Style Buzz: 2026 Fall Style Report
Ideas to Inspire Your Style This Week!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"I can justify buying clothes for work, but I have a harder time justifying buying clothes for casual occasions."
Sound familiar? It's a very common feeling, like the clothes for work have a Purpose with a capital P, and you wear them almost every day, and they can help you be taken more seriously at work. But what about the casual clothes? Perhaps you don't wear them every day but at least once a week? Isn't their purpose to make you feel appropriate when you do wear them? So the next time you're inclined to buy some work clothes, maybe look at some smart-but-casual clothes instead. Or even put your work clothes to use in casual occasions. They might love coming out to play and not just help you stare at a spreadsheet!
xxx rachel
FALL/WINTER 2026 TREND REPORT
The first cooler days are just around the corner, so it's time for the Fall/Winter 2026 Trend Report! Use this to guide your own style, either by coming up with inspired outfits from what you already own, or looking around town for the trends that speak to you.
Fashion is moving toward a wardrobe with more presence, texture, and emotion. Familiar classics such as blazers, button-down shirts, and bomber jackets are reshaped through sharper lines, less volume, cropped proportions, and unexpected details. This structure is balanced by a darker kind of romance: body-skimming dresses, transparency, lace, ruffles, bows, draping, and dropped waists bring softness and sensuality without feeling overly delicate. Cold-weather practicality remains important, especially through shearling, leather, velvet, textured coats, and protective outerwear. Prints also grow stronger this season from bold checks and dark florals to animal motifs, jacquards, and handcrafted embellishment.
Key Colors: Black, white, beige, and earthy shades provide a grounded base, while burgundy, electric blue, deep purple, chartreuse, and turquoise bring a little liveliness.Overall, the season feels confident and expressive: polished enough for real life, but designed to make familiar clothes feel more individual, glamorous, and alive. Here's how that plays out!
Fringe: Fringe takes on a more expressive role this season, adding movement and texture to otherwise simple shapes and building on the foundations from the Spring/Summer collections. From long, flowing strands to fuller, sculptural finishes, it feels both playful and refined. Let one fringed piece be the star, and balance it with smooth fabrics and understated accessories.
Minimalism: Fall Winter 2026 minimalism is about making a few well-chosen pieces feel significant. Clean shapes, soft neutral tones, and subtle differences in texture create interest without relying on decoration. Build the look with a well-cut coat, simple knitwear, and trousers in closely related shades.
Peplums: The peplum returns as a fresh way to give familiar pieces more shape. A flared section at the waist or hips adds definition to jackets and tops, ranging from soft folds to more sculpted volume. Pair it with a simple skirt or straight-leg trousers to let the shape stand out.
Power Dressing: Power dressing brings confidence through tailoring, from precise suits to fluid tuxedo-inspired looks. Defined shoulders and shaped waists have presence, while softer fabrics keep the it from feeling too rigid. Wear a full suit for impact, or pair a strong blazer with relaxed trousers for an easier interpretation.
Heritage Remixed: We're finding traditional dressing a fresh point of view through tweed, checks, and familiar tailored pieces. Unexpected fabrics, color combinations, and layering make these classics feel less stuffy. Try a checked jacket with a fluid skirt or a tweed piece with denim for a balance of old and new.
Modern Romance: If you'd prefer softness with a stronger sense of character, lace, ruffles, bows, and floral details feel expressive rather than delicate, especially when mixed with more structured or sporty pieces. Balance a romantic blouse or skirt with tailored outerwear or sturdy boots to make it feel more grounded.
Animal: Or if you're looking for boldness this season, leopard spots and other animal-inspired markings such as zebra, cheetah or snakeskin work as the focal point of a look, especially when paired with simpler pieces. Choose one printed coat, skirt, or accessory and repeat one of its colors elsewhere to bring the outfit together.
Fur: For Fall Winter 2026, fur and fur-effect textures bring softness, volume, and a touch of glamour to winter dressing. Plush coats and shaggy finishes make texture the main attraction. To bring the look into everyday wear, try a faux-fur jacket with simple knitwear and clean-cut trousers.
For the Gents: Fall/Winter 2026 brings a stronger sense of character to familiar wardrobe classics. Tailoring remains central, but the shape is more defined: jackets are cleaner and closer to the body, while trousers often keep a softer, more relaxed line. Heritage references - from collegiate knits and checks to 1960s suiting - are refreshed through rich fabrics like velvet, jacquard, corduroy, and leather. Outerwear also has greater presence, with parkas, windbreakers, capes, and weather-ready coats adding volume, function, and protection. Traditional pieces are cleverly paired with distressed finishes, punk influences, expressive evening tops, and unexpected accessories.
Key colors: strong foundation of black, grey, brown, and winter white which is energized by pink, red, mustard, cobalt, and burgundy.
Overall, Fall/Winter 2026 is about individuality: using classic menswear as a base, then adding texture, color, and a more personal point of view.
ANATOMY OF AN OUTFIT
This is a peek into my favorite outfit of the week where I break it down for you: why I've put it together and why it works, what elements could be swapped out, things to consider, etc.
Air travel is always a series of unknown circumstances, so best to wear an outfit that can work in, well, if not all of them at least most! I've got a long layover plus a long haul to England, so comfort is key. I've chosen a long-sleeved blouse for several reasons: I can easily add layers over it for warmth, but if I get hot, I can roll the sleeves up. The moto jacket is wonderfully stretchy, making it easy to move in and reach those overhead bins. The scarf can keep my neck warm or I can use it as a blanket, but if I don't want it, I can tie it to my handbag. The black jeans are insurance if we hit turbulence during dinner (I hope not!) and wearing the boots instead of packing them just makes sense. Plus I've got a lot of walking to do on my layover. Yay. To be honest, it all feels like pajamas, which will let me sleep on the plane (at least until it's time for BA's famous afternoon tea service!)
Blouse: Marks & Spencer
Jacket: Max Studio
Jeans: St John's Bay
Boots: Pikolinos
Handbag: Sondra Roberts Squared
TRY THIS: The next time you travel, up your style just a little. Instead of running shoes, try a leather sneaker. Or perhaps a blazer instead of a sweatshirt. It makes you feel a little more polished and might inspire others to not wear pajamas on their next flight (ugh!).
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