Every August, there’s a point when I mentally check out of summer. The linen dresses I couldn’t get enough of in June suddenly feel a little tired, sandals have lost their appeal, and I find myself thinking almost exclusively about what I’ll wear once the temperature finally drops. Fall fashion has that effect on me. Maybe it’s the return of actual layering or the promise of a really great coat, but no season makes me want to shop quite like this one.
This year, though, I’m less interested in the broad-stroke trends we’ve been talking about since the fall/winter collections first came down the runways. I already know the overarching mood of the season. What I want to know now is far more specific: Which exact pieces are about to become the pieces?
You know the ones. They’re not necessarily the loudest thing on the runway, nor are they attached to the biggest logo. Instead, they start quietly appearing in the wardrobes of the people whose style I pay closest attention to—the editors, buyers, stylists, and industry insiders who somehow manage to get six months ahead of everyone else.
After months of looking at the fall/winter 2026 collections, keeping tabs on new-season arrivals, and taking mental notes on what fashion people are already gravitating toward, I have a pretty good idea of which pieces are headed in that direction. Some are fresh arrivals from fashion’s biggest luxury houses; others are hyperspecific interpretations of trends that feel poised to eclipse the category altogether. Either way, these aren’t simply things I think will be popular. They’re the seven items I suspect we’ll look back on as the pieces that defined fall 2026, and if my instincts are right, you’re about to see them everywhere.
Khaite Croc-Embossed Leather Jacket
Leave it to Khaite to make me rethink the leather jacket. The croc-embossed style from its F/W 26 runway feels glossy, expensive, and just unusual enough to become the season’s ultimate investment piece.
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