Big Shoulders And Shrouds: The Best Trends At NYFW Fall/Winter 2026

Broad Strokes

It only took one full day of New York Fashion Week for broad shoulders to be a certified trend. From Tory Burch's broad-shouldered knits to Carolina Herrera's accentuated shoulders in animal prints, to Jane Wade and Collina Strada both playing with puffy shoulders, structured clothes remain on trend.

Let's Get Ruff

This season, runways are taking us on a little trip back in time—all the way to the Elizabethan era. On Collina Strada's runway, dramatic sheer ruffs were added on to accessorize tailored coats, oversized button down shirts, and sheer lace dresses—this is all to say that the collection made a case for the ruff as a versatile throwback accessory. On the Coach and Carolina Herrera runways, ruffs were built into dresses and blouses.

Brooches & Clips

At Tory Burch, there was something fishy going on—in the form of brooches. Fish-shaped brooches were placed on the chest of sweaters layered over collared shirts. At Coach, something special, arguably cosmic, occurred: two trends collided. already made a case for tonal ties, and we've already made a case for brooches. Now, it's time to make a case for the two of them paired together. Star shaped brooches were placed everywhere, including on a gray necktie. Consider me intrigued by the concept of accessorizing accessories.

Seeing Red

Each season, crimson will often appear on the runways, especially during Fall/Winter. There have been no exceptions to the red rule so far, with the punchy hue showing up at Tory Burch, Proenza Schouler, and Coach so far, all in the forms of dresses. We've written before about the red dress effect, and it seems like designers this season are in agreement.

Three's A Shroud

It's all about the shroud this season. As we battle with the freezing temperatures here in New York, there is nothing we want more than to be swaddled, shrouded in layers, keeping our arms close to our bodies to conserve heat. At Ralph Lauren, shroud-like capes in knitted fabrics were draped over the shoulders, while at Ashlyn, structured tops and dresses kept arms neatly at the sides. Over at Proenza Schouler, newly appointed creative director Rachel Scott sent a series of draped tops and capey jackets down the runway. At FFORME, fur shrouds were built into knitwear, keeping the arms close to the body.

(G)loved Up

A series of tonal leather gloves have been showing up on the runways as we reach the end of the working week, and after a few days of almost excruciating cold, it seems appropriate that we'd be leaning into covering every inch of our bodies. I love the way that everything feels seamless and matching, creating cohesion when winter layering is often the opposite of that.

Fringe-Fest

1920s, 1960s, and 1970s fashion will always be relevant—and this season, NYFW runways proved that. At Zankov, fringe knits were put on our radar for when temperatures drop. At Altuzarra, fringe tops and dresses had us thinking about dressing for nights out. At Ulla Johnson, a case was made for having a boho fall through the embrace of texture and spring colors.

Short Suiting

Re-worked suiting was super popular on NYFW runways this season—especially those that came up a bit short. On Christian Siriano's runway, a model walked in a cropped blazer with one long sleeve and the other completely sleeveless. Over at Campillo, the collection featured several suit jackets that hit right at the waist. For Leblancstudios, short sleeved suit jackets had us thinking about workwear with a bit of edge.

Necklaces That Make A Statement

Accessories have the power to make or break an outfit and, this season, statement necklaces were outfit makers—even when the outfit alone already made a statement. At Campillo, stone necklaces were layered over looks that embraced the maximalist layering trend. At Tory Burch, oversized fish pendant necklaces contrasted evening wear looks. At Laquan Smith, an oversized necklace with a beaded chain stole the show.

Asymmetric Closures

This season, fashion was a little bit off balance—in the best way possible. At both Diotima and Sandy Liang, tailored jackets with asymmetric button closures were sent down the runway, introducing an element of shape, intrigue, and dimension. Over at Proenza Schouler, a dress featured off center buttons. Plus, there's just something about fashion not being "perfect" that feels so right in this particular moment.