11 trends I am calling before everyone catches on
Track jackets, plum, zebra, slouchy boots, and the return of looking a little less polished on purpose.
Fall is the one season where I actually want to get dressed. Summer is cute, but there are only so many tiny tops and linen sets I can pretend are my personality. The second it is cold enough for a jacket (or even if it’s not), everything gets better. Layers are back, shoes matter again, and suddenly an outfit can be a statement.
I keep saving looks to my Pinterest Board that feel a little less than perfect and a lot more specific. Sporty but feminine. Expensive-looking texture with something thrifted. Huge denim with a tiny top. Zebra and plum. A track jacket over lace. Basically, if it looks slightly wrong on paper but great in the mirror, I want it.
I also do not think this fall is about buying an entirely new closet (which my bank account appreciates). The best outfits are going to come from styling things in a way that feels a little unexpected. One piece can change a whole look. I am calling these trends now before they are absolutely everywhere.
1. WINDBREAKERS AND TRACK JACKETS
I am always a fan of a blazer, but they are starting to feel a little too responsible. Right now, I want the jacket that looks like it was stolen from someone’s dad, an old racing team, or the back of a vintage store I probably spent way too long digging through. Think nylon, contrast piping, racing stripes, funnel necks, and sleeves with just a little too much volume.
The trick is to style it against type. Wear it with lace, a tiny skirt, trousers, a long wool coat underneath, or jeans so baggy they almost hide your shoes. The more the jacket looks like it could have belonged to someone’s dad in 1999, the better.
2. RAGLAN LONG-SLEEVE T-SHIRTS
Baby tees are not going anywhere, but the raglan long-sleeve is their older, cooler sister. Contrast sleeves make a plain T-shirt look instantly less generic, and there is something very Y2K-without-trying about one peeking out from under an oversized jacket.
The white-and-royal-blue version is the one I keep coming back to. Pair it with a serious bag, dark sunglasses, a leather belt, and baggy jeans, and let the shirt hang loose instead of trying to make it tiny. It should look a little too big, slightly worn in, and effortless in the exact right way.
3. PUMA SPEEDCATS ARE STAYING IN ROTATION
I am calling it now: Puma Speedcats are absolutely staying in the fall rotation. We have been in our chunky sneaker era for long enough, and I think everything is starting to feel a little sleeker again. The low-profile shape just looks so good with the oversized pieces I think we are going to see everywhere this fall. Baggy jeans, track jackets, big leather jackets, even a mini skirt somehow look cooler with a shoe that is barely there.
And I do not think we are done with Speedcats just because everyone bought the red pair. If anything, I think we are about to get way more into the darker fall colors. Chocolate brown suede, black, cream, burgundy, maybe even plum. I want them slightly worn in, peeking out from under jeans that are almost too long. They still have that sporty feel, but in a way that makes the whole outfit look cooler instead of like you are actually going to the gym. The tiny sneaker is not going anywhere.
4. EVERYTHING PLUM
Burgundy has officially been absorbed into the basics section of the internet. Plum feels like the moodier evolution: darker. I feel like plum is going to be one of those colors that slowly starts showing up everywhere this fall. Burgundy has been having its moment, but I keep thinking everything is going to shift a little darker, moodier, and more purple. Not bright purple, but those really deep shades that almost look black until the light hits them. Think deep-plum leather, blackberry knits, deep plum suede, and dark wine-colored accessories.
There is just something about plum that feels so fall without being the obvious choice. It is rich and a little unexpected, but still easy enough to wear like a neutral. I can already see it taking over jackets, bags, sweaters, shoes, and even nails. I have a feeling this is going to be the color everyone suddenly wants once fall actually hits.
5. ZEBRA IS THE NEXT ANIMAL PRINT
Leopard is basically a neutral at this point, which is exactly why I think zebra is about to start feeling interesting again. It is bolder, more graphic, and a little harder to style, which honestly makes it more fun. A zebra heel, bag, or even a little top can take an otherwise basic outfit and make it feel so much cooler. And technically, I would like it on record that I was way ahead of this trend because my 2021 homecoming dress was zebra print. Apparently, I was just four years early.
I would still avoid turning it into an entire theme. One zebra piece is enough to make the outfit interesting without feeling like too much. Pair it with black, denim, gray, brown, or a plain white tee and let the print do its thing. I have a feeling zebra is going to start popping up everywhere this fall, and I personally feel very validated by it.
