I don’t follow every trend, just the ones that feel like me and still feel classic, which is really why I love watching the runways. It’s less about copying a look and more about getting a visual for colors and textures, then figuring out what I’m inspired by and what I’m fine skipping. So after going through my favorite designers’ fall 2026 shows, here are the six trends I really love and how I’ll bring a little of each into what I already wear without spending a fortune. Everything listed below is under $300.
The thing I loved most about this season wasn’t a single piece, it was the styling. Prada sent models out who changed their look on the runway in real time, and one stylist said it made her want to go home and see what else she could do with what she already owns. Celine did it with rings and belts, Bottega and Tory Burch did it with a collar peeking out of a crewneck, Valentino did it with a sash. It’s a good reminder to get creative with the pieces I already own, and it got me thinking about the few additions that would make my closet feel new again, which is where this list comes in.
I’m drawn to cotton and natural fibers when I can find them, especially for the everyday basics. If it’s a base layer I’m going to wear three times a week, a tee or a sweater or a button-down, I want it to be cotton or wool or cashmere, because those are the pieces that hold up. If it’s a more structured, stylish top, something for an occasion, or outerwear (especially anything that needs to be waterproof!), I’m not too picky about the materials. But gone are the days of spending quite a bit on a top I think I’ll wear again and again, only to find out it’s an itchy 100% polyester.
I kept all of this in mind when selecting the pieces below, being as mindful about materials as possible:
I love the styling of a full-length trench. It just reads more luxe, it moves better, and it makes even a tee and jeans underneath look so chic. What I’ve been drawn to lately is that English countryside look, the kind of thing you’d wear to walk a garden in the Cotswolds (I’ve never been, but it’s on my list, it looks gorgeous!). Being out in my own garden and inspired by fall, I’m interested in pieces that are weatherproof but still versatile for everyday life, and it turns out the runways had the same idea this season. Ralph Lauren, Hermès and Stella McCartney all sent out riding boots and tailored jackets, Chloé did check blazers belted with what looked like horse tack, and Acne Studios and Paloma Wool went country in their own way too. Stella McCartney even had ponies at her show. Tweed and waxed cotton were everywhere with it, the heritage fabrics that only get better as they wear in, and a cropped tweed jacket over a white shirt is the fastest way to get the whole look in one piece. There were also beautiful funnel-neck coats, like this one I just got.
The styling I loved most was at The Row, where the trench was worn with gray tights and nude pumps. I usually think of a trench with boots or flats, so seeing it with a heel turned it into an evening look without changing the coat at all.
Here’s my favorite picks for english countryside:
I didn’t currently have anything cobalt in my closet. Then I watched the Chanel, Givenchy and Bottega Veneta shows back to back and it was the only color I remembered and how effortlessly it was styled multiple ways. Mugler put it right next to chartreuse just to prove a point (chartreuse is not my vibe, I'll leave that one on the runway, but I love the blue). The bigger idea on the runway was two bold colors worn together, which Marc Jacobs, Valentino, Prada and Tory Burch all did. Tory Burch and Bottega did it with just a collar or a cuff of blue under a crewneck, and that's the version I'm stealing. I love this way to style it:
It feels like a fun color to add while still keeping it true to my personal style. I love adding it with accessories if you don't want to go all in with a sweater, and the cinched waist of a belt is a really cool way to incorporate it. Here’s my favorite picks for cobalt:
Red is always so stunning for fall, and poppy red is the fresher version for this year. It was everywhere on the fall runways, in long red dresses at Valentino and Fendi, red leather at Ferragamo and Balenciaga, and bright red knits at Chanel, Alaïa, Prada and Celine. I love it with a trench most of all. I just got this red scarf and I already know I’ll wear it constantly, knotted at the neck with the trench or tied around the waist. Here’s my favorite poppy red picks:
Plaid is the one print I’ve never gotten tired of, and this season it was everywhere, but what I loved is that no two designers did it the same way. Acne Studios made it feel like horse country, Celine and Dior made it feel like a private school uniform in the best way, Chloé went soft and bohemian with it, and Chanel turned the classic tweed jacket into something that almost looked like chainmail.
