The Only 2018 Trends to Care About

We’d say autumn is finally here, but due to the fluctuating weather forecasts these days, we honestly aren’t quite sure. Fashion has been tempting us with the coming season for six months now, and it’s finally acceptable to give in. Back in September, designers sent out spring collections filled with colours, accessories, and even a few throwbacks that we knew would be worth the gruesome wait for this seasonal shift. And now, here we are, carts filled with pastels, dad sneakers, feathers, and suits, ready to emerge trend-first into the upcoming months.

Ahead, we’ve compiled the 2018 trends we think you’ll love the most. In other words, these are the only autumn trends worth knowing. Here you’ll find everything you need to navigate this season in style, including shoes, eveningwear, and more. To make you feel like you were sitting front row at every show, we divided the best trends into lump-sum categories so you too can experience the showstopping moments, the pleasant surprises, and the details that made all the difference. Look, shop, and enjoy the trendy ride.

It wouldn’t be a new season without a designated colour palette, and this year, the hues are both bold and light. First up, pastels, and we're sure you’re well aware that this colour trend has already won 2018. While lavender is currently in the lead, muted blues, pinks, and mints are following closely behind. Pink and red as a dynamic duo took over the street style set a few seasons ago, but they are officially back as a runway trend to try. No matter the fabric, style, or shade, it’s now been proven that when pink and red are together, they can do no wrong. Last but not least, yellow dresses. Yellow anything will make you look extremely forward this autumn, but yellow dresses were the most prominent pieces in the bold colourway this season.

Crystals and ruching and fringe, oh my! There are fewer things we love more than an unexpected detail, and this season, the selection is looking mighty fine. Crystals dripped down the runways adorning straps, sunglasses, jewellery, and more while fringe swept the floors at shows like Monse, Calvin Klein, and Loewe, leaving us wondering where the trend has been for all these years. My personal favourite daring new detail is ruching. This simple yet striking manipulation of fabrics creates texture, joy, and movement all at once. What more could you ask for from an autumn trend?

The new cherries on top of everyone's looks? Belt bags, dad sneakers, and sunglasses that look like they have just arrived from outer space. We would applaud you if you wore all three of these new accessory trends at once, but don't worry, it definitely isn’t required. As far as styling goes, this season, we’re loving a good belt bag–over-a-dress moment, dad sneakers with pastel suits, and space sunnies with just about any of the trends you're seeing here. The good thing about these add-ons is that they are so unique by nature, they kind of just go with everything, and that’s what we love about them.

The showstoppers are the trends people can’t stop talking about, but the pleasant surprises are the micro-trends you whisper about to your best friend, wondering if they too have noticed the same thing. Bras, windbreakers, and glam nightlife looks were the trends we couldn’t stop chatting about, and they are the styles we honestly can’t wait to get our hands on. So maybe bras as tops aren't the most practical trend, but that’s what we love about them. Going-out looks that feel reinvigorated? Sign us up. And windbreakers? Don’t even get us started. If you ask us, they are the bomber jackets of 2018, and you can’t convince us otherwise.

There are trends, and then there are moments, and the spring runways sent out more than enough to satisfy our cravings for the next best thing. The three showstopping moments we’d hate for you to miss include feathers, plastic, and sheer. Feather moments were fairytale-like at best, adorning everything from dresses to jackets. Plastics followed closely behind as brands like Chanel, Tibi, and Off-White wrapped or topped unexpected items in the material, instantly creating a trend worth noting. Last but not least was an army of sheer looks draping the body as delicately as a veil. Don’t ask us to choose a favourite, because we can’t.

New trends were never meant to replace your basics—they were meant to enhance them. But every once in a while, a little basics renovation is in order, and this autumn, your closet is going to thank you for what you’ve done with the place. Shorts, suits, and trench coats received makeovers, if you will, that took the staple pieces to new heights. While the bones of each of these basics remained intact, fresh details, forward styling, and new colourways turned once-blase go-tos into something noteworthy.