From the catwalks to the latest collections, the mood has shifted. Here are the six most wearable and lasting trends to invest in for Autumn and Winter 2024
Recently waking to crisper mornings and yellowing leaves I’d forgotten how much I love Autumn. It’s as if we have a biological and symbiotic relationship with the onset of cooler days and shorter nights. It’s this moment that has me instantly emotionally ready for the deeper, richer colour palettes that reflect the change in nature and welcome the onset of the new cultural calendar: back to school, logs on the fireplace, and of course a pivotal point in the annual fashion calendar for designers and fans alike.
This Autumn’s collections on the catwalks and the high streets are inspiring but constrained, reflecting a much needed step change away from endless novelty towards a slower and more measured style of fashion that we have long championed here at Ridley. As Laird Borrelli Persson for Vogue aptly summarised the Autumn collections as, ‘Real as opposed to fantastical.’ Fashion after all is a collective interpretation of the Zeitgeist, and designers across the board have responded to continued conflict and uncertainty by offering a much needed sense of balance and assurance with a visible shift towards more elegant, sophisticated and timeless dressing. As fashion bible Who What Wear aptly points out "Well-cut skirt suits, tailored coats, smart handbags, sharp shoes and chic shift dresses come together to create a wardrobe that's made for women, not little girls.”
It’s true that fashion can feel frivolous in comparison to the daily headlines, raging wars, budgets and some of the most crucial governmental elections of our time. But it also has a crucial social role to play. At its best fashion can nourish us, an art form that provides gentle relief away from a turbulent world. And as science has shown, our sartorial choices directly affect our psychology and behaviour, while helping to cultivate and project our individual identities. The right clothes can literally put a spring into your step, helping you face your daily challenges with confidence and a renewed sense of energy and purpose. In tough times, maybe a new dress, skirt or accessory really does hold some of the answers. I just hope this season's garments truly live up to the 'investment piece’ label many are touting. While a shift towards 'slow fashion’ is welcome, it’s vital it's bothauthentic and lasting. As consumers, we can take that little extra bit of care to examine the labels, ask the right questions, and in short demand that our garments are made ethically and made to last. Otherwise this will just be another shallow style statement and a major opportunity missed. With this in mind, here’s are pick of this Autumn’s most wearable and important trends, and as elite Hollywood stylist Micaela Erlanger puts it: “The fashion cycle moves fast, so you don't need to participate in every trend that comes up — just the ones that speak to you."
1. Return to elegance
Catwalks this season have seen a marked return to the simple elegance of a bygone era with refined feminine silhouettes reminiscent of the late 50’s and early 60’s. Colours are predominantly muted punctuated by rich jewel tones in silk satins. Key styles include duchess satin shift dresses, tweed twin sets in Autumn muted tones, pencil skirts, swing coats and tailored woollens that appear to beg for a pair of shades, pearls or a fur collar. This vintage aesthetic is best epitomised by Prada’s new collection styled with vintage pearl necklaces and broaches. Mark Jacobs adapted the look with colour blocking and exaggerated silhouettes. At Ridley we have long championed the merits of classically feminine cuts and exquisite tailoring. This season’s collection features a number of elegant new dress styles inspired by vintage silhouettes that are both easy, flattering and available in a spectrum of jewel tone silks and unique floral prints. We are also introducing a new collection of vintage style pencil skirts that pair beautifully with our silk tops and blouses. For the ultimate in on-trend elegance, style your dress or separates with one of our chic tailored jackets or a statement full length opera coat. Both are available in tweeds and a spectrum of rich seasonal velvets.
2. Rich seasonal colours and shimmering satins
Elegance doesn’t have to mean boring, as Who What Wear points out "It’s also about dressing with authentically individual style that reflects our true selves”, and colour and print appear to be the prime choice of self expression this season. While styles tend towards the understated and classical, designers are unanimously using colour as a counterpoint to add modernity and energy across their collections. Whether it’s a sweater, blouse, draped scarf, bag or entire dress, embrace this season's colour palette of natural autumnal tones including vivid reds, earthy greens rich burgundies, sky blues and versatile navy. Nowhere has this colour trend more apparent than in the spectrum of shimmering satin creations that have adorned so many of this season’s catwalks. Whether it’s an on-trend pair of silk day pyjamas, a versatile blouse, fluid jumpsuit or a sumptuous dress, satin introduces a touch of luxury and timeless glamour to wardrobes. But wear it wisely as certain styles combined with satin's reflective nature can highlight unsightly areas creating a less than flattering silhouette. At Ridley we help customers find the style and colour that’s right for them, and all of our dresses, tops and jumpsuits can be ingeniously customised and tailored for the most flattering fit.
