If you’re currently facing a wardrobe crammed with mob wife coats, barely there brat-green dresses and balletcore skirts, you can blame the insidious microtrends of 2024.
Microtrends are fine for thirsty content creators, but thigh-high boots and crop tops won’t help you with back-to-work uniforms, summer wedding outfits or meet-the-parents moments.
The trends of 2025 (from left): animal prints, matchy-matchy, big bags and plaid will take over.
So, let’s think macro for 2025.
To fine-tune our fashion forecasting we enlisted the buyers, stylists and store owners who have already invested in what you should be wearing once the New Year’s fireworks settle.
Ilana Moses, Grace Melbourne founder
The colour: I just returned from viewing next year’s collections in Paris. While packing for my trip, I was craving shades of brown. It was on my radar, but I was thrilled to discover that almost all the collections that I saw incorporated rich, brown tones.
This was showcased in knitwear, chocolate suede and beautiful cashmere outerwear. Mud, mocha and every shade of brown was represented. It felt fresh and rich. There’s something cool and sophisticated about chocolate tones.
The shoe: A key accessory for 2025 is the flat shoe. Whether in a loafer, a ballet flat, a sneaker or boot, the most enticing footwear I saw was flat, sleek and stylish. A definite move away from chunky silhouettes, supple leathers, textured materials and elegant soles ruled supreme. Khaite has done some particularly cool menswear-inspired flats in brown that are chic and comfortable.
The bag: The season of the capacious tote continues. In September, the collections started showcasing huge handbags. Tote bags, travel bags and day bags, the bigger, the better, were seen at Stella McCartney, Victoria Beckham, Khaite and Chloé. Double points if it’s crafted in burgundy or chocolate suede.
The colour, bag and shoe of 2025 by Hermes (left), Stella McCartney and Miu Miu.Credit: Getty Images
Lisa Bean, The Iconic senior buyer
The animal print: We have seen leopard print take over towards the end of 2024, which is crazy because it’s so loud and bold. The funny thing is that it works like a neutral in your wardrobe. You can wear it with anything.
Get ready for animal prints to move from leopard into zebra and cheetah. There will be full-on safari vibes in 2025.
The florals: Digi-florals, using digital prints, will emerge, which is a big change from the traditional florals we’ve been seeing. It’s bringing it back to the noughties graphics. These prints feel tech rather than hand-drawn.
Matchy-matchy women: In the workspace, we will see matching skirts, pants and jackets that go even further by co-ordinating with outerwear. It’s well-considered and polished.
Prints and pairing by Schiaparelli (left), Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger.
Oliver Li, Chinatown Country Club (Sydney) founder
Geek chic: This will keep growing throughout 2025. Geek chic combines practicality with a sharp sense of fashion. Think thin-frame glasses, layered office wear and cool, muted tones.
It’s stylish but still approachable, which is why I think it resonates with so many people. The brands leading this style are Open YY, Our Legacy and Shushu/Tong.
Matchy-matchy men: For men’s fashion, matching sets will be big. Whether it’s double denim, relaxed boxy suits or a full tracksuit, a matching set possesses the right balance between comfort and style, with a side of preppy.
Brands like Rick Owens, Ottolinger and Taiga Takahashi showed how great these set-ups can look by including multiple set-ups in their recent collections.
The colour: Expect more muted tones like grey, maroon and brown. These shades are timeless and easy to wear.
Subtle textures like melange, speckles and light stripes will become more popular, keeping things interesting without being overwhelming.
Kiko Kostadinov, Omar Afridi, and pet-tree-kor show how textures and tones can elevate simple designs into something more sophisticated.
The geek, the matching set and the colour by Shushu/Tong (left), Lemaire and Amiri.
Prue Webb, The Wardrobe Edit stylist
The silhouette: In previous seasons, we have had volume with sleeves and bubble hems – god help me, but this soft ballooning will continue.
A whipped silhouette, even in tops, at Khaite and Max Mara, in different fabrics, is the new silhouette. The meringue is moving all over the body, not just on skirts.
Wearing the pants: Some of us remember the dress over the pants trend from the first time around when it was grungy. It’s moving away from its edgy Y2K spirit to a more polished finish. Why choose between a skirt and pants when you can have both?
The print: I’m hoping the power plaid takes off, which has the energy of Alexander McQueen filtered through a fresh Miu Miu lens.
The volume, pants and print by Khaite (left), Louis Vuitton and Acne Studios.
It’s not preppy or whimsical. There’s a strength to it which carries through to the workplace.
The colour: We have already been seeing a lot of burgundy but next year it’s moving towards a darker, red cherry, which is rich and decadent.
Shaun Edwards, House of Darwin founder
Men at work: Workwear influenced silhouettes are on the rise again. Carpenter pants, structured caps and utility vests will be back on the scene.
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