Nashville stylist and wardrobe consultant Carson Love returns with smart, stylish tips for keeping your closet in step with your personality AND the season.
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We’ve only just hit our “fool’s fall” season here in the South, but designers have been serving up their fall and winter designs on the runway for several months now. You might catch some of these trends translated in subtle ways (for example, a shoe color variation), or they might smack you in the face everywhere you turn (hello, sculptural pants!).
As always, keep in mind that not every trend is for everybody. I like to think of fashion trends as a visual snapshot of our current moment in history. Like any other trend, they’re influenced by many different factors. Your innate personal style is always with you — no matter what’s on the runway.
Let’s take a tour of some of the front-runners for this fall’s biggest fashion trends!
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Curved Lines
Autumn tends to feel like a style reset for many people, and we can double down on that energy with particularly bold and exciting fall fashion trends this year. While soft and ethereal styles were at the forefront in recent years, 2025’s fall aesthetic feels stronger. A prime example is structural, curved, and voluminous silhouettes.
Rounded proportions can be spotted on everything from sweater shoulders and sleeves to exaggerated skirt hemlines. While many of these examples seem less “casually wearable” and look more like something in an art gallery, more subtle iterations are popping up at retailers. If this trend is one you want to dip your toe into, one of my favorite versions is to sport it on the sleeves of an otherwise classic fall jacket or blazer.
Stylist Tip: If you decide to add more volume to one item in your outfit, think about balancing it with other pieces that are more tailored. For example, if you try a jacket with large, rounded shoulders, be sure your bottoms offer a slimmer silhouette.
Fur & Shearling
Seeing furry details scattered across the runways might seem surprising since many fashion houses have banned the use of fur in recent years. Even retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue closed their fur salons, and the British Fashion Council prohibited them at London Fashion Week.
Some fashion editors speculate that the resurgence of the luxury (both quiet and not-so-quiet) aesthetic is to blame for this reemerging trend. While some designers use real fur, there are also plenty who use faux and vintage materials. You may notice verbiage like “animal-free fur” while shopping this fall.
Some fashion industry folks also strongly argue that the real version of these materials can be part of the push for slow fashion. Shearling, for example, is a by-product of our food supply and can be a relatively sustainable resource in terms of its lifespan.
While fur-trimmed coats and shearling outerwear reign supreme (remember the “mob-wife” trend of 2024?), you’ll also find plenty of fluffy trims and smaller accessories this fall. Whether or not you add a little fluff to your wardrobe, this material adds an interesting glimpse of some of the fashion industry’s cutting-edge technologies and discussions.
Stylist Tip: This Vogue article gives some interesting thoughts if you want to read more about it!
Saturated Color: Purple & Red
When discussing seasonal trends, I love carving out space for standout colors. Many trends can be more abstract or theoretical, but color is tangible and something we can all incorporate in our own ways.
Remember when I said this fall’s trends feel stronger? This is clearly represented in the shift from autumn’s typical, muted, earthy tones to saturated, bold colors. In particular, electric purple and deep red hues are taking center stage as fall’s leading colors. I can’t help but relate this dynamic color duo to feelings of richness, luxury, and even royalty.
As with any trending color, my stylist advice is based on how extensively you’d like to incorporate it into a single look. Adding a pop of color with a new pair of shoes, a handbag, or a small accessory is always a safe starting point. You could also take a bolder step and try a tonal or monochromic look: pair different shades of the same color in one outfit, or wear a matching set in one color way.
Countryside Chic
Visions of autumn in the English countryside, galloping on horseback and strolling through orchards, are a vibe I’m willing to get on board with. The if-Ralph-Lauren-went-on-a-fox-hunt aesthetic feels like the elevated progression of the Western ranch styles that seem to have consumed fashion in the last year. Think traditional plaids, luxurious takes on outerwear, riding boots, felt-brimmed hats, and thoughtfully styled leather belts.
My stylist Spidey senses tell me this will be the most wearable and easy-to-incorporate trend for many of us. You might even find yourself digging up some previously loved pieces from your closet that can have new life in light of it! You may have a tweed blazer or Burberry wax coat that could be styled in a fresh way, or an equestrian-inspired pair of boots that could be repaired.
This begs the question, Does something have to be brand new to be considered “on-trend?” If we’ve learned anything about the circulation of trends in fashion, my answer is, “absolutely not.” In fact, the more we can take care of and rewear pieces that we love, the better off our closets will be.
Happy fall!
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Carson Love
