Your Comprehensive Guide to the Top Fall 2019 Runway Trends

While the prevalence of checks and plaids in the colder months isn’t exactly groundbreaking, the checked fabrics (and their Scottish partner, tartan, which we will get to momentarily) for fall 2019 are especially refined and elevated. At Khaite and JW Anderson, checks were seen in chic outerwear: a floor-grazing trench and a belted cape, respectively. At Celine, a checked dress reinforced the idea of Parisian bourgeois dressing, and at Victoria Beckham the fabric took on a British feeling when paired with an argyle knit.

While shearling coats of all shapes, sizes, and colors have been all the rage for the past few seasons, next fall is all about the ’70s, and that applies to shearlings too. Rich brown vintage-style shearlings will be a must-have, like this one from Chloé. Aviator-style jackets with shearling trim, like this one that walked the Celine runway, are also a nice way to take on the trend.

This was a season of great outerwear, including the hero of it all, the cape. The cape is having such a moment this season that of Miuccia Prada’s 48 runway exits at her Miu Miu show, 23 of them featured capes. From military-inspired to classic French-girl style to the downright dramatic, as seen at Balmain, this season is filled with gorgeous options; you’d be remiss to sit this trend out.

While party outfits have certainly played a bit role in seasons past, for fall 2019 designers left the ‘80s behind and focused on the previous decade, with glitzy looks in silver and gold gracing the runways. At Paco Rabanne, it was a silver slip dress with rosettes, and at Celine, touches of gold. Not one to be outdone, Michael Kors really went for the trend, with gilded lamé looks, Patti Hansen on the runway, and a surprise performance by none other than Barry Manilow, singing “Copacabana.”

The ’70s are not the only decade getting a revival for fall 2019. Across the board, silhouettes and fabrications that were popular then once again appeared on the runway this season. From the influence of Helmut Lang–esque ‘90s minimalism, seen at Bottega Veneta, through to Kurt Cobain–influenced grunge looks at Vetements, the decade is indisputably back. But you may have already noticed, thanks to the prevalence of scrunchies and the rerelease of [this iconic](https://www.wmagazine.com/story/naomi-campbell-marc-jacobs-grunge) collection.

Leather has quickly become a cold-weather staple, but for fall 2019, designers added a dose of color to the mix. Leading this season are Hermès, with a forest green zip-up jacket; Fendi, with a buttery orange leather trench; and Alexander McQueen, with a bold red leather skirt suit. The emerging label Khaite also featured this trend in its fall collection, with a stunning deep-green leather coat and matching pencil skirt.

Speaking of outerwear, there was a rise of classic black coats for the fall season. In past seasons, we’ve seen puffers, parkas, faux furs, and shearlings rule; for fall 2019, it’s a return to a more refined, elevated look. Whether single-breasted, as at Givenchy, or double, like at Maison Margiela, a classic coat is just one example of how everything for fall feels a bit more dressed up.

From [Tomo Koizumi](https://www.wmagazine.com/story/bella-hadid-emily-ratajkowski-tomo-koizumi-nyfw-show) to Alexander McQueen, many designers decided to pump up the volume in their fall 2019 collections. While some did so in very wearable feminine ways (see Simone Rocha and Givenchy), other labels decided to push the trend to extremes. Marc Jacobs offered up an oversize babydoll dress with puffed sleeves and full skirt; London’s Richard Quinn wasn’t far behind with his floral creation; and, lastly, in Paris, the Y/Project designer Glenn Martens showed what could only be interpreted as the most oversize (and, let’s be honest, fun) wedding dress one has ever seen on a ready-to-wear runway.

Who doesn’t want to cozy up in the depths of winter or after an afternoon on the slopes? Paris Fashion Week designers want you to do just that come fall. Thankfully, alpine-ready chunky knits and Fair Isle sweaters were prominent on the runways this season, especially at Chanel, whose set looked like a ski chalet, and Chloé. Another interesting way to try the trend was offered at both Altuzarra and Sacai, where traditional Fair Isle knits were reinterpreted as dresses and outerwear.

Fall 2019’s quilting trend grew perhaps out of a less elegant counterpart, the puffer. At Daniel Lee’s runway debut for Bottega Veneta, there was a chic quilted leather coat, and at Balenciaga, a similar style, tied at the waist. Dries Van Noten and Maison Margiela showed options that the models delicately held closed (even if, in the latter case, the model walked in a fast and furious manner, as the models do at Vaquera). At Oscar de la Renta, the trend came in its most elegant iteration: as a strapless ballgown in rich red.

It seemed like every major collection had a small touch of lace for fall 2019. Perhaps it was part of designers’ collective embrace of dressing up? Whatever the cause, we’ll be thrilled to wear this trend come fall, especially this delightful party dress from Saint Laurent, this extravagantly elegant blouse from Givenchy, or the cool interpretations of this traditionally ladylike fabric by Valentino, Loewe, and Prada.

It has been about a decade since the fashion set wore head-to-toe black and studded accessories, and perhaps the look is due for a revival? Whether you believe so or not, the look—stripes, studded leather jackets, spikes, you name it—was back on the runways at Alexander McQueen, Commes des Garçons, Prada, and especially Gucci.

Tailoring played a huge role in the fall 2019 collections, with many suiting options and tailored looks walking the runways in each city and playing into the idea of bourgeois dressing. The pleated skirt is the hero piece of this look. Thom Browne, Gucci, and Burberry all had classic takes on the skirt-suit look. At Dior, the look featured a long coat over a pleated skirt, and at Celine, the office-appropriate look took on off-duty ease.

A tailored leather blazer has never looked so chic. Playing off the ‘90s minimalism moment, chic tailored leather suits and blazers had a big moment on the runway for fall 2019. The newcomer Kwaidon Editions had the most perfect leather suit for anyone who wants to look like a boss—or a character in the Matrix. Hermès and Akris gave us beautiful takes on the leather suit and skirt suit, respectively. At Bottega Veneta, the cut of one spectacular dress in particular proved that this tailored leather look is here to stay.

Green, red, and yellow tartan fabrics sprouted up throughout the collections, in both elegant and edgy iterations. At Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s tartan was ‘50s inspired, with a nipped waist. At Marine Serre and Gucci, the look was decidedly tougher. Additionally, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, and Vivienne Westwood all jumped on this trend for fall 2019.

For quite a few seasons now, leopard spots have hogged the spotlight, but finally, for fall 2019, zebra stripes will have their well-deserved moment. While already a trend among the street-style set, the looked kicked off in New York with 3.1 Phillip Lim and Coach, and hit a high note in Paris with an epic sequined-covered ballskirt at Paco Rabanne, proving zebra stripes are for day and night.