By the time Paris Fashion Week fall 2023 closed in early March, the trends of the season had been fully set. Among them: riffs on French-girl style aplenty; big, bold shoulder pads à la Miami Vice; and a return to dressing up. At Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri created her interpretation of both the former and the latter—models took to the catwalk donning New Look-inspired takes on Parisian dressing. Meanwhile, Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière put his answer to the question “What is French style?” (which opened his show in the vaulted salons of the Musée d’Orsay) squarely in the context of 2023. That meant glowing light therapy sunglasses and moto gloves alongside knitted vests and oversize scarves. And in Saint Laurent’s version, the 1980s ruled: teeny leather gloves were paired with slim pants and supersized blazers featuring exaggerated shoulders. Distinct trends emerged during the weeks prior in New York, London, and Milan as well. Luar’s Raul Lopez made the case for elevated, over-the-top office attire, while Tory Burch designed looks for a new kind of prep. At JW Anderson, Bottega Veneta, and Loewe, closet staples were given new life—ushering in a fresh era for trenches, peacoats, white tank tops, and much more.
Now, with fall pieces hitting our favorite websites and store shelves, it’s time to stock up on the clothing and accessories of the moment. Here’s our guide to the reigning looks of the season:
’80s Power Dressing
The 1980s are back in a big way—and designers this season honed in on the idea of the remixed power suit, taking the look to outsized proportions. Saint Laurent featured a jacket with bold shoulders on almost every look for fall 2023, while Bottega Veneta’s version had a distinctly early ’90s feel. On shelves, that’s translating to sharp, wearable pieces with just the right amount of exaggeration.
Dolce & Gabbana Shoulder-Pad Double-Breasted Blazer
Jacquemus Ruban Striped Cotton Poplin Shirt
Saint Laurent Cropped Leather Jacket
Vivienne Westwood Gathered Checked Tweed Jacket
Attersee The Sculpted Vest
Acne Studios Cropped Satin-Trimmed Crepe Blazer
Main Character Energy
The secretary, the nurse, the Mod Squad member. This season, we saw plenty of recognizable characters walking down the runways—at Miu Miu, Ethel Cain played an early Mad Men Peggy Olson manning the front desk; Fendi’s girl evoked a Charles Dickens-era character. Channel them all with eye-catching, personality-filled looks by Prada, Maison Margiela and Super Yaya x Leorosa.
Loewe Striped Crepe Mini Dress
Prada Bow-Embellished Cotton Dress
Maison Margiela Flounced Jersey Bodysuit
Saint Laurent Strapless Draped Knitted Maxi Dress
Super Yaya x Leorosa Red Edition Beatrice Cardigan
Christopher John Rogers Pleated Silk-Taffeta Wide-Leg Pants
Elevated Staples
The peacoat, the trench, the suit, the white blouse, and other closet basics were brought to new heights this season. Givenchy elongated a pussy bow all the way to ground, while Gucci made their everyday suit extra roomy—and therefore extra stylish. Now’s the time to your everyday trousers and workwear with pieces in sumptuous materials and unexpected silhouettes.
JW Anderson Padlock-Fastening Leather Coat
CHAM Legging Pant
Khaite Rico Pleated Cotton-Blend Satin Wide-Leg Pants
Eterne Long Sleeve Crewneck Dress
Ralph Lauren Cameron Silk-Satin Shirt
High Sport Kick Cotton-Blend Straight-Leg Pants
The Art Collector
This isn’t the wardrobe of your high school ceramics teacher—this is a work of art transposed onto a garment that could stand as an art piece on its own. We especially loved the cherries on Jil Sander’s sleeveless set, and Rodarte’s take, which featured a lively trim of lime green feathers on a printed caftan. Between a surrealism-inspired Rabanne turtleneck and a Stella McCartney blouse decorated with an iconic Yoshitomo Nara painting, you too can look like a (very chic) walking museum.
Balmain Printed Stretch-Tulle Turtleneck Top
JW Anderson x Michael Clark Printed T-shirt
Loewe Pixelated Baggy Jeans In Denim
Stella McCartney Yoshitomo Nara Printed Cotton-Poplin Shirt
Rodarte Lace-Trimmed Silk Cape Gown
Paco Rabanne Printed Top
Calling All Extroverts!
If your fashion sense ultimately boils down to “go big or go home,” look no further than this trend—which happens to be one of our favorites from the season. Maximalism took on a restrained, chic form for fall 2023. At JW Anderson, that translated to larger-than-life lapels on a superlong jacket, while Christian Cowan decorated his floor-length blazer with rhinestones.
