We’ll always savor long summer days, but, as autumn grows near, we welcome the mood shift — and cooler days — with open arms. The biggest fall 2022 trends have much to offer as we move from swimwear and sundresses in favor of chunky loafers and cozy layers.
From preppy wares to workwear-inspired standouts, there is something to satisfy all tastes and shopping impulses. A subversive attitude transpired in many designer collections from New York to Paris, offering a refreshingly rebellious take on closet staples. Think: deconstructed knits, re-worked tailoring, and lots of leather in the form of S&M and biker-style silhouettes. Similarly, a futuristic wave rippled through fashion month’s four cities with gritty, punk undertones influencing denim, dresses, cargos, and more. Plus, the official induction of the catsuit as a fearless approach to all-in-one dressing and trippy trompe l’oeil prints.
A flapper-era opulence emerged on the more glamorous end of the spectrum; rhinestones, sequins, and crystal-decked designs proved both extravagant yet effortless in tandem with everyday blazers and boots and the ultimate in glamour when worn in their scintillating glory. Outerwear underwent the extra treatment, too, from floor-grazing dusters to ultra-oversized puffers and supersized faux fur destined for statement-making days.
As for fall’s boot du jour, get ready for the over-the-knee revival to pair with the season’s micro-minis, ranging from classic block-heels to second-skin silhouettes doused in color and rugged moto styles. And while skin-baring Y2K-style dresses and skirts remain a fixture, prepare for maxi hemlines, spanning full-volume designs to slinky ’90s style shapes, to lure you in this season.
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Lots of Leather
Leather undergoes a daring refresh this fall, as S&M and biker-style pieces emerged (see: bucked and overly strappy shapes like at Khaite, Versace, and Roberto Cavalli), as well as sleek and tailored head-to-toe looks in elegant neutrals and vibrant colors (Tod’s, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, and Sergio Hudson), offering slick options for even the most edge-aversed. Photo: Courtesy of Khaite.
Nasty Gal Faux Leather Croc Embossed Oversized Blazer, $, available at Nasty Gal
Lita by Ciara Lace-Up Leather Dress, $, available at Nordstrom
FP Collection | Free People Rebel Leather Harness, $, available at Free People
Not-So-Prim Prep
While tennis, golf, and country clubcore aesthetics have ruled spring and summer, fall ushers in an edgier version of prep. The new vibe, led by Miu Miu and Rokh, puts a fresh twist on classics from pleated skirts and blazers to varsity staples like bombers and knits via luxe touches like leather and faux fur. Plus, asymmetrical and cropped cuts in the mix for added modernity and playfulness. Photo: Courtesy of Miu Miu.
O'Dolly Dearest Pleated Miniskirt, $, available at Nordstrom
Apparis APPARIS Tierra Vegan Leather Bomber Jacket, $, available at Urban Outfitters
With a rebellious tone often teetering into a raver aesthetic, tattered knits, disheveled denim, and frayed fishes appeared as more than mere accents but, instead, focal-point pieces styled head-to-toe, as seen at Acne Studios, Eckhaus Latta, Dion Lee, and Elena Velez. Consider these capsule closet staples 2.0.Photo: Madison Voelkel/Eckhaus Latta.
Eckhaus Latta Baggy Jean, $, available at Eckhaus Latta
R13 Distressed Oversized Sweater, $, available at FWRD
Think beyond function with your fall outerwear. This season’s coats are made to make a serious statement as floor-grazing dusters, ultra-oversized puffers, and supersize faux fur and teddy coats reign. Look at the runways of Courrèges, Coperni, and Rick Ownes for proof. Photo: Courtesy of Coperni.
The Frankie Shop Anei Alpaca Coat, $, available at The Frankie Shop
Missguided Missguided Plus faux leather trench coat in black, $, available at ASOS
Catsuits
After a gradual accession over the past few seasons, catsuits ranging from knitted to sheer and leather iterations (Dior, Hermès, Stella McCartney showed some of the best) are the ultimate conversation piece as fall’s fresh take on all-in-one dressing.Photo: Courtesy of Dior.
