From Statement Sleeves to the Roaring ’80s, These Are the Top 11 Pre-Fall 2024 Trends

Though the 2024 pre-fall season was diminutive—Vogue Runway covered fewer than 100 men’s and women’s collections compared to last year’s 140—it yielded definitive trends that offer insights into the collective mood. It’s tempting to say that designers were playing it safe (Moschino’s sardonic seasonal motto was “Same Old Chic”), but in truth slow and steady is the default tenor of this transitional and generally pragmatic season. The predominance of naval looks (see Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton menswear) suggests that pre-fall’s tempo was maintained by a kind of cruise control. And designers went deep into denim as they revisited the idea of the Canadian tuxedo.

One of the big questions of the 2020s is how to address the new workplace. The pantsuit was co-signed by The Row’s Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri, but their takes weren’t exactly classic. Proportions were slightly blown up at The Row and, in a nod to Marlene Dietrich, had a bit of a ’40s flair chez Dior. The opposite of work, of course, is play or, as suggested at Balenciaga and Valentino, athleisure. Some models at The Row had towels casually slung around their necks, creating a gym- or spa-adjacent vibe. That idea was furthered by a spate of long scarves at both Diesel and Lanvin. It wasn’t a go-long-or-stay-home season, however, as miniskirts, many with a King’s Road kind of edge (perhaps in memory of Mary Quant, who died last year), revealed lengths of leg. Elsewhere, looks inspired by the ebullient ’80s had attitude for days. Wes Gordon’s muse was specific (Carolina Herrera herself), while models in draped designs at Isabel Marant and Philosophy by Lorenzo Serafini looked like Tony Viramontes drawings come to life.

Despite the global atmosphere, pre-fall 2024 had moments of vibrancy and boldness. “We should not forget that maybe not everybody only wants a camel cashmere turtleneck,” said Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing, who worked a geometric silhouette. Ib Kamara was similarly inclined to interrupt the hush of quiet luxury at Off-White. “I know the industry loves minimal, but I want Off-White to be optimistic and fun,” he told Vogue Runway.

Look-at-me coats (Antonio Marras, Erdem, Thom Browne) and dramatic sleeves (Christopher John Rogers, Del Core) produced that memorable something extra. Back details and visual witticisms subtly delivered more of the same.

Nostalgia of Mudd Club

Why go gentle into the night when you can go all out, ’80s style?

More Power to Your Elbow

Whether entering from stage left or right, the sleeve plays a starring role.

The Something-Extra Coat

Break the silences in a memorably embellished statement coat.

C-suite Dreams

Dress like you mean business in a tailored pantsuit or coat (necktie optional).

Get Your Sweat On

Athleisure styles that, as Jane Fonda admonishes, “go for the burn”—so you don’t have to.

A Mod, Mod World

This season’s minis conjure the King’s Road and Mary Quant.

Denim Top to Toe

You don’t need to carry a Canadian passport to double down on denim.

Streaming Service

The longer a scarf, the better.

Salt Baes

Peacoats, marinières…fashion is once again infatuated with the naval look.

Strange Visions

Expect the unexpected as designers play with prints and inserts to charm the eye.

The Long Goodbye

Make a dramatic exit without saying a word.