It’s also a little nostalgic for me. I recently went to a dinner for Boden and the whole theme was tartan, which took me right back to high school. I was on the cheer team at Glendora High in CA, and our team name was, no joke, the Tartans. The mascot was a Scottie dog in plaid, other schools loved to point out that we were named after a piece of fabric, but the cheer uniforms were always so cute and I spent four years decked out in plaid and grew to love it.
Here’s my favorite plaid/argyle picks that feel fresh for right now:
I’m all for oversized looks, but this season was more about tailoring. You can still wear an oversized shirt, but the waist is cinched so perfectly. The silhouette moved closer to the body. Ralph Lauren and Jacquemus did skirt suits, Jonathan Anderson restyled Dior’s Bar jacket, and the tailoring at Givenchy, Gucci and Saint Laurent was sharp and fitted rather than slouchy. The theme was define the waist. An easy way to do that is belting what you already own, tucking in your shirt, or sizing down on your next jacket, which is a great way to make something you already have feel fresh again. But if you want one new piece, make it something with a waist.
This blazer I wear so often. I’m 5’10” and wearing a size large, and I could have gone down to a medium for an even more tailored fit, but I love the cut of it. It’s not under $300, but I’ve worn it so many times I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth!
Here’s my favorite picks for a cinched waist:
The jewelry on the runways was one big piece instead of a stack. Chanel did chunky collars that looked like sculpture, Chloé put oversized charm pendants over turtlenecks, Nina Ricci brought back the choker in a Marie Antoinette way, and Saint Laurent sent out necklaces so big they were paired with earrings just as big. The idea is that one heavy piece carries the whole outfit, and for someone who loves a white shirt and jeans, that's something I was really drawn to. Here’s my favorite statement pieces:
a sculptural gold necklace (I just got this one and it looks so cool with a turtleneck or a tee, and the pendant comes off so I can wear it as a plain gold chain too, love it!)
My favorite shoes for fall
Not really a trend, more the ones that work with every outfit above and that you'll wear again and again:
black leather ballet flats: love the square toe
a glove flat in camel: these are sooo comfortable and zero “breaking in” period, which I worry about with new flats sometimes and getting blisters. Not these ones, I have them in caramel color.
penny loafers in chocolate brown leather: I just got these in the chocolate brown and they feel very luxe.
a pointed toe suede: love the shape of these and suede always adds beautiful texture to an outfit.
leather boots: I love the flat heel on these and the rounded top.
a heritage western boot: I’ve worn cowboy boots here so often mainly because a classic pointed toe looks so chic with jeans, and these are so durable in any weather.
classic nude pump: perfect for that Row trench look.
The elevated basics underneath
Not a runway trend exactly, but every outfit above starts here, and this is where I hold the line on natural fibers. Chanel did a lot of tan and cream this season and Pantone's color of the year was a soft white, so a cream tee and a good pair of jeans are more on trend than ever and feel very fresh!
a 100% cotton long sleeve white tee: I just got this and it fits SO cute.
Pima cotton tank: these are my favorite tanks, I have in white and black.
A few I’m leaving on the runway
Not everything grabbed me, and that’s the point of following your own taste. The Art Deco moment was beautiful, all those beaded flapper dresses and drop waists at Chanel and Fendi, but drop waist isn’t flattering on me (especially after multiple babies). Animal print is having another big year, and I was there two years ago, wore it constantly, and just donated two leopard coats, so I’m sitting this round out. Chartreuse and bright yellow are not my vibe, however good they looked next to cobalt at Mugler. And sheer, which Prada and Khaite did so well, is one I’ll admire on other people but doesn’t feel as practical for me at the moment.
xx Brittany