6. BAGGY JEANS WITH SLOUCHY BOOTS
I have a feeling this is going to be one of those trends that people hate at first, and then suddenly everyone is wearing it. Baggy jeans are getting even baggier, and I think this fall we are going to see them paired with slouchy boots, either puddling over the top or fully tucked inside. It creates this oversized, slightly undone silhouette that feels like the next step for the baggy denim trend.
I think faded denim with soft black or dark brown boots is going to be everywhere, especially with a more fitted or cropped top to balance everything out. It has that effortless street-style look where it somehow looks like you got dressed in five minutes, but if someone snapped a photo of you walking down the street, it would immediately end up on everyone’s Pinterest board.
7. CROCODILE TEXTURE ON EVERYTHING
Not actual crocodile, the texture. Croc-embossed leather makes the most basic bag or boot look ten times more expensive. I want it glossy, dark, and almost a little mean.
Brown, oxblood, and black are the best versions. A croc shoulder bag with a gray knit and denim is easy, but croc boots under giant jeans are even better. Smooth leather is everywhere, so the texture is what makes this feel fresh.
8. FRINGE BAGS, BUT MAKE THEM LESS FESTIVAL
Fringe is coming back, but I do not want the flower-crown version. The new fringe bag should feel darker, longer and a little dramatic. The movement is the point.
It works because the rest of fall’s shapes are getting heavier and more static: oversized jackets, straight hair, big denim. A fringe bag interrupts all of that. It makes a simple outfit move. Think less Coachella and more effortless and cool-girl.
9. JACKETS WITH STRANGE PROPORTIONS
This fall, jackets are going to start getting a lot more interesting than just being oversized. The shape itself is becoming the statement, with curved hems, cropped fronts, oversized collars, asymmetrical zippers, rounded sleeves, sculpted waists, and exaggerated shoulders. Outerwear is getting a little more structured, unexpected, and way more fun.
These are also going to be the kind of jackets that make the entire outfit. Throw one over a basic tank and jeans and suddenly the look feels completely styled without needing much else. The silhouette does all the work, and the jackets that look slightly confusing on the hanger might just be the ones everyone is searching for by the end of fall.
10. THE LACE BRA IS SUPPOSED TO SHOW
I think visible lace is going to become a much bigger styling detail this fall, especially when it looks completely intentional. Think black scalloped lace peeking out from under a half-buttoned white shirt, a low sweater, or an oversized blazer. Not an accidental bra strap, but just enough lace showing that it feels like part of the outfit.
The contrast is what makes this trend work. Delicate lace paired with oversized tailoring, heavy denim, or leather keeps it from feeling too lingerie-inspired. Just a small peek is enough to make an otherwise simple outfit feel more feminine and styled, and I have a feeling this is going to be one of those little details we start seeing everywhere.
11. PIN-STRAIGHT HAIR WITH A TINY CROWN BUMP
I think the giant bouncy blowout has finally met some competition. I keep coming back to pin-straight, glossy hair with a tiny bit of volume at the crown. Not a full 2008 Bumpit situation, just enough lift to make it feel styled.
Long straight hair looks so good with heavier fall clothes because it keeps everything else sharp. Add a half-up bump, a hidden clip, or a little backcombing at the crown. I am fully ready for this very specific part of the 2000s to come back.
THE BIG PICTURE: FALL SHOULD LOOK A LITTLE UNFINISHED
I do not think Fall 2026 is going to belong to one specific aesthetic, and honestly, that is what makes it good. The coolest outfits are going to be the ones that mix things that should not technically go together but somehow look better because of it. Sporty pieces with lace, sleek hair with oversized layers, deep plum with faded denim, and a polished croc bag with a racing sneaker. Nothing needs to match perfectly, and nothing needs to be doing too much. Sometimes one slightly unexpected choice is what makes the whole outfit.
The best part is that none of these trends require an entirely new wardrobe. Pick the one you cannot stop thinking about, wear it with the pieces already in your closet, and let it change the vibe of the whole outfit. It should feel styled, but never like you spent three hours styling it.
If Fall 2026 has one rule, it is probably to stop trying so hard to look like one specific aesthetic. The coolest girl in the room is usually the one who looks like she just knew it would work. Basically, Fall 2026 is less about dressing for an aesthetic and more about dressing like you have really good taste without needing to prove it.
If I am right, by the time these looks are everywhere, your Pinterest board will already be six months ahead.