3. Animal instincts
This Autumn’s catwalk shows featured a panoply of sophisticated textiles dyed to mimic the exotic creatures of the African continent. Fashion houses showcased dresses, coats and accessories in versions of leopard, tiger and zebra prints, including nostalgic references to 1950’s leopard from Dior, as well as exaggerated zebra prints from Ellie Saab, all in the deeper tones best suited to the season. Stella McCartney excited us with animal prints in muted natural colours. The pieces looked more like an animal hide come to life. These looks together punctuated the theme of animal prints as highly adaptable with hyperbolic versions very much in the forefront. In harmony with this sartorial favourite, Ridley has introduced a new collection of animal style prints including Zenab tiger fabric in khaki and inky green shown here on one of our iconic shirt dresses. The classic cut allows the design of the fabric to feature without hindrance and the ease of wear suits every body shape. Finally, the beauty of animal prints is they transition easily from day to evening extending the possibilities with a change in accessories.
4. Late bloomers
Florals aren’t just for summer. Floral dresses and separates made a much-welcomed return for the Autumn 2024 collections. Catwalks have been filled with vivid multi-toned floral looks, from the more discrete to bold floral blooms. Loewe featured dresses in bright florals on white backgrounds paired with biker boots for contrast. Yanina Couture opted for dresses fashioned as glorious gardens that looked photographic with graduating flowers to the hemline. Meanwhile, Ulla Johnson flirted with florals in unusual mesh treatments and Marchesa showcased two-toned florals in a mini dress. Finally, Erdem introduced floral dresses with abstract geometric overlays for a more whimsical aesthetic. Ridley is synonymous with our use of floral prints, and this Autumn's collection features florals in deeper, earthy hues which contrast beautifully with our elegantly feminine silhouettes. Our new Elena dress in mid-tone florals for Autumn is an amazingly versatile long-sleeve dress that will carry you through all sorts of occasions and into winter simply by moving from heels to boots and adding a velvet jacket. Our Carla dress in the emerald and citrine Artists Bouquet silk twill print is equally adaptable and is already proving a popular choice with winter wedding guests.
5. County chic
According to Vogue ‘country house weekends are trending’, and this season’s must have heritage tweeds, herringbones, argyles and tartans perfectly capture the practical and nostalgic spirit of traditional rural style with a mixture of classical avante-garde versions. Loewe’s Autumn collection favours enlarged tartan plaids, while Stella McCarthy has opted for more traditional tweeds adding a modern edge with her contemporary cut. Whether you opt for classical or contemporary style, good quality tweed is both comfortable and hardwearing, making any garment an instant investment piece. A point much favoured by Royalty and aristocracy. Our tweed here at Ridley is woven by Linton Tweeds of Carlisle who have supplied some of the most celebrated fashion houses and designers for over 100 years, including the legendary Coco Chanel who rumour has it had a longstanding liaison with the founder. We have worked with Linton Tweeds for over 30 years and the quality of their yarn is second to none, lending our tweed garments a unique combination of fluidity, softness and durability. As shown this season in our tailored tweed jackets, over coats, skirts and trousers.
6. Boho sleek
Customers yearn for pieces that will stand the test of time, and increasingly these days act as an investment for future fashion resale. Or styles that can be easily repurposed with a few key pieces to create a fresh, updated look. Timelessness needn’t be limited to a sombre aesthetic of quiet luxury. A glance at this season’s catwalks proves that the bohemian, laid back, creative aesthetic of the 70’s seems just as timeless and relevant as ever. And as Who What Wear points out there has been a recent spike in searches for boho fashion. Successively championed by the likes of Chanel and Fendi with chiffon blouses, tiered dresses and aviator glasses, the look is back with vengeance this season lead by Chloé. If there was ever proof of the timelessness of this trend, according to Google, searches for Chloé increased 35% in the 48 hours following the brand’s A/W 2024 show in Paris this March. Our collections here at Ridley have always featured more than a dash of sleek bohemian style. Not only is it super glamorous, romantic and sexy, but it lends itself to beautiful silks, overblown floral prints. Most of all the style is incredibly comfortable and flattering to wear, balloon sleeves, a-line style maxi skirts and cuts that skim the hips and draw in at the waist all help to create an enhanced, flattering silhouette for almost every body shape. If you’re looking to add a touch of sleek boho glamour to your wardrobe this autumn, our new Ella dress is perfect and can be customised for your perfect fit in a spectrum of sumptuous silk shades and luxurious prints.
Ridley London's new collection of dresses, skirts, tops, jackets and knitwear for is available to purchase online and in Ridley's Barnes store. Celebrate your individuality this season with a unique piece that's customised to flatter in your choice of any of our stunning new printed florals or solid silks or luxurious velvets. Or call us to arrange a virtual fitting:
Ridley London, 82 Church Road, Barnes, London SW13 0DQ T: 01730 823097
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