Marine Serre Moon Catsuit, $, available at Marine Serre
Norma Kamali Norma Kamali Long Sleeve Turtleneck Skull Cap Catsuit, $, available at FWRD
Brielle Velvet Burnout Catsuit, $, available at Brielle Belle
Slick Sportswear
Tailoring sees a modern and minimal approach for back-to-the-office dressing this fall, from cinched and spliced blazers like at Brandon Maxwell, Erdem, and Peter Do to timeless shapes deftly combined with plunging and cut-out shapes for a sultry skin show, like at LaQuan Smith.Photo: Courtesy of LaQuan Smith.
Nomia Cutout Drawcord Blazer, $, available at Nomia
Tibi Celia Drape Stella Pant, $, available at Tibi
Over-The-Knee Boots
Your favorite aughts-era boots are back, from thigh-skimming styles with a motocross edge to second-skin fits in bright colors and buttery-soft leather versions with timeless stiletto and block heels. Khaite, Victoria Beckham, and Isabel Marant debuted standout versions. Photo: Courtesy of Isabel Marant.
Schutz Guily Up Over-The-Knee Boots, $, available at Nordstrom
Brother Vellies OTK Brandy Boot, $, available at Brother Vellies
Flapper-Era Opulence
From New York to Paris, shimmer, sequins, and rhinestones stood out from event-worthy attire (Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, Sacai, and Miu Miu) to dialed-up daily wares like suits and denim (Cinq à Sept, Dries Van Noten, and PatBo).Photo: Dan Lecca and Jonas Gustavsson/PatBo
Zara RHINESTONE BOMBER LIMITED EDITION, $, available at Zara
H&M Sequined Dress with Fringe Hem, $, available at H&M
River Island Silver sequin flared trousers, $, available at River Island
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Today’s trends are anything but straightforward, with platforms heels, opera gloves, and micro mini skirts all making waves. Ensuring that your wardrobe is up to date can often mean searching for shoppable items in a sea of puzzling options. Our column Sourced answers all your market-related questions, as well as offers you an endless source of styles that will make snagging today’s top trends easy, so you can spend your precious time learning about the next wave of trends.
The footwear motto this summer is “The higher, the better.” And to aid with this, the biggest shoe trend of the summer, the platform heel, is here.
According to global shopping platform Lyst, the Naked Wolfe platform boots are among the top products of 2022’s first quarter, alongside an ankle-strap pair from Valentino. Meanwhile, the Versace Medusa Aevitas platform pumps have already become one of the hottest accessories of the year, with Google Trends showing an increase in searches of 750% for the double-stacked pumps despite the hefty $1,500 price tag.
It’s more than fair that after two years of athleisure, sneakers, nap dresses, the world is ready to, just like Carrie Bradshaw says, put on the big gal shoes. Along with party dresses, micro mini skirts, feathers, and opera gloves, the platform craze is just another example of how trends are inviting us all to exude main character energy all summer long.
Ahead, 18 options to try now.
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Ankle-strap Platforms
From fancy dinner dates to a night out dancing, ankle-strap platforms are probably one of the most secure ways to wear this trend, with the strap working overtime for you. Tip: Go with a pair that has a bedazzled strap that can double as an anklet, another big summer comeback trend.
Platform Sandals
If the over-the-top nature of platforms pumps doesn’t work for your lifestyle or the cobblestone streets you’re surrounded with, casual sandals are also everywhere this season, from furry, slipper-like flatforms to colorful slip-ons.
Platform Boots
They may seem more fitting for the Bratz dolls stage than real life but, trust us when we say, platform boots are simple, fun, and easy to walk in for all those summer nights when the vibes are high enough to need some comfy shoes to guide your path.
Platform Sneakers
Of course, some want to retain the levels of comfort we’ve all reached over the past two years, and platform sneakers — whether they’re beach-friendly espadrilles or skateboarding-ready numbers — are the best option. Still, don’t run too much in these.
