crew staple they couldn't make their own. Front rows from Copenhagen to Milan to Paris often include a few insiders topping their J.Crew cashmere with a funky triangle scarf or offsetting their J.Crew jeans with high-vamp flats and a colorful sock. Ahead of the kick-off to Fashion Month's Fall 2026 season in New York this week, J.Crew took care of the styling work on fashion peoples' behalf, in a first-of-its kind collaboration.

Five New York City designers joined forces with the brand for a five-part capsule of tricked-out sweaters. Buci NYC, Collina Strada, Eckhaus Latta, Patrick Taylor, and Tanner Fletcher each remixed a J.Crew icon—the Rollneck sweater first introduced in 1988—with flourishes that could belong on their own runways (or in their front rows). All five renditions will be available in limited quantities beginning Feb. 12; each one retails for $180.

Under the guiding taste of womenswear director Olympia Gayot, J.Crew is lately as known for partnering with cult-beloved New York Fashion Week brands like Christopher John Rogers and Maryam Nassir Zadeh as it is for preppy closet essentials. Previous designer collaborations have involved entire outfits in a label's signature aesthetic; this time around, the chosen brands are lending their color palettes or favorite details to a single, recognizable silhouette. But the ethos, Gayot tells Marie Claire, is the same no matter the scope: spotlighting brands who are "driving the conversation" in the fashion zeitgeist.

Among the five labels tapped to redesign the J.Crew Rollneck sweater, "What interested me most was how distinct each of their brand identities is and how intentional they are about what they put into the world," Gayot says. "Each designer works with a clear set of codes, whether through color, proportion, texture, or storytelling, and has a strong point of view on how clothing should feel and function. They are very much part of the city’s downtown creative community, designers who support local talent and contribute to New York Fashion Week."

Buci NYC's affinity for sheer fabrics and drapey silhouettes resulted in a cropped black rollneck sweater with an entirely open back. Eckhaus Latta's earthy, tactile knits suited a two-tone rollneck with visible seams and patches of terracotta fabric. For Collina Strada, a "signature" pink and green color combination felt "very important" for creative director Hillary Taymour to include.

Her final piece adds a stripe of pink lace beneath the striped knit. From Taymour's side of the collaboration, there's more on the table than a chance to recreate an item that's been in rotation for nearly four decades. "I thought it was a great opportunity to make something commercial and expose the brand to such a huge market," she says.

All five sweaters are an expansion beyond the J.Crew Rollneck's usual stripes and solids—and a chance for independent designers to take their names beyond the confines of NYC's fashion scene. While it stretched J.Crew's usual look, it still fit in the end. "I was surprised by how naturally each interpretation felt," Gayot says. "Even when the details were unexpected, the results never felt forced."

By the time New York Fashion Week shows officially start on February 11, fashion people will undoubtedly find ways to make each one look even more front-row worthy.

Shop the J.Crew New York Fashion Week Rollneck Sweaters on February 12

Some Fashion Month shows open with notes explaining a designer's inspirations and mindset as they crafted their latest collection. For Fall 2026, Marc Jacobs provided "receipts."

These "receipts" were actually references he turned to while designing the 39-look lineup. They ranged, chronologically, from Yves Saint Laurent Couture 1965 to Jacobs's Perry Ellis Spring 1993 grunge collection to Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 2013. They prepped guests like Julia Fox and Auliʻi Cravalho to see fashion history repeating—and not just the '90s staples like slim pencil skirts or Marc by Marc Jacobs bags of the mid-2000s that appeared on repeat throughout the unadorned runway at Manhattan's Park Avenue Armory on Feb. 9.

Jacobs called the collection "Memory. Loss." and introduced it as "free from nostalgia" in his notes. The bon-bon-topped heels, semi-sheer skirting, and beaded collars all instantly evoked major looks of the '90s and early 2000s. They were more than mere throwbacks, though: They were meant to serve as monuments to "who we are, what we create, what we leave behind and what we carry forward."

Context was just as important as recognizing the origins of each look. The plaid checked suits evoked Jacobs's Perry Ellis collections, but they're also inseparable from the moment the designer was fired from the label for taking what was then a major creative risk. For Jacobs, something that has been reduced to "the plaid trend" is inextricably tied to a memory, like all the clothes of our lives tend to be. He wanted to explore the more emotional side of throwback fashion that isn't easily summed up in a pithy name like "80s glamoratti" or a paint conglomerate-appointed color scheme. "Recovering the past also reminds us that loss is inevitable and that hope is work," he wrote.

