The fashion weeks held in New York, London, Milan and Paris from February 6 to March 11 for the Fall/Winter 2025-26 women’s ready-to-wear collections heralded a return to more commanding, creative fashion, gradually eclipsing understated luxury. The collections showcased two underlying trends, often combining them to redefine femininity.

On the one hand, a powerful, free and independent woman, evident in the office looks, the broad-shouldered silhouettes and bolstered hips, with garments featuring virtuoso textures and bold, very 1980s volumes, and an emphasis on outerwear and maximalist details, like giant jewels and maxi belts. On the other, a more feminine vein emerged, via a range of flowing, transparent lightweight outfits. Some of them romantic, with lace details to the fore, especially on tights, and others more sensual, in a boudoir mood characterised by an abundance of flesh-coloured garments. A genuine desire to dress up again was clearly felt.

1 Outerwear

 
Next winter, the garment worth investing in will be a fine piece of outerwear. Choosing from enveloping cashmere coats, especially a rich array of black ones, redesigned trench coats, cocooning tops, biker jackets in new XXL formats, jackets with oversized shoulders, hooded tops, thick cardigans, capes, and more. Some of them were even layered over one another. Exaggerated hips and reinforced shoulders added a dramatic touch to the ensemble. Shearling and leather coats in particular emerged as the new seasonal essentials. Not to mention fur coats.

2 Ubiquitous fur

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Fur has become increasingly popular in recent seasons, and is now ubiquitous. It featured in every collection and across the entire women’s wardrobe, ranging from real fur, mostly vintage or recycled, to faux fur, reversed sheepskin, and amazing bouclé and tasselled wool treatments creating plush-effect garments.

Fur sneaked into every look, in the form of little details introduced to decorate accessories in unexpectedly amusing ways, but was also highly visible in extra-wide collars, sleeves, lapels and trims. Some designers presented dresses entirely made of fur, and even trousers, as well as a plethora of chapkas and similar types of trapper hats. Next winter’s it accessory will be the stole (in faux or real fur), as decreed by some of the coolest labels like Miu Miu, Prada, Marni, Chloé, and Ottolinger.

3 Midi skirts and office looks

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Longer silhouettes are ushering in more sophisticated office looks, and the midi skirt is back with a vengeance. From New York to Paris, designers have presented their contemporary take on this rather retro item. Midi skirts came in mid-calf length, sometimes down to the ankles, in flared or pencil versions, with or without slits, pleated or tight like a sheath, and featured in absolutely all kinds of materials. Midi skirts have become the symbol of corpcore looks, sometimes matched with a sweater or a hooded top à la Grace Jones, or as part of couture suits with hourglass jackets and statement shoulders, often inspired by 1980s-style power looks.

4 Low-waisted, skinny trousers

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Ultra-tight trousers are making a comeback, especially skinny jeans. Stirrup trousers too are back, as seen at Dries Van Noten, Victoria Beckham, Ferragamo and Elie Saab, often looking very much like leggings, worn under oversize blazers. But, in a new twist, trousers’ waists are nosediving, down low on the buttocks, as at Dsquared2, Dolce & Gabbana, Diesel, Hodakova and Duran Lantink.

5 Scarf sweaters and neck-warmer collars

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Designers have focused their attention on the neck and shoulders, taking the opportunity to make extensive use of knitwear, with snug volumes and inventive constructions. For example, with broad scarves and stoles that morphed into pullovers and knitted dresses, enveloping the body. Removable knitted collars cropped up everywhere, extending into plastrons, neck warmers or pelerines to complete a look. Some wool scarves even went as far as turning into hoods and head coverings.

6 Romantic lingerie

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From bodysuits to baby dolls, lingerie cropped up everywhere, confirming a general trend that has been well-established for several seasons. This time however, the emphasis was on a romantic aesthetic rather than on sensuality. Sensible underwear was often glimpsed beneath sheer tunics. Nighties turned into sexy evening dresses. In some cases, they showed up folded with their straps on the front of a skirt, as a simple reference to femininity. Lace details abounded, notably on black or red tights, a real must for next winter.

7 Snakeskin

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Animal-themed patterns were widely featured in many collections, with leopard, tiger, zebra, and cowhide prints and furs, but snakeskin effects in particular were a hit. They appeared in many leather garments treated like crocodile skin, as well as in knitwear and printed items decorated with this highly recognizable pattern. Snakeskin prints notably featured at Gabriela Hearst, and in some couture finishes at Tom Ford and Rick Owens. 

8 Layering and allover sleeves

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Multiple garments, sometimes in double and triple layers, were used to create statement silhouettes with an original twist. The layering effect was even more marked with knitted items and an abundance of sleeves, wrapped several times around the neck or waist. At Alainpaul, a sweater’s sleeve slipped into that of a coat, while the other was worn around the neck. Elsewhere, sleeves vanished from the shoulders to crop up in unexpected constructions around the body. Or they were tied on the front in a pussy bow.

9 Belts galore!

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Designers have accented waistlines in every possible way. In jackets and dresses with tight hourglass silhouettes to emphasise the curves, an effect often accentuated by adding volume on the sides. Waistlines were often encased by maxi belts, worn over both outerwear and dresses, and even over other belts, in a multiple layering. Schiaparelli’s triple belt, for example, would add an avant-garde twist to any look.

10 Maximalist details

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The latest trick designers like to amuse themselves with is taking a detail and enlarging it to an extreme, turning it into an unusual item or element that will surely grab the attention. Vaquera came up with a gigantic version of its iconic bra, worn as a dress, a top, as a train or skirt. The US label hammered the point home by creating maxi buckles for its belts, as did Chloé. And it puffed up pearls into giant beads for XXL necklaces. Same concept at Chanel, where white pearls turned into mini bead handbags and heels, while at Véronique Leroy a round bracelet morphed into a big metal ball worn on the wrist.