Platform Mules & Clogs
Yet another way to hold on to comfort, mules and clogs have become synonymous with the stylish, casual bunch. From bright yellow clogs to simple black mules, there’s a platform to match your clomping taste.
Platform Flip-Flops
If the Y2K comeback wasn’t apparent enough, welcome back platform flip-flops, whether you’re spending a day by the pool or shopping for bikinis. The silver lining is, years later, the platform flip-flops are more stylish and less… foamy.
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The day I got engaged in November of 2019, I already knew that I wasn’t going to wear a wedding dress.
As a child, I loved nothing more than seeing brides in white ballgowns. But as an adult who became a bridal editor, by the time I was done with my third wedding magazine job in 2016, I knew that I wanted to elope. Having spent several years breaking down every part of the wedding planning process for work, I couldn’t see myself enjoying the stress, financial commitment, or societal pressure that go into what some consider one of the biggest days of their lives (even if I was an “expert” on it). With that in mind, I then didn’t think that I could justify spending money on a wedding dress — that, according to The Knot, on average costs $1,800 — for such an intimate affair. And, as someone who is trying to minimize excess fashion consumption in my life, I also couldn’t face the thought of buying a look I would wear only once.
That meant no big bridal store visit with my family and friends. Instead, I picked out a white suit by a New York designer that was already in my closet for a small union ceremony in Manhattan and bought a majorly discounted white cocktail dress from one of my favorite brands online for my legal elopement in Hawaii. I didn’t feel the type of thrill or excitement that bridal publications tell you that you should feel when you try on “the one,” but they felt like “me,” and I knew with 100% certainty that I would wear both again on many occasions to come. As the weeks went on, sure, I felt an occasional pang of doubt whenever I would see an unmistakably bridal look from one of my favorite wedding designers pop up on my Instagram feed, but I pushed it aside.
The fleeting thoughts turned into full-on uncertainty though when I attended Bridal Fashion Week, a semi-annual event during which bridal designers present their newest collections to the press and buyers. As I looked at one elaborate dress after another, I realized that I was more moved by the thought of future brides-to-be wearing a cathedral veil embroidered with a heart at Galia Lahav, a mini party dress featuring cut-outs at Houghton, and a frock with oversized sleeves at Rosie Assoulin than I was by the looks I had in the back of the closet. I wanted to at least try one bridal dress.
As soon as I put on the Khloe dress from Houghton, my longtime favorite bridal brand, I felt the butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling I get when I see a look that I know will define the next season on a New York Fashion Week runway; I’d found my dress for Hawaii. The body-hugging style needed no alterations (a big plus when the wedding is a month away); the mesh material was breezy enough for an outdoor beach wedding, hugging my body without constricting it; and the corset detailing and uneven neckline added just the right amount of unexpected to an otherwise-timeless silhouette. And while I haven’t worn a strapless dress since the early ’00s, I couldn’t remember why when I put this one on.
Still set on wearing something by a New York-based designer for my city ceremony, I went to the studio of Jackson Wiederhoeft — a Thom Browne alum, this year’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist, and the most exciting new name in bridalwear. While I was fairly certain that I wanted a tuxedo-style bridal suit from the designer who, in the three years since launching his eponymous brand Wiederhoeft, has become known for his subversive creations that toe the line between avant-garde couture, fairycore fantasy, and classic romanticism, I was surprised again when it was the Charlie, a high-low dress in matte satin with a meringue-like corset bodice, that made me rethink everything I thought I wanted in a wedding look.
In the process of opting for two new wedding dresses, I didn’t compromise on my values entirely: While the Wiederhoeft style landed right around the cost of an average wedding dress, and Houghton’s costs less than $1,000, both brands make their designs ethically in New York and L.A., respectively. Charlie was created using 100% recycled fabric made in Italy from a post-consumer recycled yarn; meanwhile, Houghton uses an on-demand production model that eliminates excess waste. Both brands also create pieces for every body size which, while should be considered a normal practice at every label, is still unfortunately a rarity in the industry that frequently perpetuates fatphobia.
