Instagram/@jennikayne
This winter, fashion has finally remembered that most of us don't travel exclusively by chauffeured car from climate-controlled building to climate-controlled building. We've had how many seasons now of runway looks meant for people who've apparently never stood at a bus stop in February?
Winter 2025-26 is delivering something that actually feels radical: clothes you can wear outside.
Toteme shearling coat at modaoperandi.com
The whisper-soft beige of quiet luxury—that aesthetic of expensive-looking nothing that's dominated for what feels like seventeen years—has finally stepped aside. What's taking over (expressive eclecticism, if we're being tediously formal about it) is basically permission to wear color, texture, and more than one interesting piece at a time without looking like you're compensating for a personality deficit.
And here's what actually gets me excited about this season: these trends are refreshingly wearable. Not "editorial moment" wearable. Not "sure, if you're six feet tall and exist primarily for photographs" wearable. Actually wearable.
The kind of pieces that'll get regular rotation next winter instead of living behind dry-cleaner plastic, silently judging you every time you open your closet.
Burgundy: The Color That Does Everything
Instagram/@sezane
Let's talk about the shade that's taken fashion completely hostage: burgundy (let me remind you: burgundy is one of the universal colors that flatter everyone). Or oxblood. Or merlot, dark cherry, Bordeaux—pick your preferred entry from the sommelier's vocabulary.
This entire wine-red family has staged a coup, and frankly, it's the kind of takeover we should all support.
Tuckernuck red velvet dress at tnuck.com
Burgundy works with the chocolate browns and camel already dominating everyone's closets. Creates gorgeous contrast with black. Flatters basically every skin tone. Which explains the constant sellouts.
Head-to-toe oxblood actually works—no, really. The trick is texture. Ribbed knit against leather pants. Wool coat over satin blouse. Matte meeting sheen. When you vary texture, monochromatic reads sophisticated instead of costume-y.
Faux Fur: The Season's Most Luxurious Moment
Faux fur is everywhere this season, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Instagram/@reformation
You know what's actually brilliant about this year's fur moment? It's mostly faux, and it's everywhere because—stay with me—it keeps you warm AND looks unreasonably good doing it. Revolutionary concept, I know.
Fur Coats Make a Major Comeback
Fendi Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear runway look. Giovanni Giannoni/WWD
Full fur coats have this interesting double life happening right now. They feel vintage in the best possible way, but when you see them styled on the runways—Ferragamo, Fendi, Khaite—there's something completely fresh about it.
The silhouettes range from cropped and boxy to those dramatic floor-sweeping numbers. And the colors? Your grandmother wouldn't recognize half of them.
The styling is what's different now. They're getting thrown over jeans and sneakers, belted over slip dresses, or just worn as the whole statement with everything else kept minimal. It's casual luxury instead of saving-it-for-galas territory.
Mango faux fur coat at shop.mango.com
Why this works beyond the obvious Instagram appeal: fur coats are legitimately warm. They make whatever you're wearing underneath look more considered. And the silhouette photographs well, which doesn't hurt when we're all essentially documenting our outfits anyway.
In chocolate brown, they become a rich neutral. In black, they're timelessly chic. In unexpected shades like cream or sage, they become conversation pieces that answer questions nobody asked but everyone wanted to.
Fur-Trimmed Hats: Function Meets Fashion
Anthropologie faux fur knit cloche hat at anthropologie.com
Fur-trimmed hats solve a problem we've all faced: how do you cover your ears in winter without looking like function has completely defeated fashion? How do you stay warm without giving up?
The options this season are genuinely excellent. Fur-trimmed beanies or the hats completely made of faux fur (you saw one in our latest capsule wardrobe). Felt pillbox hats, as well as wool ones or in other textures resembling the fur. Even baseball caps are getting the treatment—fur-trimmed brims that shouldn't work but absolutely do.
Zara x Disney faux fur hat, fur-trimmed jacket and shorts, and faux fur shoes at zara.com
Miu Miu (fleece trapper hats!), Brunello Cucinelli (shearling bucket hats!), Toteme (shearling beanies!) all showed versions paired with everything from tailored coats to casual knitwear. These pieces are legitimately warm while adding visual interest to outfits that might otherwise read as "I gave up when it dropped below forty."