Marc Jacobs's last several collections have favored cartoonishly exaggerated proportions fit for life-size Polly Pocket dolls. Collars levitated above the necks. Pannier-like hips defied gravity (and conventional body measurements). Shoes came curved with arches that seemed tailored to a Barbie foot.

The slimming down on display for Fall 2026 might in part be a business decision: Tariffs and economic uncertainty are a shadow over the American fashion industry, and inflated pieces only for top clients like Sarah Paulson and Tracee Ellis Ross can't sustain a company alone. Meanwhile, the '90s style blueprint Jacobs helped define three decades ago is now firmly back at the center of culture, from the outfits influencers shill on TikTok to a renewed interest in (and upcoming TV series about) the era's It girl, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.

This doesn't mean Jacobs left his sense of humor or creativity behind in order to enter this more reflective mode. Models in neutral sweaters or zip-up jackets and matching skirts revealed a flash of '90s neon as they walked past, their low ponytails or buns set by an organza scrunchie. A final segment of looks incorporated sparkles (in line with the blast-from-the-past anti-jewelry trend) and clashing splashes of sequins—a reference to Prada's 1996 "'Banal Eccentricity" collection, where unexpected color combinations took center stage. Jacobs also showed his understanding of how the average shopper will eventually refer to his considered assemblage of homages and references, with cheekily vague outfit descriptions in his notes. (Think "Sweater, Skirt Boot" and "Suit, Pump.")

The day-to-day fashion system can strip nods to the past of all their meaning and historical context. Vintage looks and references hit red carpets and runways in such rapid succession, their value is conferred by the fact that they were procured at all, not by what they stood for or the work that went into creating them.

The Marc Jacobs Fall 2026 collection didn't necessarily shame the industry's current obsession with looking backward. (Those scrunchies and 2013 bags are going to sell.) It simply sought to ask fashion lovers to pause and reflect when they're dressing for the present with pieces from the past. That edict wasn't lost on at least one guest leaving the show, who summed up the show in a single, apt observation: "I feel like a museum just walked past me."

Marc Jacobs Fall 2026

Fashion girls don't ask for much, just four weeks twice a year to ooh and aah at new runway collections from New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Now, the most wonderful time of the year has returned: Fashion Month, ready-to-wear Fall 2026, women's edition.

From now until March 11, never-before-seen shows, front row formations, and street style looks will emerge with every refresh of an Instagram feed. So much so, you're at risk of every chronically-online runway fan's worst nightmare: missing a notable moment or two. Never fear: Marie Claire curated the highlights worth adding to your calendar now.

Here's an overview: New York Fashion Week ran from Feb. 11 to 16, showcasing standout stateside labels like Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, Coach, and Proenza Schouler. Then, the focus shifted to London Fashion Week from Feb. 19 to 23, where Erdem, Chopova Lowena, and Simone Rocha took center stage. Milan Fashion Week is up next—running from Feb. 24 to March 2—with runway debuts from Maria Grazia Chiuri at Fendi and Demna at Gucci. By March 10, Paris Fashion Week stars like Chanel, Dior, and Hermès will have closed the curtain on another memorable Fashion Month.

The "big four" fashion weeks are notorious for flying by. Before you know it, Zendaya or Jennifer Lawrence will be walking a red carpet in a new Fall 2026 design. So to prepare for the next slate of trend-setting collections, here's everything you need to know about each city to make the most of Fashion Month, even if you can't tune in from the front row.

What to Expect at New York Fashion Week

There's no such thing as a slow start to Fashion Month. Marie Claire's fashion editor, Lauren Tappan, said the energy at New York Fashion Week is "unmatched." The street style is as much a spectacle as the actual runways, where "both emerging labels and established brands deliver thought-provoking collections."

Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren presented runway shows before the calendar officially opened, on Feb. 9 and 10, respectively. The former took over the Park Avenue Armory—a location he's returned to frequently over the years—with slimmed-down, '90s-inspired looks at half the widths of previous collections' cartoonish proportions. The latter flooded the Jack Shainman Gallery in Lower Manhattan with equestrian tailoring, knitwear, and not a single quarter-zip.

Rachel Scott's debut at Proenza Schouler officially opened NYFW on Feb. 11. 42 looks spanning shift dresses, monochrome suits, and patterned outerwear introduced "this incredible New York woman who's intellectual, who's tied to the arts," Scott told Marie Claire after the show.

