CATWALK TO COLORADO: How To Turn High Fashion Fall 2020 Runway Trends Into Fun, Wearable Looks This Season
I’m not done with experimenting with Fall 2020 trends – not by a long shot. As the fall trends debut in New York, London, Milan, and Paris in February, I actually have months and months to wait until I can start playing around with fall pieces. Mainly because I’m too busy enjoying spring/summer fashion and all the wonderful trends it brings with it, but also because the weather just doesn’t allow for a fully autumnal wardrobe until the end of the year. (Does anyone else want to wear runway-inspired pieces as soon as they debut and get annoyed that you can’t because we’re in the wrong season?) However, the weather is finally getting a little cooler, which means now is the perfect time to start rocking some of the more wintry pieces. I posted about some of my favorite fall fashion trends back in September, but this time round, I want to have a little more fun.
Fall 2020 Runway Trends
What is fashion if not something to experiment, have fun, and express yourself with? We all need a little pick-me-up, as it’s nearing the end of the year and the Coronavirus pandemic is still here hanging over us, and all hopes of a normal Christmas and a normal (not the new normal) life still seeming like a pipe dream. So, I’m taking things back to February when the latest fashion trends first exploded onto the catwalks and I first started getting excited about how I could make the trends my own, and incorporate a little bit of high fashion catwalk glamor into my everyday life. I believe you can still incorporate every aspect of the catwalk into your closet by adapting the looks and making them your own. And that’s exactly what I’ve tried to do with these looks. Working mom, but make it fashion…
Which trend/look is your favorite?
Wearable Fall Fashion Trends
Capes and Ponchos
Not all heroes wear capes, but now, every so often, they can! A lot of people liken being a working mom of five human babies and one fur baby to being a superhero, and now I actually get to dress like one thanks to all the capes and ponchos that were introduced on the fall 2020 runways.
We saw capes and ponchos from the likes of Rag & Bone, Longchamp, Carolina Herrera, Max Mara, Jil Sander, and so many more. Some were definitely more wearable than others, but I knew that it wouldn’t be too hard to incorporate this trend into my autumnal wardrobe.
Poncho Sweaters
If you don’t want to go all-out and wear a cape as outerwear, you can still incorporate the trend by investing in a poncho sweater. My Rosine Fringed Poncho sweater from Anthropologie is one of my favorite fall finds, as it keeps me warm without compromising on style. I wanted to keep the rest of this look super-casual, so I teamed it with my Spanx faux leather leggings and my trusty Chanel boots that you will be seeing in every single blog post at least once. Because luxury Chanel boots call for all the outings they can get. Despite being super-comfy and casual, this look can also be elevated by adding some heeled ankle boots and a sequin bag to take the look from day to night.
PS, this poncho sweater is two trends for the price of one thanks to the color…
Falling For Pink
One of the best trends, for sure! From springtime florals to flowing maxi skirts to cute bows in my hair, it’s no secret that I love feminine pieces. I was so excited to find that pink was an autumnal trend this year, as it’s usually synonymous with the spring season, but the likes of Marc Jacobs, Fendi, and Oscar de la Renta made it clear that pink was going to dominate the fall season.
I love the art of mixing and matching, and juxtaposing cute feminine pieces with tougher and more androgynous ones is something you’ll see me do a lot. You can go the extra mile and create some gorgeous fully feminine pieces with all of the autumnal pink things that are currently out there, but true to form, I wanted to give a subtle nod to the trend while still being true to my signature style.
Pink Long Sleeve Shirt
I went for The Kate Classic Tie Dye Buttondown, as I feel is the perfect piece to show my appreciation of the pink trend while still being season appropriate. Not to mention, life appropriate. I’ve teamed the pink button up shirt with my favorite Gap skinny jeans in black, Dior espadrilles and a baseball cap just to give the look some more edge.
Light Pink Shirts
I wanted to make the most of the pink for fall trend, so I wasn’t just going to style one piece. Still sticking to a smart/casual aesthetic, I went for a Free People We The Free buttondown, and paired it with some American Eagle ripped mom jeans, my favorite black Cornerstone blazer from Anthropologie to smarten things up, and some YSL sneakers to add just that extra bit of luxury to the look. Mixing high/low and smart/casual is a winning formula that works for me!
Preppy Style
My argyle sweaters and checked scarves were out as soon as September came. I wrote about my love of preppy fashion back in September; my argyle sweater was a definite highlight not just of mine, but many of my readers have also told me how much they loved the trend too. So, I absolutely had to include the preppy look in my new edit, as there is no such thing as too much tartan and too much argyle. Cher Horowitz would totally agree…
Preppy chic was very prominent on the Miu Miu, Dior, and Victoria Beckham catwalks, among others, much to my delight. As far as current fashion trends go, this is a very easy and wearable trend that you can have fun with and glam up, but that you can also wear in its most simplest form and still manage to ooze style.
Women’s Argyle Sweaters
I had a lot of fun with this outfit. I paired my Free People Through the Motions vest with a staple black turtleneck, an oatmeal colored T-shirt dress, and my Jimmy Choo Cruz boots which add just that perfect added bit of sparkle to the outfit.
Women’s Argyle Cardigans
I also had some fun with this look too, teaming my Argyle Avenue Cardi with a Carina bralette, some high rise flare jeans, my Dior bucket hat which you may remember from my previous post all about accessories, and another footwear fave, my Louis Vuitton loafers. Both of these outfits have put a giant smile on my face, as they go to show that you can really experiment and express yourself through fashion, and still feel like a catwalk queen in your everyday life.
