With the onset of winter, people in certain parts of the world will begin to feel the chill in the air, with temperatures dropping and colder days shifting to frigid nights. But while the weather outside may be dreary and gloomy, fashion designers are creating innovative looks that will brighten wardrobes globally.
The Fall/Winter 2024 fashion runways have been brimming with inspiration from top designers, showcasing a mix of bold accessories, simple yet chic items, shapely silhouettes, colour blocking, and embellishments, to name a few.
This winter, as comfort remains one of the top priorities for consumers, fashion enthusiasts will also see chic yet functional and comfortable clothing on shelves. Whether dressing up for holiday activities or staying casual, there is something for everyone to rock during the 2024-2025 winter season.
This article breaks down the top winter fashion trends spotted on runways that will surely elevate an outfit while staying warm this season.
Sweaters and Outerwear
Finding a reliable jacket to stay warm and comfortable is essential during the winter months. This winter, designers created an eclectic and diverse pallet of jacket and coat options to choose from.
One of those styles being the elevated barn jackets. Designers have integrated barn jackets into their collections, and this trend has the potential to become more mainstream this season. J. Crew has added the cult-favourite barn jacket to its Fall 2024 collection. However, it added a twist to the style, making long barn jackets that come in different patterns and colours like plaid, olive green, and denim.
Boxy short-hemmed jackets were also spotted on runways. Luxury designers like Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga, added their spin to the short, boxy coat style in their designs.
For those prioritising warmth, high-neck jackets are making a strong appearance this season. Offering both style and practicality, these jackets are perfect for braving colder temperatures without sacrificing comfort or design.
As sweater weather approaches, designers are aiming to make days a bit brighter with colourful knitted outerwear. Designers like Missoni and Stella McCartney created vibrant cardigans and crewneck colours that mimic springtime. Colours like vibrant yellows, pinks, and colour-blocked items make the ultimate statement for winter. They are also great for pairing and layering with jackets and denim jeans.
Oversized, cropped jackets took centre stage on the catwalks for the 2024 fall/winter season, but stand collar jackets are having a moment as well. The stand collar jacket replaces the traditional turn-down collar and has the collar height on the neck, offering a sleek, modern silhouette. This structured design also eliminates the need for scarves, providing both warmth and style in one. Designers like Victoria Beckham, Banana Republic, and Chloe embraced this trend, creating bold stand-out collar coats that also make a bold statement piece. The streamlined, minimalist look also stretches the silhouette and delivers a fashion-forward alternative to elevate a look.
Oversized Trousers and Denim
The ‘oversized’ trend has been dominating the fashion scene for the past few years, and it is not going away anytime soon. When it comes to fall denim styles, anything goes, with designers creating oversized light denim jeans seen on the runways of Brandon Maxwell, Michael Kors, and Dries Van Noten.
On the darker side, Victoria Beckham created dark denim on denim outfits featuring the blue-black hue. Barrel jeans are also having a moment in fashion. Notable for their extreme tapered leg, barrel jeans come in different denim washes and are best for low key settings.
The infamous skinny jeans are slowly making their way to the fashion scene as well. Skinny and low-rise jeans were seen on the fall/winter 2024 runways from designers like Miu Miu and Balenciaga.
Oversized trousers are also expected to continue to dominate the fashion scene this fall. However, this season, lighter tones and winter whites are the top choice. Ballon pants, with their voluminous shapes and tapered ankles, provide an effortlessly chic look that fashion lovers can pair with fitted tops, cropped outerwear, and boots. Designers have experimented with a variety of fabrics and textures to ensure these pieces are comfortable yet stylish.
Preppy Aesthetic
Class is back this season with preppy styles that ruled the runway, bringing a fresh twist to timeless academic-inspired fashion. Miu Miu kicked off the trend with its popular runway shows. Its fall collection, where models appeared to be channelling their mothers’ classic preppy wardrobe, included full skirts, crisp button-downs, leather loafers, sharp blazers, and V-neck sweaters. The colours included traditional academic colours like navy blue, burgundy, and greys.1
Accessories
Fashion enthusiasts rely on accessories to elevate their outfits, using them as powerful tools to express personal styles and creativity. For this winter season, designers have created bold and daring styles that will take a winter look to the next level.
Military Caps and Hats
Military-inspired hats and caps were on full display within the fall/winter 2024 accessory trends, showcasing a global influence. These military looks dominated the runways, with designers putting their own unique spins on the classic style, creating many variations that fashion enthusiasts can easily incorporate into their wardrobes. Designers like Prada and Chanel embraced this look by incorporating visored and tweed caps into their collections, blending traditional military elements with high fashion sophistication.2
Swim Caps
For winter fashion in 2024, designers showed interest in creating pieces representing everyday life and activities. Swim cap-inspired hats, or swimcapcore, made a big splash on runways. Prada was ahead of the curve by adding the style to its Fall/Winter menswear show in Milan. The luxury brand topped just about every look with swim cap-style headgear and wet suit hoods.3
Rick Owens added his take on the look by creating thick hoods, mimicking swimcap wear during Fashion Week in Paris. This trend not only serves as a playful nod to the athletic world but also challenges conventional ideas of winter fashion, bringing unexpected and avant-garde elements to cold-weather wardrobes.
