It’s that time of year again! I know I say that a lot around the month of September, but there are many things about fashion month that only happen twice a year. Getting excited and examining the latest trends of the new season is one of them.
So in celebration of this fact here are my top 10 trends for Autumn/Winter 2016 and what high street shops cover them.
1. The City Puffa
The thick puffa jacket is back. The main designers to spearhead this trend were undoubtedly Balenciaga, Marques Almeida and Stella McCartney, but it’s a trend that the high street has embraced with open arms. It might have something to do with the resurgence of the 90’s in popular culture, but everyone from Primark to Zara have brought out their own version. Go for the cropped versions in bright colours if you’re worried about not looking like an Oompa Loompa.
Found at Primark, Bershka, Zara TRF and Topshop
2. Ruffles Galore
Everything this season seems to be ruffled. And the ruffles trend itself is quite a broad trend; you can have the cute cotton print ruffles (a la ASOS) which are reminiscent of the prairie trend from last season, the gothic black variation as found at River Island, or the 90’s knitwear as seen at Primark. Choose what style suits you best; and don’t be afraid to experiment.
Found at ASOS, Primark, Zara and River Island
3. Acceptable in the 80’s
The eighties are back and they’re as garish as ever. It doesn’t matter whether the dress have ludicrous ruffles and pleating, the skirts are PVC or the tops are high shine, this trend doesn’t care. Mix it up, tone it down or layer it all on top of one another; just have fun with this trend because it’s one that really doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Found at Topshop, Primark and River Island
4. All Things Pink
The most girly of all the colours is back in fashion and thankfully it comes in a wide variety of hues. It also has the added bonus of coming in a variety of styles and fabrics on the high street, so there is literally something for everyone here. Whether you’re going for a girly lace dress from H&M or a velvet loungewear suit from Marks & Spencer, the high street has you covered.
Found at Marks and Spencer, H&M, Topshop, Primark and River Island
5. Exaggerated Sportswear
It’s fashionable to be fit. Though this trend isn’t a new one, it is showing a surprisingly long amount of longevity in the world of fashion, but that speaks more about our lifestyles than designer’s particular influences. This season it’s all about a mixture of 90’s streetwear (as seen at River Island and New Look) and the perfect gym attire (as seen at Zara), meaning there’s a wide range on offer.
Found at River Island, Zara, New Look, Bershka and Primark
6. Velvet Luxe
The velvet trend is not a new one; in fact it was particularly in fashion last autumn/winter season, but it’s one that’s very suited to the winter months. Because of the thickness of the fabric and the fact it’s usually made in dark colours lends velvet to being a perfect winter fabric. This season though velvet appears to be more of a transitional piece, designed for the months in between the depths of winter. We have slip dresses in velvet, crop tops and even full suits in the fabric. You can pair it with velvet long boots, or just have it as an accessory; this trend is pretty flexible.
Found at New Look, Primark, Topshop and Miss Selfridge
7. Military Jacket
The military jacket trend can be found pretty much anywhere on the high street this season, from Mango, Debenhams and Primark’s long coats to Zara and River Island’s short officer jackets. Detailing is key on this trend, as the colour of piping, buttons, embroidery and lapels is how this trend adds variety. But while detailing is important, how you wear it is completely up to you.
Found at Mango, Zara TRF, River Island and Debenhams
8. White Tee Under Evening Dress
Slip dresses are back in fashion for the last couple of seasons, but there’s something new to this trend for this autumn/winter season. Instead of just wearing a slip dress on its own, the new thing is to wear a white t-shirt underneath. But this trend isn’t just confined to short slip dresses, it also works with evening wear and maxi dresses. This is a smart and more modest way of wearing silk dresses and is preferably done with silk and fine fabrics. Look to Zara’s silver silk dresses on the best way to wear this trend.
Found at H&M, Bershka, Miss Selfridge and Zara
9. Ballet School
The ballet trend is the dark horse of the major autumn/winter trends for this season. It snuck up on us without anyone really noticing and while only Hermès, Valentino and Stella McCartney featured the ballet trend it’s surprisingly sprung up everywhere on the high street. We have everyone from Zara’s entire ballet gymwear collection, New Look’s emphasis on nude and pleated skirts, Miss Selfridge’s flouncy nude maxi dresses and lace up heels to H&M’s ruffled maxi dresses. There’s plenty from this trend to choose from this trend.
Found at Zara, New Look, Topshop, Miss Selfridge and H&M
10. Chinoserie prints
Chinoserie prints are back for autumn/winter but they’ve expanded their reach. While designer’s like Fendi have focused on brocade and Gucci on Chinese embroidered motifs, the high street seems to have broadened their approach, using the embroidered trend to decorate bomber jackets, leather skirts and maxi dresses with Chinoserie prints. We have also seen the digital printing of Chinese prints on luxurious loungewear bottoms, like those at Topshop and brocade at River Island and Zara TRF.
Found at Topshop, Miss Selfridge, River Island, Debenhams and Zara
