After wearing white linen and blue shirts for months on end during the summer, autumn has finally managed to introduce some new colours to my wardrobe. Deep burgundies, slate grey and pops of buttermilk yellow have been trending for the last couple of months (and honestly, my outfits look better for it), but when it comes to the colour trends that we can rely on year in, year out, winter sets the tone for not only the Christmas period, but well into the new year and beyond.
Sure, winter calls for bundling up in practical layers, and my outfits will largely consist of the same wool and maxi coats, jumpers, knit dresses and knee-high boots worn on rotation, but there are a few colour trends that can breathe new life into even the most “samey” wardrobe.
Used to relying on black clothes and accessories when you don’t know what to wear? What if I told you there’s an equally dark but even more expensive-looking option, and it will go with everything. Wondering what to wear in winter instead of summer’s buttermilk yellow? Pastels are back, and now we’ve ticked off fifty shades of pink and banana milkshake there’s an obvious alternative that the runways have bought into in a big way. So, if you’re curious as which new season colours are about to define not only winter 2023 but also spring/summer 2024 too, keep scrolling. These will be the five biggest colour trends over the next 12 months—I can’t wait to wear them all.
Style Notes: Just in time for a cold winter, icy blues are set to be the pastel of the season. Appearing in over twenty spring/summer 2024 shows, you might want to stock up on your baby blues early, as this cool trend will continue long into next year. For maximum effect wear head-to-toe with unexpected pops of colour a la Fendi and Akris.
I can’t get enough of H&M’s perfect mohair knits.
You’ll wear a smart blue shirt even more than a white one.
A breath of fresh air for formal dressing.
Style Notes: It stands to reason that the coldest season in the calendar would eventually embrace bright whites. They might be known for keeping you cool in the summer, but turning tradition on its head and echoing the frosty winds and snowy settings of winter in your colour palette is the boldest way to make a statement in 2024. White dresses were particularly prevalent (see 16Arlington, Balenciaga, Carolina Herrera and Valentino), but you’re going to want to layer up with a cosy coat to make them work for winter.
Puffer coats score highly in our “best coats” ranking.
Such a romantic dress.
Just add grey socks for a nod to Miu Miu-eqsue styling.
Style Notes: Whether you call it camel, beige, biscuit or tan, sandy browns always come back into style (that is, if they ever left). From summer safari to transitional trenches, this versatile hue is a staple in our wardrobes all year round, but this winter calls for warm toned, golden beiges to bring a little sun to our gloomy days.
Grab the matching jacket and wear as a full suit, or style these chic tailored trousers with just about anything else in your wardrobe.
A smart cold-weather investment.
There are plenty of striped shirts on the market, but this colourway stands out from the crowd.
Style Notes: And just like that we’re revisiting the blue spectrum, but this time is the turn of punchy, bright cobalt. After 2022’s Barbie pink and 2023’s hot red, we were long overdue a controversial, saturated shade to kickstart conversations and we’re calling it now, 2024 belongs to cobalt blue.
Not for the fainthearted.
When Mulberry makes matching accessories, you know you’re onto a winner.
I’ll be wrapping up in knits like this and hibernating for the foreseeable.
Style Notes: It just wouldn’t be a complete colour round up without a dark, grounding shade that you can pair with everything, and sorry black, but deep chocolate brown looks supremely expensive. While the runways showed moody, all-brown looks, we’ll be breaking it down into mix and match separates to help boost the rich factor of everyday colours like cream, blue denim, and charcoal greys.