The Faux Fur Stole: Old Hollywood Energy for Modern Life
H&M scarf at hm.com
The faux fur stole deserves its own moment of appreciation. It channels Old Hollywood glamour while working over literally everything—evening coats, cashmere sweaters, that blazer you've worn forty-seven times this month.
Nina Ricci added whimsical fur stoles and trims to Parisian-chic looks. Fendi proposed removable faux-fur maxi versions. Miu Miu did what Miu Miu always does—treated fur like vintage treasure, tossed over shoulders, clutched like heirlooms, paired with those semi-sheer socks and slip skirts that shouldn't work together but somehow create magic.
Instagram/@toteme
Stoles add warmth without bulk. Texture without weight. Visual interest without making you rethink your entire outfit. In chocolate, black, or ivory, they function as neutrals. In leopard or burgundy, they become focal points.
Chocolate Brown: Still Here, Still Perfect, Still Making Everything Else Look Better
Instagram/@reformation
Chocolate brown shows zero signs of waning. When a trend is this good and this wearable, its longevity seems like validation rather than fatigue.
Try layering different browns together—espresso with camel, then maybe some caramel in there. The textures matter just as much: leather sitting next to cashmere, then corduroy, maybe some suede. That's how you keep it from looking flat.
The brown-and-burgundy combination? That's emerged as this season's power pairing. Burgundy knit with chocolate trousers, oxblood boots under camel coat, brown bag against merlot dress.
Instagram/@aritzia
Start small if you're hesitant—leather accessories in espresso or cognac. If you're already converted, a chocolate brown coat is your primary investment.
Oversized Maxi Coats: Main Character Energy
Banana Republic oversized coat at bananarepublic.gap.com
There's something about these ankle-grazing coats. They've got this composed, structured presence—nothing slouchy about them. The kind of coat that makes leaving your apartment feel like you should have a slow-motion sequence and a soundtrack.
Max Mara, Ferragamo, Stella McCartney all showed versions that basically became the entire outfit. Max Mara's floor-length coats? Jaw-dropping. I genuinely sat there for 10 minutes trying to pick which one to use as an illustration. The richness of those colors alone—they photograph like money.
A Max Mara Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear runway look I’m completely obsessed with. Giovanni Giannoni/WWD
Here's what makes the maxi coat work: it creates such a strong silhouette that whatever you wear underneath basically doesn't matter. This is the coat you throw over whatever you want and suddenly look intentional. It's the sartorial equivalent of having your life together, available for purchase.
Power Shoulders Return
A Saint Laurent Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear look built around the collection’s signature power shoulders. Giovanni Giannoni/WWD
After years of slouchy, dropped-shoulder everything, strong structured shoulders are back. Givenchy did sharp tailoring. Chloé went for billowing sleeves. Saint Laurent showed sculptural suits. Pretty much every aesthetic found a way to nod to the decade that brought us both Wall Street and Working Girl.
The difference from actual '80s power dressing: these looks are balanced with modern sensibility. Keeps them wearable instead of costume-y. You're channeling authority, not auditioning for a period piece.
Animal Print as Neutral
Boden leopard wide leg jeans at us.boden.com
Leopard print is getting reframed. Not as a statement anymore—as a textured neutral. Once you make that mental shift, a leopard scarf stops being this bold choice and becomes a versatile piece that makes outfits more interesting.
Cow print and tiger have their adherents, though they skew editorial. Try animal prints in accessories first—belt, bag, shoes. Once the print-as-neutral philosophy clicks, you'll wonder why you ever treated leopard differently than brown.
"Frazzled Englishwoman" Chic
Instagram/@jcrew
Layering has evolved into deliberate art—specifically, a look TikTok dubs "frazzled Englishwoman." Think lovable, slightly messy heroines from British rom-coms. Bridget Jones territory: oversized scarves and a charming inability to look polished.
Vivienne Westwood featured jaunty tilted hats and mismatched tweeds. Miu Miu layered multiple tops—haphazard yet chic somehow. The effect designers are going for is slightly chaotic, but expressive and endearing.
Texture Takes Over
Instagram/@tanyataylor
If there's one thing that defines Winter 2025-26, it's texture. The focus on how things feel—not just look—means you can create interesting outfits without relying on color contrast. And honestly, when something looks good AND feels good to wear? That's the whole point.