Bottega Veneta Zebra-Print Rubber-Coated Coat
Loewe Bow Top In Technical Satin
Khaite Gracell Cropped Leather-Trimmed Shearling Jacket
Marni Circle-Print Gown
Michael Kors Camo Shearling Coat
Paula Canovas Del Vas Black Faux-Fur Jeans
The Best of Barbarella
Sydney Sweeney may be taking on the role of the glamorous space adventurer in a new film based on the original, but Barbarella was also prevalent on the fall 2023 runways this season. We were totally taken with Noir Kei Ninomiya’s version, covered in menacing spikes; as well as the mini dress from Paco Rabanne, whose show celebrated its late founder’s legacy. While you may not want to go out to dinner in full weaponry, you can channel the vibe in silver lamé, mirrors, shining patent leather and more.
Moncler Genius 2 1952 Paquita Jacket
Jetset Glazy Metallic Stretch-Jersey Top
Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Metallic Crinkled-Leather Skirt
Prada Paillette-Embellished Organza Mini Skirt
Proenza Schouler Metallic Leather Straight-Leg Pants
Michael Kors Belted Double-Breasted Metallic Calf Hair Trench Coat
Grocery Run
What would someone wear for a quick trip to the corner store? Designers’ answers to this question ranged from a chic take on athleisure (Miu Miu) to a full-on fashionable pajama set (Bottega Veneta). Louis Vuitton slung one of its season’s signatures—an extralong scarf—over a beaded skirt worn on top of leggings, while JW Anderson’s girl simply threw a zip-up on top of her cocktail dress. Why not elevate your errands with something simple, comfortable and drop-dead chic?
Miu Miu Embroidered Cotton Hoodie
Loro Piana Cocooning Leggings
Fabiana Filippi Sweatshorts
Mango Tailored Wool Coat
Banana Republic The Boxy Cropped Shirt
Adidas x Wales Bonner Sneakers
Fine Feathered Friends
Feathers are by no means a novel trend in fashion. But for fall, designers expanded their use into uncharted territory—especially at Loewe, where Jonathan Anderson turned his model into a straight-up bird. A little trim, a fluffed-up purse, or a tiny boa will take any look to new heights.
The Row Almi Feather-Embellished Wool-Blend Dress
JW Anderson Feather Boa Scarf
Brother Vellies Nile Bird Bag In Cloud
Sleeper Knitted Cardigan In Flame Red
Saint Laurent Blanco Slik Ostrich Mule Sandals
La Double J Swing Striped Feather-Trimmed Silk-Twill Maxi Dress
A New Kind of Prep
There’s been plenty of talk about what preppy looks like in 2023, and we feel Tory Burch captured the overall consensus of “New Prep” quite well: it’s a little bit undone (Gucci did this bit perfectly), a touch quirky (see: Miu Miu), but chic beyond belief (à la Prada). These are staples you’ll wear and love for years to come.
High Sport Parker Cotton-Blend Hoodie
Cartier Belta Tank De Cartier
Acne Bermuda Shorts
Loro Piana Kya Shirt
The Row Boheme MJ TV In Vinyl
Tory Burch Cashmere Shrunken Crewneck
Cruella’s Closet
Your favorite Disney villain was back in a big way on this season’s runways. Coats at Gucci, Stella McCartney, and Bottega Veneta evoked Cruella de Vil’s signature wardrobe, while Dolce & Gabbana put its own spin on the concept. Why not try a little va-va-voom on for size?
Stella Mccartney Appaloosa Print Long Teddy Coat
Chanel Rouge Allure
Khaite Aimee Envelope Pleat Clutch
Ralph Lauren Cape Georgette Cocktail Dress
Manolo Blahnik BB Print Pump
Swarovski Matrix Tennis Necklace
Seaside Heights
Designers’ homages to the sea were done incredibly artfully this season. Even more on-the-nose homages, like Balmain’s pearlescent seashell-inspired corsets, were paired with slouchy berets to give the look a whole new dimension. Bottega Veneta put scalloped textures all over tight turtlenecks. And at Rick Owens and Loewe, shining materials evoked the feeling of gentle, lapping waves. Read more about the appeal of waterlogged fashion here.
Loewe Maruja Mallo Tube Dress
Clio Peppiatt Seashell Embellished Satin Pouch
Icarus + Co Fish Charm Necklace
Issey Miyake Tropical Winter Madame T-Stole
Alaia Sequin Maxi Skirt
The Row Ginza Leather And Velvet Platform Flip Flops
Not Your Mother’s Trench Coat
This trend goes hand-in-hand with the concept of elevated staples. Loewe’s trompe l’oeil version of a trench was truly inspiring, but Fendi’s trench coat—which was lined with matching sequins—took our breath away. If you’re looking to invest in a fabulous, timeless new raincoat for the fall, now is the moment.
Burberry Belted Layered Double-Breasted Cotton-Gabardine Trench Coat
Nili Lotan Tanner Trench Coat
Issey Miyake Mono-Ma Coat
Herno Trench Coat
Toteme Oversized organic Cotton-Blend Gabardine Trench Coat
Stutterheim Kista Opal Trench Coat