Bows
Hi, my name is Lily, and I love bows. And the designers at Chanel, Giambattista Valli and Celine (among others) said it was perfectly okay. Encouraged, even. You only need to look at my blog or social media for about ten seconds to realize that I love bows – and not just in my hair. This is why I was elated when I saw that bows were making a huge comeback. They were one of the trends I blogged about last month in my first fall fashion piece, and I still think there’s a lot to say about them. As well as wearing bows in my hair, I want to emulate what I saw on the fall 2020 runways and wear bow-adorned pieces too…
The Satin bow back blouse is one of my new favorite fall outfits for so many reasons. The attention to detail and just how fashion-forward I feel when I wear it even with the most casual of accompaniments are just two. I’ve teamed this gorgeous blouse with my favorite Gap skinny jeans, and ran away with the luxury, high fashion theme by adding my Hermes silk hair scarf and J’Adior heeled sandals.
The AWAYTR Bow Barettes should get another mention as I think they’re one of the easiest things to just put on and go. The rest of your outfit can be as casual as your favorite pair of pajamas, but adding a simple hair accessory like a bow is one of the most effortless ways to instantly transform the look. I hope that bows will be here to stay, because I’m not ready to give them up just yet.
Sequins
Let’s face it, we’re all here for the sequins. You came for the sequins, and I will try not to disappoint.
While the majority of my wardrobe is pastel hued and somewhat understated, I believe that all wardrobes need a few power pieces for those show stopping occasions. And you can always rely on sequins to do just that. Sequins were prominent in all four fashion month cities, and the sequins on display at the likes of Paco Rabanne, Tom Ford, and Jenny Packham were among my favorites.
From sequin accents to full-on women’s sequin blazers or pieces with subtle sequin trim, I think we should all make time and closet space for sequins of all descriptions. I also believe we should take advantage of the upcoming festive season and go all-out with sequin dresses and sequin blouses – maybe even sequin trousers for those who are brave enough. Because if sequins can’t cheer you up at the end of the most confusing year of our lives, what will? I’m not done with sequins just yet, but for the time being, I’ve decided to pay homage to the trend in a very wearable way, a way which is true to my sartorial style and also fits in with my lifestyle. It also means that I can get away with wearing this piece on several occasions in my day to day life, which makes me extremely happy.
The very aptly named sequin day dream kimono is a real hero piece, and I’ve teamed mine with my Spanx faux leather leggings, Christian Dior espadrilles, and a red bow belt to add even more pizzazz to the look. To take this from day to night, I would add some sky scraping heels and perhaps even a bold red lip.
And to show just how versatile sequins are, I’ve also teamed this piece with Gap acid wash jeans, the Anine Bing sweatshirt, and Dr Martens Chelsea Boots for a more toned down grungier look. Which one do you prefer?
Leather (or faux leather)
Leather and faux leather are a great autumnal trend, and I’m very grateful to the likes of Prada, Fendi, Paco Rabanne and Salvatore Ferragamo for bringing their visions to life on the fall 2020 catwalks. Yes, it is possible to be quite daring yet en-vogue with leather, but it’s also one of the most wearable yet daring trends too.
For example, a leather jacket which is just effortlessly draped over the shoulders is a very wearable adaptation of the hot new-season trend. I’ve decided to really embrace this trend with my next two looks, although I have gone down the faux leather and vegan leather routes.
Women’s Faux Leather Blouse
The Bekah faux leather blouse from Anthropologie definitely screams high fashion to me. And look at those exaggerated shoulders! (Another fall 2020 trend I’m obsessed with.) No one would ever guess that this faux leather blouse isn’t the real deal, and I feel so much better about wearing it.
I’ve teamed it with Hemant and Nandita nisaba pants and my go-to Chanel boots. Although the pants definitively command attention, they don’t pull focus, meaning both of these pieces are equally as hardworking as each other. Both would be great teamed with less powerful bottoms and tops respectively, but together, they create something worthy of a high fashion runway. Or at the very least, something you would find in a fashion glossy editorial.
Faux Leather Trousers and Vegan Shorts
Although it’s a little windy, you can definitely get away with still wearing shorts right now. If you want to steal this look, I would suggest trying it out sooner rather than later, as the weather isn’t as interested in the greatest fall 2020 trends as we are. I absolutely had to buy these Amelia vegan shorts, and I want to create a lot more looks with them in the future.
This time round, I’ve teamed them with a very on-trend argyle sweater, and completed the look with my Sam Edelman boots and boot socks to warm me up a tad.
Fringe/tassels
Thanks to the design gods and goddesses at Dior, Boss, and Prada (to name just three) fringe and tassels were one of the biggest fall 2020 trends. And as you can imagine, I couldn’t have been happier about it. There’s the potential to have so much fun with fringe, and I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for more tasseled pieces as I’m nowhere near done with this trend yet. I wanted to incorporate fringe and tassels into my everyday wardrobe, so that I could feel that I was getting the most out of the trend, which is why I wanted to find an easy-to-wear piece that would give a subtle nod to the trend without being too overpowering.
Fringe Sweater
Luckily, the Mazie fringed pullover ticked all of my boxes and was exactly what I needed, even more so because I didn’t have to buy anything to team it with as I already had the perfect accompanying pieces in my wardrobe. I teamed my fringed pullover with an oversize white t-shirt, a plaid shirt, a cobalt blue satin skirt and you guessed it, my Chanel boots. I love how all of the colors work together to complement each other – especially how the pullover contrasts beautifully with the color of my trusty new-season Chanel boots. And as it is quite subtle and therefore versatile, I predict that I’ll be wearing this piece for quite a few seasons to come!
Thank you for reading – which trend is your favorite?
Love, Lily :)