Though we’re still waiting for the weather to cool, it’s definitely the time of year when we start to think about a wardrobe refresh. That means we’ve been checking out the runways and campaigns to see what we’ll be wearing over the coming months.

From tailored suiting for both men and women to classical romance and graphic patterns, the Autumn-Winter collections are lighter than the usual cold-season fare, perhaps bringing a touch of levity in challenging times.

We look forward to trying out some of the latest trends, you’ll find them in the coming pages.

PREPPY APPEAL

The all-American boy made a runway appearance this season with college-kid style very much in evidence. Trousers and jeans come in wide, unstructured cuts with varying fabrics while classic jackets get a refresh with interesting textures and touches of pattern. Sweaters up their game with prints and footwear veers from US-style sneakers to classic loafers.

CLASH ACT

More is more again, but this time the thrill is in the clash. Folk motifs, blanket checks, scarf prints, fringing and homespun textures collide in layers that feel collected rather than coordinated. There is a nomadic spirit to the season’s new bohemia, but nostalgia is kept firmly in check by jolts of colour, offbeat pattern and instinctive styling. The rule? There isn’t one. Individuality is the point.

GOING GRAPHIC

From cartoonish characters to bold checks and abstract prints, men are getting in on the pattern play this season. Heritage checks were spotted across several runways in jackets, trousers and even kilts, while quirky footwear made its way from the women’s collections to give the guys an in on the fun.

PRIM & PROPER

Good manners are having a fashion moment. Pencil skirts, neat jackets, kneegrazing dresses and perfectly proper little suits revive the polished vocabulary of mid-century femininity, sharpened for now. Waists are defined, hemlines considered and proportions precise, lending the season a newfound sense of decorum. But this is no exercise in nostalgia: worn with a knowing attitude, prim suddenly feels provocative.

SKIN CARE

As always at this time of year, many designers opted for soft, supple leather, a versatile pick for the cooler months. But this season also saw a marked move away from the classic black, with pops of colour and more exotic skins turning up on the runways to keep the look fresh.

POWER SHIFT

Power dressing is changing shape. This season, tailoring loosens up as shoulders broaden, trousers pool around the shoe and coats take on an almost masculine weight. Charcoal, tobacco, navy and black keep things authoritative, while fluid construction and exaggerated proportions strip away the corporate stiffness. Borrowing from the boardroom without playing by its rules, the new power wardrobe is relaxed, assured and entirely in control.

KEEP IT CLASSIC

Timeless tailoring is the code for the well-dressed man this (and every) season, though the cuts have become a little more adventurous. Shoulders are wider, pants are baggier and fabrics and embellishments add the interest in this trend, think allover crushed velvet or a buttery leather shirt beneath a classic pinstriped suit with an almost 70s’ cut. Classic certainly doesn’t have to be boring.

SOFT FOCUS

Romance loses its innocence this season. Lace, lingerie slips, diaphanous layers and petal-soft embellishment bring intimacy to the fore, revealing as much as they conceal. But sweetness comes with a darker undertow: transparency meets tailoring, delicate dresses are grounded by black hosiery and fragile surfaces feel deliberately imperfect. Less fairy tale, more after-dark, femininity is at its most compelling when things come slightly undone.