Style status
Feel inspired to freshen up your personal runway.
words NICKY ADAMS
TAPERED DRILL PANT, $199, COUNTRYROAD.CO.NZ
Basic instinct
An autumnal wardrobe is an in-between collection, that you really want to last from now until next spring. With the general slowdown of trend-led pieces in an attempt to beat the ‘churn over’ of fast fashion, more consciously focused designers and brands have made tweaks rather than huge style changes.
So, for 2025 there are many looks that will be familiar, but for autumn appear with slight seasonal updates that will segue you and them into the following months.
Leopard, draping and boho continue to be strong looks, and with these trends it’s not about reinventing the wheel, more around finding a style within the genre that you love and works for you.
Bolder statement pieces crafted in gold and leopard have moved from occasional wear to being considered every day, to the point that both are now heralded as the new neutrals. While worn head to toe may be pushing this a little, certainly when worked into an outfit they both work brilliantly as cornerstone print and colourways. Draped blouses continue to be a hard-working staple, and minimalists love the clean lines of a funnel neck. There’s no avoiding the barrel leg pant trend that’s everywhere, which I was convinced would be a fad I refused to – literally – buy into. Typically, I crumbled, and I can report that this style (fitted at the waist, billowing leg and tapered hem) is so incredibly flattering I was an immediate convert.
It’s a really wearable day to night, dress up/down style and looks great with kitten heels, loafers or casual shoes, a tucked in shirt or a shorter tee to show off the waistline.
Palette pleasers
The colour that’s coming in strong for autumn/winter is without doubt burgundy. As luck would have it, it pairs perfectly with the previously mentioned leopard and gold tones, but it also looks pretty fabulous with more unusual choices such as pale blue, shades of green or soft pink.
These colour matches make for a more contemporary feel and keep the dreariness of the colder months at bay. Like navy, burgundy is kinder on the skin tone (black can be aggressively life sucking as you age). If there was ever a ‘gotta have it – make it stop’ moment, surely it just has to be in relation to the bubble skirt. I never thought I would see it again, let alone wear it, yet low and behold it has bounced back with aplomb and turns out it’s not a one-minute fashion wonder. Worn long or short, this is a style that has actually been on the fashion wheel since the 1950s so isn’t as faddish as it first feels. A casual version can be worn with a western boot or an oversized boxy tee/jumper by day, or ramp up the look with a kitten heel and sleek top. It also makes for a beautiful silhouette as a dress; there are lots of high street versions based around ribbed tight tops with a smooth cotton bubble bottom.
A cool look for this season is the cropped trench – a twist on this classic trans-seasonal piece. If you’d dragged your old faithful out of the wardrobe and decided it was time for an update, then this might be a direction you want to take. Another updated classic is the slimline sneaker – this year a fold-over tongue on a heritage style like the Adidas Samba signals taking it up a notch.