In the months leading to the wedding, people asked me what I was planning to wear — a common question for any bride-to-be but even more so for one who went from bridal to a fashion editor — I found myself giving an answer that, just like my reaction to my first set of looks, lacked the enthusiasm expected of a bride: “It’s a small wedding, so I am just wearing a suit and a cocktail dress.” While no one ever questioned it, the more I downplayed the looks in front of other people, the more I felt like I was downplaying the day on which I was about to make one of the biggest commitments of my life.
In my new dresses, on both of my wedding days, there was no mistaking that I was a bride — people were calling out congratulations, little girls were staring at me in delight, tourists were taking photos; the dresses were as special as the vows that my husband and I exchanged. While I don’t recommend changing your mind about your bridal dress shortly before your wedding for the sake of your wedding designers and your own stress levels, I do suggest waiting for a dress that you can’t wait to wear on your wedding day, rather than one you feel like you would wear on any day. And, maybe it’s naive but I still believe that I will wear both of my wedding looks again, albeit to more special occasions rather than work, where I have since worn my original white suit to, or a girls’ night out, where I debuted my first white cocktail dress. Then again, why would I want to reduce dresses that will forever remind me of my wedding to an everyday look anyway?
As for my bridal accessories, I wore used heels that I already had in my closet. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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TikTok fashion creator Angelica Hicks has a long list of unusual materials in her arsenal: duct tape, trash bags, metallic wrappers, foil, and candy. On the app, where her profile, @angelicahacks, has amassed over 48,000 followers and grown over 4 million likes, the New York-based illustrator recreates looks from designer runways, red carpets, and magazine covers using everyday objects.
Since starting her channel in 2021, Hicks’s designs have ranged from a take on Balenciaga couture fall 2022 metallic dress, for which Hicks used foil, and a Valentino couture fall 2022 rose mini dress, which she remade using real-life flowers and tissue paper, to ready-to-wear looks, like a black-and-white ensemble from Gucci’s resort 2023 collection. According to Hicks, her projects are “a commentary on illusion versus reality… I thought it’d be funny to make it seem like I’m wearing a designer outfit, when I’m obviously not.”
The aim is to inspire people to wear elaborate fashion in everyday settings: “Fashion houses are so removed from the mundanity of life when they’re making these kinds of beautiful creations.” This is why Hicks turns to some of the most common objects: multigrain crackers to remake the Louis Vuitton tank dress on Emma Corrin’s Vogue cover, a white mattress cover to recreate a Schiaparelli couture cape, and duct tape to mimic the look of Balenciaga’s Cagole boots.
While Hicks had been uploading content to TikTok since last year, it wasn’t until March 2022 that she went viral on the app, thanks to a video in which she recreated a Schiaparelli dress worn by Maggie Gyllenhaal at the Oscars. For this project, Hicks used a black top and skirt with black cardboard, and taped Ferrero Rocher wrappers to recreate the gold flowers on the original garment. As of July 2022, the video has generated over 18 million views.
Since then, she’s gotten even more creative with her projects.
When we chatted, Hicks had just finished recreating the metallic gown modeled by Nicole Kidman at the Balenciaga fall 2022 couture show. “I just got so tangled up in it [the foil],” she says. “You think it’s easy because it’s just one material, but that’s what makes it harder.” The effort paid off, though: The videos from the Balenciaga couture show have over 200,000 views and over 12,000 likes.
While the videos are a lot of work, Hicks says that these projects, which started through parody fashion illustrations, allow her to channel her personality on social media the way she’s always wanted: “I always liked being funny online.” She also loves seeing how people apply high fashion to their everyday life. Recently, she witnessed a follower using her video as a tutorial to recreate a look: “That’s kind of what I want people to do because it’s supposed to be fun,” she says. “It’s kind of like playing dress up.”