Instagram/@rodarte
Velvet Everywhere: No longer holiday-only. You're seeing sumptuous velvet in jewel tones across the board—evening dresses, sharp blazers, updated takes on classic silhouettes.
Overland Toscana sheepskin aviator hat at overland.com
Shearling in Every Form: Bags get trimmed with it. Coats get collared with it. Boots and jackets get lined with it. It's ski-chalet energy transplanted to urban contexts.
Self-Portrait rhinestone top at self-portrait.com
Sequins for Daytime: They've escaped New Year's Eve—think sequin skirts with casual cashmere. Why save sparkle for after dark when winter could use some brightening up at noon?
Blaze Milano quilted corduroy jacket at blaze-milano.com
Corduroy's Comeback: Wide-wale corduroy in those earth tones we're all already wearing. Adds warmth plus that unexpected texture you need. Most wearable applications: wide-leg trousers and shackets that feel both nostalgic and current.
Boot Report: Your Feet Deserve This Much Attention
Instagram/@ralphlauren
Buccaneer Boots: Pirate Energy, Practical Application
Zimmerman Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear runway look at zimmermann.com
Think slouchy boots with loose shafts that sort of scrunch around your calf—very pirate-inspired, very now. Some have buckles. Some have fold-over cuffs. Zimmermann styled them with flowing dresses for a romantic take. Ralph Lauren went equestrian with tailored riding pants. Balmain glammed them up in different finishes (from glossy to matte) for nightlife.
Equestrian Elegance
Tory Burch take on classic riding boots at toryburch.com
Classic knee-high boots. Straight shafts, minimal heels. Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Loro Piana all showed elegant versions—usually in that gorgeous rich cognac leather. These boots just work. Comfortable, generally weatherproof, and they make whatever you're wearing look instantly more pulled together.
Statement Heels
Corset-inspired pumps? Treat them as a full-on statement piece. Instagram/@jimmychoo
Extravagant "fashion pumps"—oversized bows, frills, feathers, gathered satin. Tom Ford did razor-sharp pointed toes. Saint Laurent went for knife heels. Perfect with power suits and bold eveningwear—for occasions when you actually want to make an entrance.
Accessories Worth Noting
Ludovic de Saint Sernin belt at modaoperandi.com
Statement Belts: Belt your cardigans and puffers to create shape. Leopard-print brings pattern. Western-inspired adds character. Jewel-encrusted delivers evening drama.
Instagram/@scanlantheodore
Soft Bags: Think slouchy top-handle bags in plush suede. Crescent hobos, pillow clutches, large slouchy shoulders—all in rich textures.
Instagram/@canojewelryofficial
Brooches Reimagined: Once grandmotherly, now high-fashion. Isabel Marant pinned mixed-metal brooches on blazers and sexy dresses. Jennifer Behr created modern pins to adorn all your coats. Pinning things on is officially cool again.
How to Approach These Trends
Dagmar shearling jacket at houseofdagmar.com
Minimal Investment (Work With What You Have): Start with accessories. A fur-trimmed hat. Burgundy scarf. Maybe a leopard belt, a slouchy suede bag. All of these play nicely with whatever's already in your closet.
Moderate Investment (Key Pieces That Transform Everything): Get yourself a statement coat—maxi length, funnel neck, or fur. Add slouchy boots. Maybe invest in a faux fur stole.
Full Commitment (Build the Wardrobe): You could build entire tonal wardrobes around burgundy and brown if you wanted to. Stock up on texture—chunky knits, shearling pieces, velvet, some corduroy. Embrace oversized silhouettes. Commit to the drama.
The Bottom Line
The Frankie Shop oversized crossbody faux fur bag at thefrankieshop.com
Winter 2025-26 remembered why clothes exist. To keep us warm, make us feel good, help us present ourselves as who we want to be.
These trends actually serve those purposes. Rich colors, tactile textures, flattering proportions, functional accessories—none of it requires contortionist styling or suspending disbelief. A fur scarf is useful and luxurious, not some conceptual piece. A fur-trimmed hat is warm, not ironic. A shearling bag adds textural interest while being practical, not making statements for the sake of statements.
These are clothes for living in. The beauty of this season is that the trends align with how people actually want to dress—which suggests they're not trends at all, really, but simply good ideas whose time has finally, mercifully come.
