Ask any fashion girlie with her finger on the sartorial pulse and a new season means only one thing: new fashion trends. In this instance, autumn winter fashion trends. But, as is the way of the fashion world, it was waaay back during the February fashion weeks that we got our first glimpse of what – according to some of the biggest design houses around – we should be wearing come September.
If your memory is a little hazy (can you blame us for being preoccupied with summer dresses, string bikinis and wedges while the sun shined?) we’re here to clue you in on the biggest looks from New York, London, Paris and Milan. Sure, we might not be shopping directly from the runways, but luxury fashion is a great starting point to work out what to invest in, no matter if you’re operating on a high street budget (us!).
The good news this season is you likely already have many of these trends hanging in your wardrobe. Rather than starting from scratch, designers have evolved existing aesthetics and styled classic pieces in slightly different ways for a fresh take that feels significantly autumnal. Just ask the street style set who’ve already been showcasing buzz-worthy outfits.
Prepare to welcome oversized jumpers, faux fur coats and knee high boots back into your life with these seven autumn winter fashion trends that are worth knowing now.
- Boho
- Feathers, fur and fluff
- Bubble hems and peplums
- Countryside-core
- Leopard print
- Coloured leather
- Belts
1. Boho is back
You’ve likely heard the news, boho is back in a big way for autumn winter 2024. This trend was not one to sleep on, with boho dresses and boho jewellery already featuring heavily in our summer wardrobes. But if you think the look is exclusively for festival season, guess again. Just look to Chloé’s AW24 show, where the FROW, including boho queen Sienna Miller, were all decked out in the brand’s Maxime wedge sandals and models ditched flower crowns for fluffy headbands.
No surprise, the French design house led the charge with its signature aesthetic, the collection Chemena Kamali’s debut at the helm. Chanel, Zimmermann, Giambattista Valli and Conner Ives also got the free and undone memo. The key takeaway: this is a modern version of the trend rooted in its ’70s origins, rather than the more is more (more frills, more ruffles, more layers, more accessories) vibe à la Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen or Serena van der Woodsen in the ’00s.
ASOS DESIGN Ruffle Detail Lace Maxi Dress
New Look Pink Ruffle Tie Front Top
2. Feathers, fur and fluff
While the majority of your wardrobe can – with the help of a little styling – transition between the seasons, autumn winter exclusively means outerwear. With the ability to act as entire outfits in themselves, trust us when we say it’s worth investing in a new season coat or jacket. And the biggest outerwear trend to know for AW24: go tactile with textures. From shaggy oversized collars to floor-sweeping feathered capes and the softest faux fur coats, there was no shortage of designer inspo delivered by Erdem, Michael Kors, Alaïa, Prabal Gurung and Bottega Veneta, to name just a few.
Not content with saving these fabrics exclusively for outerwear, feathers, fur and fluff also featured in dresses and separates. After all, when else than the coldest months of the year can you wear such heavy fabrics like faux fur without fear of heat exhaustion? If you’re feeling adventurous, we fully endorse (and applaud) you, though there’s no denying a coat is the easiest and most cost-effective way to make this trend work IRL.
River Island Brown Faux Fur Short Plush Jacket
Free People Stargazer Fur Jacket
Kitri Bonnie Oxblood Vinyl Jacket
3. Bubble up
Apologies if the term ‘bubble up’ gives you Covid flashbacks, but we’re pleased to report we’re talking specifically about your hemlines here. Admittedly, bubble skirts are not new news for AW24 after entering the zeitgeist last season and championed by the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Selena Gomez and Cindy Kimberley. Luckily, they’re here to stay.
Rather than banish your puffball summer staple to the back of your wardrobe, take note of fresh new ways to style it. At Molly Goddard, bubble hems were worn with equally voluminous separates, while Conner Ives layered minis over trousers and Cecilie Bahnsen added sheer stockings and chunky ankle boots to contrast against the floaty femininity.
