6 standout style trends from Fashion Week Fall 2023

This fashion month, as we've come to expect, there were a few gimmicks, including a robot on the runway at Coperni and colour-changing garments at Anrealage. As well, there were dazzling show sets featuring everything from galloping horses (Stella McCartney) to an otherworldly textile installation (by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos for Dior). And sure, there were countless ultra-sheer dresses and barely there bras and coverings.

But what stood out this season were all the lovely clothes designed for real life — or at least the real life of someone who lives in an expansive loft in Manhattan and has a generous dry cleaning budget. 

Designers like Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino, and Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons at Prada, delved into themes of uniforms and dress codes for Fall 2023, presenting new iterations of classic garments. 

Going back to basics, the collection at Loewe was "about silhouette, texture, the way materials react to light." The show notes at Balenciaga spoke to the "essence" of fashion. And the Alexander McQueen collection explored "beauty and power through tailoring … and a focus on cut, proportion and silhouette." 

Ahead, six simple and spectacular fashion trends in the forecast for Fall 2023.

The bold shoulder

XL blazers and oversized pantsuits have been trending for several seasons now, and this silhouette continues to rule the runways. Coats appeared with exaggerated shoulders, both slouchy and stiff. And styled with stirrup pants and pencil skirts, jackets and even tops with extended or padded shoulders created dramatic, almost triangular profiles.

We saw angular '80s-power-suit-inspired shoulders at Saint Laurent, Tod's and Victoria Beckham, and softer, more rounded variations from brands like the Row, MSGM and Dries Van Noten. 

Pencil skirts

Styled with bold blazers and minimalist knits, the humble pencil skirt stood out on runways this season for its ubiquity and adaptability. There were elegant, lacy pencil skirts at Prada; versions made voluminous with peplum at Christopher Kane (yes, it's making a comeback!); and straightforward, office-ready designs at Hermès and Miu Miu, which seemed to indicate an end to the era of dressing for Zoom. 

Thigh-high boots

Paired with fitted pencil skirts, minidresses and matching evening wear, over-the-knee boots are poised to be a fall and winter must-have. Ultra-fitted styles in leather, suede and fabric appeared almost like tights, styled with colour-co-ordinated apparel at Hermès, Benetton and Proenza Schouler. Boots made of thick, sturdy leathers contrasted with flowing dresses and fringed hemlines at Etro and Bottega Veneta. 

Hoods have a moment

This season, designers showed hoods for both day and evening, attached to and under tops and dresses, and as separates to be paired as you wish. There were hooded bodysuits at Bally, draped gowns with hoods at Mark Fast, and hooded knits galore at Undercover and Paloma Wool. But the most interesting looks layered sporty hooded tops and fitted balaclavas under delicate evening wear and tailored workwear, creating new, more dynamic combinations. 

Great coats

Statement outerwear is a staple on the fall runways, and this season didn't disappoint. The most notable ones were a riot of patterns and textures — these are not coats for running errands or going to the office. There were metallic fringed capes at Rodarte, patterned toppers at Burberry, and ostrich feather-trimmed coats at Bottega Veneta, i.e. the antithesis of your go-to black parka.

Fresh colour combos

There were, again, a lot of monochromatic runway looks this season, most notably in bright yellow and earthy brown. But designers like Prabal Gurung and Roksanda Ilinčić successfully experimented with more novel colour combinations, mixing and matching bright hues for looks that exude confidence and ease. Similarly, at Prada, there were plenty of black suits and grey suits and co-ords, but also a daffodil-yellow sweater with pink trousers, and neutral-toned dresses styled with bright, colourful heels.

Truc Nguyen is a Toronto-based writer, editor and stylist. Follow her at @trucnguyen.