She was also one of the first creative directors to take her final Fall 2026 bow with an "ICE OUT" pin atop her blouse. "If I have any form of audience, I absolutely need to say something," Scott added, standing in solidarity with people affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violence. Later in the week, Collina Strada creative director Hillary Taymour, Zankov founder Henry Zankov, and Maria McManus followed Scott's lead.

Later that day, Michael Kors's show hosted one of NYFW's most star-studded front rows with Uma Thurman, Dakota Fanning, Rachel Zegler, Alex Consani, and more on the guest list. The celebrity sightings continued at Calvin Klein, where guests ranged from Dakota Johnson to Lily Collins. Marie Claire editors still aren't over Johnson and Jodie Turner-Smith's adorable reunion steps away from the catwalk.

Additional calendar standouts from Ulla Johnson and Coach to Sandy Liang and Tory Burch proved "there's no single aesthetic or theme that defines NYFW," Tappan added. (Models hopped down Sandy Liang's Post Malone-lined runway in two-inch bunny slippers, which senior fashion news editor Halie LeSavage called "a slumber party remix of the slipper shoe trend.") "It's endearing and beautifully eclectic, and that's what makes it so special." Catch every available livestream here.

What to Expect at London Fashion Week

Fashion features editor Emma Childs says London Fashion Week is where "out-of-the-box weirdos thrive—myself included." The Fall 2026 calendar was no different with IYKYK fashion houses like Conner Ives, Harris Reed, and 16Arlington leading the charge.

Even so, "the London collections are less about wearability and more about fantasy—art for art’s sake," Childs adds. "No one represents the city’s eclectic style better than Simone Rocha," whose Feb. 22 livestream introduced her upcoming collaboration with Adidas. Hot on the heels of last September's ballerina crocs, Rocha outdid herself with Adidas Tokyo-adjacent sneakers, featuring rows of crystals atop each toebox. The trainers—plus track jackets, hot pants, and triple-striped sweats—are set to launch next fall, all of which "feel very authentically my handwriting," according to her British Vogue interview.

Few cities do punk fashion better than LFW, but that's not to say it's glamour-less. On the contrary: "Last season, Erdem and Richard Quinn—two celebrity red carpet favorites—showed ornately beaded outerwear and evening gowns that took my breath away from the front row," Childs says. Richard Quinn's Spring 2026 motifs—including white rosettes, pearl-encrusted bodices, velvet trains, and bows aplenty—returned on various Fall 2026 ballgowns.

Burberry closed the calendar, in a slot it holds every season. With Olivia Dean, Jodie Turner-Smith, Kate and Lila Moss, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Alexa Chung, Iris Law, and more on the guest list, Burberry earned an honorary trophy for "most celebrity-packed front row."

What to Expect at Milan Fashion Week

Two days after the Winter Olympics concluded, the city shifted gears to Milan Fashion Week. In addition to pillars like Prada, Max Mara, Dolce & Gabbana, and Moschino, Dior alum Maria Grazia Chiuri presented her first Fendi line on Feb. 25. It was every bit a major return: She worked as the label's accessories designer from 1989 to 1999. Senior fashion news editor Halie LeSavage "saw Grazia Chiuri keep her promise to revisit Fendi staples, from the bag silhouettes to the geometric, interlocking 'F' logo, with fresh eyes." What's more, "I also noticed signs of a new, streamlined direction—one that feels a touch more mature than the free-wheeling, sequin-filled bags from last season."

The next day, Marni will welcome Belgian creative Meryll Rogge as creative director, before Demna's initial Gucci show on Feb. 27. (His first collection, Spring 2026, traded the traditional runway format for a look book and short film The Tiger.) Later in the week, after a sophomore show from Bottega Veneta's Louise Trotter, Giorgio Armani's niece, Silvana Armani, will offer up her first Emporio Armani show. Judging by Armani Privé's Paris Couture Week front row (where Silvana also designs), the stars will turn out to support her again.

What to Expect at Paris Fashion Week

The longest "week" of Fashion Month also happens to be the most reliably noteworthy, interim style director Ana Colón says. When the final round of Paris Fashion Week shows premiere, "guests and spectators alike can wrap up their observations from the full season, finalize their trend prognostications, and have a more informed sense of what the next six months hold for fashion," Colón explains.

According to Vogue, 68 shows and 31 presentations will premiere every day, beginning on March 2 until March 10. "The most powerful luxury conglomerates, like LVMH and Kering, are based in the French capital, as are many of their brands; so you can always expect a strong showing from them," Colón adds.

