We're officially on the fast track to winter with summer barely visible in the rearview mirror. Personally, especially at this time of year, I have an affinity towards black clothing–not because I don't love color (because I genuinely do), but because, come late fall and winter, getting dressed everyday with keeping warm at the top of my mind starts to feel like a chore. I don't want to be this way. Finally, I'm coming to terms with the fact that I don't have to be. Winter outfits don't have to be dark and they also don't have to be boring, and specific seasons don't own specific colors.
I think I have Elle Fanning to thank for this recent revelation, or at least for the reminder. She is, after all, a fashion girl that I trust and believe can do no wrong. I'm genuinely in the mindset that whatever Elle Fanning says, goes, and whatever Elle Fanning wears, is immediately and without question cool and correct. So when she stepped out in a monochromatic ballerina pink look—a sweater dress over trousers with pointed shoes perfectly poking out—I thought: pastel pink in Fall is obviously a great idea. And when more celebrity street style photos surfaced of stars in pastels and brights, I realized that I'm maybe the only one that sees this as revolutionary. And maybe I'm the only one who didn't get the memo.
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While there is no specific place to trace this unspoken color rule to, it's all about temperature, energy and mood. While spring and summer are generally considered more upbeat and therefore brighter, fall and winter come with moody, dull, and seasonally depressed connotations. It makes sense for fashion to play into those energies, but it also makes so much sense for fashion to play against those energies. And Fall/Winter 2025/2026 runways pointed towards this ideology becoming more widely embraced.
Gucci Fall/Winter 2025/26
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Gucci Fall/Winter 2025/26
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Gucci Fall/Winter 2025/26
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On Gucci's Fall/Winter 2025/26 runway in Milan, Models walked in rich yet bright purples, lime greens, yellows, turquoises, and bubblegum pinks. These hues were often paired with neutrals—knits and coats of varying textures—but equally as often were paired with equally spring-like colors. Miu Miu, Stella McCartney, Tory Burch, and more all similarly put spring colors on display on their Fall/Winter 2025/26 runways, a forecast of the current moment.
Tory Burch Fall/Winter 2025/26
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Miu Miu Fall/Winter 2025/36
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Elsewhere, Elizabeth Olsen paired a turquoise skirt with a cobalt blue suit jacket, Sabrina Carpenter paired with chunky off-the-shoulder butter yellow sweater with matching slouchy socks, and Jeff Goldblum, certified fashion icon and king of taking risks, paired a lime-green cardigan with a printed button down shirt and turquoise trousers.
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Too long, didn't read: What Elle Fanning says goes, there are no "rules" in fashion, and you should absolutely be wearing pastels and bright colors year-round.
