At the heart of New York Fashion Week are the talented roster of brands that come together to present their upcoming collections, but over time, the event has become one wherein fashion inspiration no longer comes solely from the runways, but from street style, too. For editors, the event-packed week presents an opportunity to try out fashion trends that may have been on the back burner, and a few of them have proven worthy of keeping on rotation throughout the fall.
It’s no secret that many of the fall trends cropping up across social media and street style take a page from the runways for inspiration, and many of us have been patiently awaiting the close of summer to put them to the test. While New York Fashion Week may have been the opportunity that presented itself for sartorial exploration, I made sure to keep to a similar rule of thumb I like to use when dressing or shopping on the daily — mixing and matching statement pieces with staples for an end result that feels both on trend, yet practical and versatile enough to reimagine throughout the seasons. Plus, when visiting New York City, no matter the location (though I try to keep as close to the city as possible opting for locations such as Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown and Hyatt Centric Midtown 5th Avenue this time around), dressing with comfort in mind whether, by way of roomy bottoms, oversized tops or lower heels is key.
Ahead, here are the 5 fall trends that get the editor stamp of approval after a New York Fashion Week trial run. Then, see where to shop some of the pieces to try out the looks on your own.
1. Plaid, But Make It Grunge
Photographed at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown
Academia always finds its way back to the forefront, especially in the fall, but it’s the updates that come with it season after season that makes the timeless trend worth trying out time and time again. This time around, academia holy grails such as plaid take on grungier, deconstructed elements such as distressed fabrics and hardware details. If you don’t want to go all out with a head-to-toe look, grab a statement piece such as an oversized blazer and style it with all black.
2. All Sheer Everything
Photographed at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown
From dresses to matching sets, skin-embracing, sensual sheer fabrics have dominated the runway for a few seasons now (think signature designs from on-the-rise brands such as KNWLS and Nensi Dojaka). Styling sheer dresses always leaves the question of what to wear underneath, so I find sheer pants, particularly a pair that comes complete with built-in shorts for coverage, to be the most wearable option. If you don’t have a matching set, all you need is a top with added sheer details in the same color to create a look that feels crisp and cohesive.
3. Moto Moment
Photographed at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown
Call it the Diesel effect, but biker jackets are the Y2K rockstar girlfriend-esque trend taking over for the fall, and it just feels wrong to not give the look a spin. What you need first — any one of the trendy biker jacket styles on the market (there are color-blocked options, smooth leather options, and more, but I love the distressed faux suede look that comes with this one from Urban Outfitters). Versatile as biker jackets are, you can virtually pair yours with anything, matching leather pants, jeans, a denim mini skirt, or to nail two trends of the season at once, a cargo skirt. Last, of course, a pair of wrap-around sunnies to hone in on the sporty vibes.
4. Maxis Over Minis
Photographed at Hyatt Centric Midtown 5th Avenue
Perhaps one of the most recent and popular examples of just how quickly the micro trend pendulum swings these days (thanks to TikTok) is the fact that maxi and midi skirts are now the beloved skirt trend, coming off the heels of a major mini skirt summer. Alas, it comes just in time for fall and there’s no shortage of nostalgic styles to try on the market. The silhouette is perfect for pairing with tall boots and balancing the top with an open-front cardigan.
5. Baggy Blues
Photographed at Hyatt Centric Midtown 5th Avenue
Think of New York Fashion Week and flashy, over-the-top looks are bound to come to mind. You’re not wrong, but there are plenty of more relaxed trends to pull from that frankly are much more comfortable for trucking through the streets of the city. Baggy jeans are one you may not normally gravitate toward for events that call for dressing up, but they’re actually easy to transform into a fashion moment with an elevated basic top and sleek, comfy heels.