LVMH owns Dior, Celine, Givenchy, and Loewe, while Saint Laurent and Balenciaga belong to Kering. Contrary to the Spring 2026 circuit, which hosted creative director debuts at Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga, Loewe, Jean Paul Gaultier, and more, only one new designer will join the Fall 2026 ranks: Antonin Tron at Balmain on March 4.

On the other end of the spectrum, Pieter Mulier will also take his final bow at Alaïa that day, before succeeding Dario Vitale at Versace come July 1. Off-White's March 5 show will double as a homecoming of sorts, following two years in the NYC scene. Meanwhile, Alessandro Michele's Valentino will transport his Fall 2026 show to Rome as an "homage to the origins and enduring heritage of Maison Valentino," the brand shared in a press release. Talk about a grand finale.

Let's start with two facts. Firstly, it's officially gift-giving season. Secondly, I consider myself to be a genuinely excellent giver of said gifts. In short, this is truly my favorite time of year. As a self-proclaimed collector of all seemingly unnecessary items I deem essential, I am so excited to share my early minimalist gift guide picks with you all.

This list includes everything you could need to nail this festive time of year, from luxurious candles ("bougie bougies," as I like to call them) to comfy slippers and pajama sets. I also sourced beautiful home decor finds perfect for your friend who just moved into a new space, like a chic wick trimmer and elevated chrome salt-and-pepper shakers—because yes, they exist.

So, let's dive into all my favorite finds, broken down into a few very chic categories. This way, you can find something special for everyone on your list in advance.

A Perfect PJ Set

I think gifting anything that creates a nighttime-cozy vibe is always welcome. You can’t really go wrong, and everyone loves an elevated basic that they might not likely spend their own money on.

Case in point: my Charvet slippers are my favorite splurge I’ve ever done in Paris (very special to give someone you really love), or a beautiful pair of Comme Si socks will do. Brands like Olivia Von Halle and Eterne are excellent choices for any remarkable gift recipients in your life. Either way, the options are endless and ultra sophisticated.

A Chic Home Accessory (Or A Really Beautiful Object)

Gifting intentional, really lovely homeware really makes me appreciate someone. There are so many gorgeous fashion brands that also make homewares or objets that are beautiful enough to keep lying around the house. I love gifting vases, candle accessories, glassware, and all of the things I wish I could also own.

My Favorite Bougie Scents

This might be a controversial opinion, but I love when anyone gifts me a beautiful candle. It’s a fancy splurge I didn’t have to buy myself, and I keep the empty glassware as a makeup brush holder or as a decorative object after the wax burns low. A few of my personal favorites include Byredo’s Chai, Diptyque’s Tubereuse, and Flamingo Estate’s Jasmine & Rose, but you really can't go wrong. Who doesn’t want their home to smell luxurious?

Does anyone else feel like they belong in two places at once? Six months ago, I moved out of New York City and returned home to Los Angeles. I'm a California girl through and through, but there's a part of me that very much belongs to the East Coast city. So, on a slight impulse, I booked a flight to JFK to live out my bicoastal dreams, my week-long schedule stacked with work meetings, photoshoots, and catching up with old friends. I took pit stops at my favorite restaurants, park benches, and museums (see my definitive New York City guide on my Substack, The Unmentionables), all while dressing the part for the best season in the city. (There's nothing as magical as fall in Manhattan.)

My checked baggage was ready for the unpredictable weather and my equally unpredictable social calendar. For a longer trip, I stick to a mix-and-match color palette of navy, creams, blacks, and browns, so I can pull pieces that all loosely go together. Ahead, I break down a few of the fall outfits I wore for a dose of city style inspiration.

For an Afternoon at the Met

My first apartment in the city was on 85th and York, and almost every day for a year, I would go on a walk through Central Park. This is what I miss most about living in New York City. I planned an afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which worked out perfectly, since it started to rain—once outside, though, this waterproof trench coat proved to be surprisingly functional. I love the idea of a coat making the outfit, à la The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Leaning into '60s romanticism feels appropriate for the polished, classic attitude of the Upper East Side.

For Martinis at The Odeon

I will never say no to a burger and martini from The Odeon. My dream night out: Getting overdressed to drink expensive cocktails with my girlfriends. Thankfully, dramatic dressing never needs to be quelled in NYC. This dress by Resa is the perfect amount of sexy; a long-sleeved maxi is fitting for the colder months, but the backless detail adds an element of surprise. Somehow, the loud print feels neutral to me. I styled it with straight hair, a red lip, and gold hoop earrings.