Beyond TikTok, Hicks continues to experiment with her style by wearing her recreations out. Recently, she used a straw hat and fishnets to mimic the look of a Schiaparelli fall 2022 couture hat, which she says “was cool and it’s something that people could do.” Other times, like when she took a Carolina Herrera black gown for a spin at a local park, she says she was “embarrassed.” Still, it only takes a green light from some of her closest friends, whom she texts for content approval, to make the fashion flops worth it. “That’s all I need to get the confidence,” she says.
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The Adidas Samba sneaker is by no means novel. First designed in the 1940s as a soccer shoe (or, rather, football, since it was created in Germany), the sneaker — a minimal style featuring a rubber sole and the brand’s signature three stripes and often constructed of a mix of leather and suede — spent over 70 years sitting amongst the athletic brand’s lineup of beloved sneakers which also include Superstars and Stan Smiths. But over the last year, and most noticeably the last few months, the Samba has emerged as the Sneaker of the Moment, preferred by trendsetters like Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Frank Ocean.
“We’ve seen a noticeable uptick in both supply and demand for the Samba,” confirms Aniza Lall, SVP of commercial at Stadium Goods, where sales of the sports shoe have increased over 600% since June.
While it’s a stark rise for a sneaker that’s been around for decades, it’s not entirely surprising: Thanks to a number of high-profile collabs including Jonah Hill, skateboarder Jason Dill, and, most notably, menswear designer Grace Wales Bonner, the Samba is now available in more eye-catching iterations that are drawing in both men and women seeking the next It shoe. According to shopping app Lyst’s newest quarterly report, Adidas has risen four spots in the “hottest brand rankings,” to 13th place. With, according to the report, “the Adidas x Wales Bonner Samba sneakers topping the men’s hottest products list.”
“The Grace Wales Bonner collab is one of the most special [collaborations],” says Lall. “Mixing the world of high fashion with the [European] football roots of the shoe.” On resale sites, Sambas from the debut collaboration are listed for close to $1,000 — a clear indicator that demand for the shoe has yet to diminish. (Newer iterations can still be found new in limited quantities.)
But, it’s not only recent iterations of the shoe that have sparked the interest of shoppers. As Gen Z explores the vintage market, many shoppers are discovering the sleek style for the first time. “I’ve always loved Adidas so when I would thrift, I would always be looking for some vintage old Adidas styles,” says creator Ruby Lyn. “I found my first pair of Sambas at a thrift store and have been obsessed ever since.”
On Instagram, Lyn is among a generation of influencers who are incorporating the versatile sneaker into Y2K looks, complete with mini skirts, baggy pants, and bustiers (all of which are ways Hadid has also chosen to style her Sambas over the last year). “It’s a great way to dress down a dress or skirt,” says Lyn. “My go-to is probably with some baggy low-waisted trousers and tank top, something casual.”
For Lall, it’s this understated quality that makes it a particularly impactful shoe. “The low profile, sporty silhouette of the Samba makes it easy to style and is a departure from some of the more chunky, traditional Dunk, Yeezy, and Jordan silhouettes that have been popular,” she says. “The Samba’s vintage aesthetic and classic heritage serve to make it fresh for any season, and likely contribute to its unisex popularity.”
Still, don’t think that just because the Samba’s silhouette is simple means that it’s interchangeable with other tried-and-true styles like Stan Smiths or New Balance 550s. While the classic, neutral iterations of the Samba — in grays, whites, and blacks — continue to be released season after season, it’s Bonner’s bright red and green styles (along with the popular pink Gazelle number from Adidas’ recent Gucci collab) that are heralding in a new era of colorful statement-making sneakers. And while they may go with everything, they aren’t meant to blend in.
Ahead of the 2022 World Cup this November and following the popularity of shows like Normal People (where Paul Mescal’s character wore the style) and Ted Lasso, soccer-inspired fashion is making a comeback in fashion; bright jerseys and boxy shorts are some of the athleisure staples that have also returned to the trend cycle of late. All to say: You can bet that this sports shoe is poised to become a game winner.
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