Long Pendants
In past seasons, dainty, short necklaces and chokers ruled the fashion scene. However, pendants attached to long necklaces are making a resurgence in the 2024-2025 Fall/Winter fashion scene. Pendant designs can stretch past the navel, and can be layered for a more eclectic look. Long pendants bring a unique flair to wardrobes and are a classy way to elevate and sophisticate a simpler outfit.
Handbags
Last season, shoulder bags ruled the runways as the go-to accessory, but this season, designers are ditching the straps in favour of clutch bags and bracelet bags. Styles ranged from compact clutches designed to hold just a phone or makeup, to tote-sized options; luxury designers showcased a diverse array of clutch handbags suitable for holiday occasions.
Designers also created clutch handbags that feature a hand slot, creating the illusion of wearing a bracelet. These bags were uniquely crafted and showcased a variety of styles, including embellished metal and luxurious leather options that come in different colours.
Gloves
In the spring, gloves became a major trend, but they were designed to be lighter and more breathable. In the fall, the glove trend is continuing, however for those in colder climates, they are used in a more practical way. Gloves have been a popular choice during colder climates. However, this season’s designers uniquely incorporated gloves into their looks, which were spotted heavily on runways.
Runways were filled with different variations of gloves, ranging from lengthy leather gloves to vivid yellow styles that add a bold splash of colour to a look. Designers added brown gloves to create a chic monochromatic look, while furry and other dramatic designs brought texture and dimension to ensembles. Fashion enthusiasts can enjoy gloves to add personality and flair to any outfit while keeping them cozy and warm.
Belts
Designers fully embraced boho-chic belt styles this season, with double belts and wide belts dominating the runways to create a sleek, cinched look. Wide belts, in particular, were a standout accessory, transforming outfits with a touch of elegance. Many designers like Valentino and Vivienne Westwood featured wild belts in their collections to add a polished, put together look.
80s Inspired earrings
In fashion, what is old inevitably becomes new again, and 1980s earrings are back in full effect. From button earrings to chunky gold hoops, 80s style jewellery was prominent on the runway for the 2024 Fall/Winter season. Designers drew inspiration from the previous decade and created dramatic, oversized button earrings and chunky gold hoops.
Designers like Chang and Saint Laurent fully embraced this style, showcasing eye-catching designs that make a statement on the runways. Fashion enthusiasts will love these earrings that command attention and exude sophistication.
Chunky Scarves
Chunky scarves have officially become a cold-weather staple for Fall/Winter 2024. The oversized trend has extended beyond outerwear and into accessories, making the chunky scarf a must-have. Designers showcased exaggerated, bold scarves on runways across New York, Paris, and Copenhagen, proving that bigger is better when it comes to staying warm this season.
These scarves are not just for function—they are a fashion statement in themselves. With textures ranging from thick cable knits to plush wool blends, chunky scarves add both warmth and style. Whether draped casually over the shoulders or wrapped several times around the neck for a snug fit, they bring an instant cozy, elevated feel to any winter outfit. Paired with tailored coats, casual jackets, or even layered over oversized sweaters, this trend is as versatile as it is chic.
Bright colours, bold patterns, and textured fabrics allow fashion lovers to mix and match with ease, bringing personality and flair to even the most neutral of outfits. Chunky scarves not only serve their practical purpose of keeping out the cold but also play a vital role in completing any fall or winter look.
Footwear
When it comes to winter fashion, footwear is stepping into the spotlight with bold, cozy designs that are as stylish as they are functional. This season, designers are embracing some distinctive designs:
Fringy, Fuzzy Footwear
Faux fur has been a staple for coats and jackets, but designers are stepping it up—literally—by bringing the fur trend to footwear. Fuzzy, furry footwear has stomped its way to fashion runways this winter season. Feathery heels, fur boots, and fuzzy flats seen on runways will surely elevate any outfit while cozying up consumer’s feet during the cold winter months.
The luxury designer Ferragamo and its infamous Pump With Feathers heels takes it up a notch by decorating the shoe with an array of two tone ostrich feathers applied by hand to the smooth satin upper, and the diagonal heel or contemporary elegance.4
Booted Up
It is no surprise that boots are a popular choice to wear during the winter. However, this season, designers are kicking up the boot trend by adding bold, vibrant colours to their collections. Designers have incorporated rich shades of mahogany, olive green, and burgundy to various types of boots, most popularly over the knees and thigh highs.