For Meetings in Soho

In true New Yorker fashion, I found myself choosing practical outfits to withstand my daily 10,000 step count. I was commuting in from Brooklyn, but most of my meetings were in downtown Manhattan. A no-fuss look for me is a solid pair of loafers and vintage-inspired denim. I wish I owned this Aligne wool coat when I lived on the East Coast. Even after schlepping all day, there was an elegance to this outerwear that helped me feel so put-together.

For a Solo Date in the West Village

I can’t believe that only a few months ago, I was living in the West Village—how fast life can change! Maybe it's because I'm single, but I think one should find pleasure in their time alone. I wanted to lean into that mystery with this faux fur coat that feels slightly '70s-inspired, so I paired it with these dark wash bootcut jeans I cannot stop wearing. From coffee at Bar Pisellino to a fashion event in Midtown, then back downtown for dinner at the Commerce Inn, this outfit effortlessly took me from day to night—an essential for city girls. Once again, the coat is the outfit!

What holiday dressing used to mean to me was breaking out one to three fancy plaid, sequined, or metallic items for their singular annual outing, then shoving them into the back of the closet once I was done with them. Then rinse and repeat the following year.

These festive pieces served their purpose, for sure, but from January to November, I couldn’t help but just feel annoyed at these jolly items, which sat mostly untouched in my closet among my day-to-day wear. But I simply couldn’t really make them work for any other moment.

I’ve since graduated away from designating clothing for only certain times a year in favor of shopping more intentionally and using the full potential of my styling brain to rework or “shop” my closet. I've been able to lower my consumption overall by having a toolkit of some playful elements to bring that holiday jazz to otherwise everyday pieces. One of those hacks is a lace tight.

Cheap, cheerful and non-committal, a tight (much like the socks that I’ve written about before) is an easy way to add some pizazz (and light warmth!) to a look that has legs exposed. I pulled together some festive outfits that really showcase the power of tights and that can carry me through various types of events during a buzzy and busy holiday season.

Lace Tights with… Hot Pants

If you’ve kept your eyes on the runways for the past few seasons, you’re no stranger to the fact that hot pants have hit their stride not only with trendiness but also social acceptability. I’ve had these vintage jacquard Alaïa shorts in my closet for several years (an amazing Thredup snag) and have only dared to wear them in peak summertime, like on vacation or hosting a barbecue at home. Adding a super graphic lace floral tight from Calzedonia, playful mirrored Wales Bonner top, plaid blazer, distressed leather Coach bag and Miu Miu silver sandals, I felt they were ready for their winter debut.

This is seemingly a lot of elements for one look, but using a lace tight as a starting point is a fun way to build out a tapestry of texture. "More is more" actually works here. I see myself wearing this to a more off-beat holiday party with an artsy crowd who appreciates eccentricity.

Lace Tights with… a Sweet Little Dress

This delicate, white crochet-effect lace pair of tights from Stems immediately made me want to build out a mostly monochromatic white look. This is my friend’s perfect Alaïa dress I’ve been holding onto for her as she’s moved around a bunch; I paired it with my coveted pair of Tabitha Simmons white, low-heel Mary Janes, found on Poshmark. I think the vibe could go a little nurse-y with opaque white tights, but the lace made me feel more retro-cool, like a 60’s London vibe. I added a pop of holiday color with a red Sézane sweater as a little cape, red Chanel bag and lip. This look feels great for a daytime occasion like a matinee show of A Christmas Carol or a holiday brunch out with family.

Lace Tights with… a Knee-Length Skirt

I used a pair of burgundy lace tights from Calzedonia as my “pop” of color in an otherwise all black look with a longer skirt. I dared not go much longer with the hemline, since I was trying to make the tights a focal point. The burgundy color had kind of a Victorian mood about them, so I leaned into that with Samantha Parkington, the prissy American Girl doll, in mind. (My style references know no bounds!). I paired them with the perfect crepe flouncy skirt (an epic Valentino sample sale find), a reworked vintage tux shirt from A Shirt Story, a black velvet blazer, Valentino ballet boots, and a super old Dior bag from high school. I can see myself wearing this to a cozy and festive dinner date with my husband at an old-school restaurant we save for this time of year.

