The biggest fall/winter 2024 fashion trend? It's not the clothes, but the pose, or clutch, to be precise. At Giorgio Armani, models clutched their powders; at Ann Demeulemeester, they clutched their breasts. From the model clutching her crimson coat from edge to edge at The Row, to the girls illuminated by the glow of iPhones clutched in their palms at Courrèges, to the woman clutching her ivory liquid silk dress around her shoulders as if she had just stepped out of the shower at Loewe, the meaningful gesture was everywhere. It all helped make the fall/winter runways in New York, London, Milan, and Paris a little more human.

These real-life gestures were in tune with the season's most important looks: understated, everyday clothes made from the best fabrics in the category. On the runways of Bottega Veneta, Miu Miu, and Loewe, dresses that it's easy to imagine wearing before heading out to face the day were on the runway. And if you're turning up your nose at a publication extolling the merits of clothes you can actually wear, the difference was in the details that elevated them from mundane to magazine-worthy: a pair of socks rendered in soft peach-colored leather at Bottega Veneta, for example, or a chain attaching the hem of an oversized white shirt to one shoulder at Loewe, giving its silhouette an artistic ruffle.

If we thought the post-Covida 2020s were destined to mirror the Roaring Twenties, with champagne for breakfast and sequins for the supermarket run, well, we were wrong. A year after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, fall collections saw fashion wringing its hands with a little less energy. It was business as usual, and big, bold 1,000-seat fashion shows. But a sense of anxiety still hovered in the air.

Perhaps that's why strict black coats made their sober presence felt, along with classic white shirts styled in a myriad of ingenious ways (good news if you already have one in your wardrobe). And again, corporate looks that mix shoulders that could fill trading rooms with pinstriped suits and ties: if a financial crisis is looming, you might as well dress for promotion.

Key fall-winter 2024 trends to know now
There were moments of levity. Shimmering metals prevailed, with draped liquid lamé as a welcome addition to sequins. And then there was the rebellious, punk energy that, knowingly or unknowingly, paid homage to the great Dame Vivienne Westwood, who passed away in December. The florals took on a slightly gothic tinge (make a connection to Wednesday Addams if you want to - there's no denying that the Netflix series has been on many a designer's bucket list), while sheer lingerie-style fabrics and panties worn with tights lent a "I woke up like this" ease.

Sparkle aside, timelessness has been the buzzword of fashion trends for some time as we have all moved to a more conscious approach to dressing, but there has never been a better time to look for investment purchases. When new season highlights include a white shirt and a black coat, looking current and caring for a future-proof wardrobe are one and the same.

From nonchalance to insouciance, the best way to enter fall when the mercury starts to drop is to wear a dramatic scarf. Drape a tartan blanket over your blazer and secure it with a gold brooch, à la Saint Laurent; invest in a miniature trumpet brooch, like Louis Vuitton's, to embellish the long wool scarf you already have in your closet. If you want, you can also knit one. After all, we should all follow Westwood's maxim: "Buy less, choose well, make it last."

Real talk Key fall-winter 2024 trends to know now The most wearable looks this season have a simple, chic style that at first glance seems formulaic. Take a gray hoodie and pair it with a strong-shouldered camel coat and leggings, like the Miu Miu girl and her doppelgängers on their way to spin class in Notting Hill; pair your baggy blue jeans with a striped shirt and trench coat, like the Gucci woman and her counterparts buying coffee in Brooklyn. But such casual luxury boasts superior specs: Bottega Veneta's blue jeans are made of wafer-thin leather; Fendi's trench coat is lined with beige sequins.

The big black coat The key fall-winter 2024 trends to know now The key investment for next season's wardrobe certainly doesn't make your heart flutter at first glance, unless you're an acolyte of Wednesday Addams. However, there is something about a strictly tailored black coat that makes you feel comfortable again. Choose it wisely and you will wear it for years to come.