Preppy-style boots, like horse riding boots, are also trending, gracing the runways of luxury designers like Gucci, Dior, and Chloe. From classic elegance to edgy grunge, riding boots are a major trend expected to dominate winter fashion this season.
Floral Flats
Floral prints are more than just a springtime fashion staple—they have blossomed into a year-round trend, with winter runways embracing bold, blooming patterns in unexpected ways.
From Giorgio Armani’s delicate floral ballet flats to Loewe’s intricately embellished floral boots, these prints bring a touch of nature to the gloomiest of months. Whether paired with chunky knits or sleek outerwear, winter florals are proving that the right blooms can thrive in any season, making them a staple for fashion-forward wardrobes this year.
T-Bar Heels
The T-Bar heel gained popularity in the 1950s when designers revolutionised the style by adding a heel on the flat shoe. They became a contemporary, chic option for people around the globe. However, the heel lost its popularity over the years but has gained an interest resurgence in various 2024/2025 Fall and Winter runway collections.5 W cheeky, pattern-mixing ith a rising consumer interest in vintage styles, designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, and others have reintroduced the T-Bar heel in diverse ways, spanning from timelessly chic to sleek, sultry styles.
Tailored Suiting
Tailored suiting is making a strong comeback for the Fall/Winter 2024 season, blending traditional menswear influences with contemporary feminine flair. Designers drew inspiration from the power suits of the 1980s, known for their sharp lines and structured silhouettes. This season, tailoring is all about creating a look that is masculine but then adding a feminine flair.
Classic menswear-inspired suits, featuring oversized blazers and wide-legged trousers, have been updated with a feminine touch. Designers added belts to cinch the waist, emphasising a more hourglass shape while maintaining the sophistication of tailored lines.
Bold jewellery, such as chunky gold necklaces and statement earrings, have also been incorporated to elevate tailored looks, adding a touch of glamour. Rich fabrics like velvet and tweed enhance the luxurious feel of the suits.
Tailored suits can be paired with boots or sleek heels to create a polished look for winter wardrobes.
Leopard Print
Although it never truly goes out of style, leopard print has been heavily spotted on runways this season. Models strutted leopard designs on catwalks this season that included everything from coats and skirts to tops, shoes, bags, and other accessories.
The leopard trend is also channelling the edgy, glamorous essence of the ‘mob-wife’ aesthetic, a trend that gained momentum last winter with its luxurious and bold, yet cheeky, pattern-mixing vibes.6
Designers like Isabel Marant and Dior took to the runways proving that leopard is a versatile staple, blending with classic wardrobe items like leather jackets or tailored trousers. Fur plays a major role in the mob-wife aesthetic, however, as consumers become more conscious about what they wear, responsible shoppers are prioritising buying faux fur and upcycled items. Brands like Neraja are creating coats that are upcycled and using thrifted materials.7
The leopard print aesthetic proves that the iconic print is no longer just a bold statement— it is a timeless element that elevates any outfit, and it is here to stay in the long run.
The Resurgence of Boho-Chic
Boho-chic has found its way back into the fashion scene, showcasing its versatility and ability to adapt to the colder months. Dedicated to the free-spirits, boho-chic runway looks included ruffled maxi dresses paired with high boots that capture the essence of the 1970s. Boho-chic designs were spotted on the runways of designers like Chloe, Chanel and Altuzarra, who created neutral-coloured and floral designs with gold jewellery that fully embodied the boho-chic aesthetic.
Leading Colour Highlights
While warmth and coziness are important, the Fall/Winter season is equally driven by bold colour choices in fashion. This season saw vibrant and bold colours dominate the runways. Designers incorporated colours like radiant red, olive greens, burgundy, butter yellow, soft white, eggplant and different variations of brown. Black reigned supreme on the runways, with Valentino even showcasing an entire show featuring all black outlets.
As mentioned earlier, brighter colours that are normally seen in the spring were also prominent on the runways for fall and winter. Various designers created colourful sweaters and cardigans to layer outfits that bring bright energy to a wardrobe during colder months.
Conclusion
This winter season, fashion has included an array of eclectic styles that are creative, innovative, and timeless. From bold prints, colours, and tailoring to statement accessories like wide belts, military-inspired caps, ‘swimcapcore’, and fuzzy footwear, designers have reimagined classic trends while pushing boundaries and adding a modern twist.
With a focus on comfort and style, fashion enthusiasts can embrace oversized silhouettes, denim-on-denim styles, chic outerwear, and playful textures, ensuring they stay warm while embodying self-expression. Whether consumers are attracted to vintage-inspired pieces or modern twists on old favourites, this winter’s fashion trends include something for everyone.