Lace Tights with…Denim Shorts

Okay, this one was a little bit of a stretch, but hear me out—I was thinking of Kate Moss's kind of bougie bohemian treatment. For instance, the gorgeous black Swedish Stockings tights with the denim shorts (with a hem, it looks cleaner than cut-offs) is a little nod to late '00s indie sleaze. There was something that felt a little Coachella-meets-Glastonbury-meets-tabloid-culture going on with the Uggs and Chanel tweed jacket. I added a touch of glorious Diotima crochet to make it even more bohemian, plus a simple envelope clutch.

In the end, I actually felt super comfy and fun with this one. It came together a lot less fussy than I thought it would. I would reserve this for silly holiday drinks that turn into karaoke with the girls or at a messy (complimentary) holiday house party.

If you’ve ever wanted to dress like a bona fide It Girl, now is your chance. Zara has teamed up with none other than the Parisian brand Ludovic De Saint Sernin for a brand new collection that is at once sexy and wearable—and the pieces are available to shop now.

The capsule, out on November 17, features a campaign fronted by supermodels Alex Consani and Amelia Gray and culminates in a mix of ready-to-wear, shoes, and accessories. Each piece is imbued with the designer’s unmistakably sexy DNA.

For the uninitiated, Ludovic de Saint Sernin debuted in 2017 and has made a name for itself by dressing next-of-the-moment stars in unabashedly sultry apparel.

If you’ve ever caught Sabrina Carpenter hitting a "Juno" pose or faux-arresting Anne Hathaway while wearing a Swarovski crystal-encrusted two-piece halter set, you have De Saint Sernin’s eponymous label to thank. And Olivia Rodrigo's punky red leather bodysuits her headlining festival tour last summer? This designer was behind those looks, too.

Add in red carpet looks and viral streetwear moments worn by the likes of Hailey Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Sophie Turner, Lindsay Lohan, and Tate McRae, and you’ve got a roster most other brands would dream of.

Now, some of those pieces are ready for you to buy, even if you're not red carpet-bound. Signatures from De Saint Sernin's previous runway collections and viral fashion moments are all included in this new selection with Zara. The look? Chainmail mesh, construction details, chrome detailing, and tons of metallic eyelets.

The pieces are versatile, presented in a grungy palette of black, white, and gray. Outsized faux fur coats sit next to glossy knee-high boots. It's a complete winter wardrobe for the holiday season—if yours involves a busy calendar with many late nights out.

The drop draws inspiration from the designer’s formative fashion memories, including New York City's ever-changing energy throughout the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early aughts. Now, some of that It Girl energy can be yours, too. Ahead, get a peek inside the just-dropped collection.

Shop The New Zara x Ludovic de Saint Sernin Collection

As we inch closer to the holiday season, the list of gifts I have to buy for my loved ones just keeps growing—and is leaving little room in my bank account for a “treat yourself” moment. So, I’m using Nordstrom’s early Black Friday sale as the perfect excuse to buy something for myself, and I uncovered enough under-$100 finds to satisfy all of my mid-season style cravings.

I found every on-trend piece I've been eyeing for months, from classic Levi's jeans that cost less than $50 to ballet flats that come in a trendy Miley Cyrus and Sophie Turner-approved snakeskin print. This list also includes chic rain jackets (yes, they exist) and a cashmere scarf perfect for bundling up in now that the weather is finally cooling down.

Here's to staying warm (and looking chic!) this season. We've got you covered on the rest of your Nordstrom shopping journey, too—our editors already found the best rich-looking finds, the best sneakers, and the best jackets to shop now and love for seasons to come. The deals are only running until November 19, so scroll (and shop) while you still can.

Although I love nothing more than a sophisticated heel, I’m also a certified sneakerhead. My capsule wardrobe is filled with a range of chic kicks from Adidas and Vans. So, when I found out that Nordstrom’s Early Black Friday sale includes my favorite brands (and more!), I flocked to the retailer’s site and immediately filled my shopping cart.

While perusing hundreds of discounted fashion items, I selected 14 styles that I plan to wear all season long. For dressy-ish days in the office, I’ll throw on suede sneakers that will pair nicely with my blazers, trousers, and collarless coats. Meanwhile, for more casual moments, I’ll slip on chunky trainers defined by a strong dadcore appeal. Styled with my cozy athleisure outfits, these shoes will work perfectly for errand runs and laid-back lunches.

The best part about Nordstrom’s on-sale sneakers is that many of them fall under $200, which is a great steal. If you’re looking to round out your footwear lineup—while also sticking to your budget—scroll on. You’ll not only find the most viral sneaker trends of the moment, but you’ll also spot classic designs that are inherently timeless.