Ghospell Harper Bubble Midi Dress
ASOS EDITION Bubble Hem Strappy Top
Brown bubble hem drop waist smock midi dress
4. Countryside-core
Coined by Pinterest, ‘eclectic grandpa’ made waves at the start of the year when it was named one of the platform’s trend predictions for 2024. The aesthetic refers to stylish elderly men who have invested in high-quality pieces that have lasted them a lifetime – an admittedly hard vibe to recreate overnight.
But, use eclectic grandpa as your springboard, with the AW24 runways also showing layered silhouettes incorporating knitwear, tweed and corduroy (key signifiers of the trend) in a slightly more polished and feminine finish. At Anna Sui, plaids and checks clashed with argyle prints, scarves were knotted around heads at Burberry, and Fendi contrasted deconstructed cable knit capes with sheer swishing skirts. In short, Claudia Winkleman in her Traitors attire (not the cloak, mind, but the fingerless gloves work) is our unofficial poster girl.
Aligne Barnaby Reversible Wax Trench Coat
H&M Cable-Knit Jumper
Urban Outfitters Devon Checked Blanket Scarf
5. Leopard print
After that Ganni tie-front, puff sleeve leopard print blouse and trouser co-ord went viral in SS24 (and subsequently, the ASOS dupe that was almost identical but cost less than £30…) you’ll be thrilled to hear leopard print was a mainstay on the AW24 runways too. Namely thanks to the likes of Zimmermann, Versace and Dior where the loud animal print adorned coats, dresses and catsuits alike. While most designers stuck to the classic brown colourway and favoured realistic iterations over abstract interpretations, Alexander McQueen also featured bold red colourways.
If leopard isn’t for you but you want to dip your toe into the animal aesthetic, snake print at Isabel Marant and white and black zebra stripes at Jacquemus also emerged as AW24 microtrends. Pick your pack and prepare to take a walk on the wild side this autumn.
Damson Madder Tilly Leopard Gilet
M&S Collection Animal Print Round Neck Mini Shift Dress
Lioness Uno Leopard Print Tie Top
6. Look at me leather
The first thing we reach for when the mercury starts to drop after a long hot summer is our trusty leather jackets. Equally, our straight-leg leather trousers have become a staple in our winter wardrobes. And while we’ve previously stuck to muted tones of goes-with-everything black, for AW24, leather has had a serious injection of colour. At Emilia Wickstead, shredded leather dress and longline trenches featured in shades of merlot and navy blue, Gucci showcased mustard hues and olive green and Gabriela Hearst stole the spotlight (literally) with a shimmering gold leather bustier dress.
Where designers did opt for tried and true black leather, the garments featured additional adornments like ruffled collars at David Koma and floral screen printing at Yuhan Wang. Yep, this leather is made to stand out.
River Island Red Faux Leather Drape Top
Monsoon Pippa Faux Leather Skirt Silver
Wyse London Alina Leather Shirt
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7. Cinched in
Of all the Y2K trends to make a comeback, waist belts are the latest and possibly the easiest to incorporate into your day-to-day wardrobe. (Not to mention the least triggering to those who lived through the era the first time around, sorry cargo pants). There are no real rules to follow here when it comes to style – Ralph Lauren opted for thick brown belts with statement buckles while sculptural gold chain link designs adorned the models’ hips at Chloé.
Similarly in position, Balmain and Saint Laurent favoured snatched waists, cinching in at the narrowest points compared to Rabanne who slug them low. Loewe, on the other hand, incorporated XL buckles and trailing straps into cut-out dresses, making the humble belt a central focal point. Yep, this season, your belts will be doing far more than just holding up your trousers.
Anthropologie Studded Hip Belt
Mint Velvet White Statement Leather Belt
Cos Curved Leather Wrap Belt
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Alexandria Dale is Digital Fashion Writer at Cosmopolitan & . Covering everything from the worth knowing about to the latest fashion news, there’s nothing she loves more than finding a high street dupe of a must-have designer item. As well as discovering new brands, she’s passionate about and establishing the trends that are actually worth investing in. Having worked in fashion journalism for six years, she has experience at both digital and print publications including Glamour and Ok!