Classic sequence The main trends for fall-winter 2024 to know now White shirts have always been a wardrobe staple, but this season they are moving from the chorus to the spotlight in the capsule of classics. Wear them long and slim through the robe styles that are all the rage at Valentino, opt for a masculine look and pair them with a chic miniskirt at Prada, or enjoy the uncomplicated appeal of a pinstripe pattern paired with boxer shorts at Bottega Veneta.

Executive Suites The key fall-winter 2024 trends to know now Things are heating up in corporate communications. The shirt-and-tie combination, on the fringes of a turnaround the past two seasons, is back in vogue and has been promoted to runway head by Dior, Valentino and Alexander McQueen. Meanwhile, the pinstripe is vying to become employee of the month, with a classy twist from Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton. And then there's the strong shoulder reinforcing winter's key silhouette, impossible to ignore from Balenciaga and beyond. We say, dress for the job you want.

Dress for the work you want. Key fall-winter 2024 trends to know now There's no need to fear the cold next fall: blankets, scarves and shrugs have been worn on everything from the snappy tailoring of The Row and Saint Laurent to Giorgio Armani's evening gowns. Choose a tonal direction, like Daniel Lee at Burberry and Nadège Vanhée-Cybulski at Hermès, or invest in a sassy brooch. At Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière fixed extra-long scarves in homemade knits with brooches shaped like miniature brass instruments.

Wild Garden The Top Fall/Winter 2024 Trends to Know Now Camellias typically bloom in spring, but that didn't stop Virginie Viard from putting a giant white iteration of the flower at the center of her black Chanel runway for fall/winter. The Brobdingnagian flower also took center stage in the collection, with silk pins on the lapels of black coats and prints on fluid, monochromatic dresses. Note the relative absence of color: the flowers took on a slightly gothic feel for fall. Delicately grungy at Burberry, they were remixed with black lace at Rabanne and decidedly otherworldly at Noir Kei Ninomiya.

Rebellious, rebellious The key fall-winter 2024 trends to know now Fashion lost a colossus when Dame Vivienne Westwood passed away in December. Known for her allegiance to femininity with soccer, as well as her relentless campaigns, her legacy survived in the vibrant tartans, bold busts, and graceful corsetry that enlivened many fall/winter collections. Marc Jacobs was the first to pay tribute to her with his Feb. 3 fashion show. Could it be a coincidence that it has led so many other designers to promote a punk, nonconformist sensibility? Activism seems to be in the air.

Here Comes the Hourglass The Key Fall-Winter 2024 Trends to Know Now The hourglass silhouette has been catching on all season, but then Gigi Hadid walked the runway against the backdrop of the Hollywood Hills at dusk in a black Versace suit with the waist molded to mimic Sophia Loren's proportions, and the trend was cemented. Thick belts cinched the shoulders at Max Mara, Alaïa, and Schiaparelli, while elsewhere designers tried to compensate for broad shoulders with a neat tailored waist and thin belts at Louis Vuitton and Chanel.

Wake up like this The top fall-winter 2024 trends to know right now Miu Miu models dressed in a hurry this season, so much so that the waistband of tights was pulled up over cardigans and disheveled puffs of frizzy hair lifted as they walked. In Emma Corrin's case, they even forgot to wear a skirt, though it didn't matter because their panties were sequined. Such a memorable closing look matched the lingerie-centric looks of Missoni, Ferragamo, and Dolce & Gabbana, not to mention the sheer dresses of Simone Rocha and Molly Goddard. Will you trade your pants for an extra five minutes in bed? This is sleep optimization like you've never seen it before.

Precious Metals The key fall-winter 2024 trends to know right now Step into the scene in a metallic sequin dress or step out in a fluffy, metallic coat-these are your eveningwear choices for the holiday season. As for shades, precious metals have given a much-needed dose of color to a season that has focused heavily on black, gray, blue, and chocolate brown.