As we welcome leather jackets and wool jumpers back into our closets, it’s hard not to consider the months that come after. The days are getting shorter, and whilst we’re just starting to enjoy our autumn rotations, my mind has drifted to the early winter French fashion trends that are helping me build a more cohesive cold-weather capsule wardrobe. The French fashion set is skilled at preventing numerous layers and thick textures from commandeering personal style, and so that’s why, each year, I turn to them for inspiration.
As a fashion writer, I’m lucky enough to be inundated with inspiration. I’ve honed my own winter wardrobe and always feel honoured to help others do the same. Yet, I’m always interested in the trends that the most fashionable people I know are adopting each season. And like many other fashionable places around the world, France has a penchant for noticing and implementing trends quickly. The most admirable thing of all, though, is how well seasonal French trends are worked into an existing wardrobe. Trends that might seem like they’ll be short-lived are worn in such a way that extends their lifespan and makes them feel much more timeless.
Take this season’s pencil skirts and brocade jackets. Although they’re trendy, French tastemakers are turning them into long-standing staples by pairing them with button-down shirts and jeans, respectively. They also know how to give past trends a new life. Argyle knits and cuffed jeans are making their way back into the fashion narrative this winter and feel completely transformed by French wardrobes.
This is just a small sampling of what’s ahead. Scroll on to see all the early winter French fashion trends starting to emerge for 2026.
7 Early Winter French Fashion Trends to Copy in 2026
1. Collarless Coats
Style Notes: As much as I love a scarf coat or outerwear with exaggerated collars, there is something so sleek about a collarless coat or jacket—something women in Paris and Oslo started wearing earlier this year. This style offers clean lines and ample opportunities for accessorising however you like, whether it’s with a triangle scarf, crochet bandana or lace cape. Paired with jeans and your favourite boots, and a chic pillbox hat on top, and you have an excellent warm but sophisticated winter uniform.
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