Unapologetically authentic. A little slouch, a lot of intent. Chic and utilitarian at the same time, too. Rather than fantasy, this transeasonal season emphasises grounded, wearable pieces styled with purpose, polish, and just the right amount of flair. Fashion isn’t dreaming, it is editing.
Corporate Command
Once a playground for over-the-top, hypersexualised fantasies, the office look is finally getting the reboot it deserves. TikTok girlies hyped “office siren” and “corpcore” styles last year with plunging necklines, cinched waists, sky-high stilettos, and glasses worn more for style than vision. It was less power dressing and more secretary cosplay on theatrical steroids.
Pre-Fall 2025 flips that script. Corporate style is no longer a kink but a command. Polished suit skirts, crisply tailored blazers, structured bags, and a quiet confidence are the hallmarks of this new era. Among those driving the much-needed shift are Gucci and Celine with timeless classics that will last a lifetime.
Meanwhile, Chanel and Moschino add a welcome, if slightly lighter, touch with cropped jackets and playful tights. Finally, women are dressing to be taken seriously rather than seen.
The Era Of Soft Jeans
Just when you thought denim had finally found its place after decades of reinvention, along comes Gen Z, dragging oversized, slouchy jeans down every street and runway. Does this quietly rewrite the rulebook? Probably—and why not. It’s the era of soft jeans.
From Loewe to Dior, designers seem to have abandoned stiffness and rigidity. These aren’t your stiff, unforgiving, respectable mum jeans. Rather, they occupy a deliciously ambiguous space between baggy, slouchy, and “did you just borrow those from an ex?” Effortless in their laid-back vibe, yet demanding a certain polish.
Take Sportmax’s achingly chic pairing of wide-legged jeans with tailored tops, for example. They carry a quiet sophistication beneath their relaxed silhouette. Perhaps this is the ultimate flex in a world utterly exhausted by the Sisyphean task of trying too hard.
The Book Club Cardigan
It’s no secret that book clubs are having a moment right now. With them comes a surprising shift: librarian vibes are suddenly and inexplicably hot. Here comes the knit cardigan, now the undisputed “It” piece and the perfect sartorial shorthand for looking effortlessly smart, cosy, and vaguely cultured.
At Moschino, Creative Director Adrian Appiolaza delivers an off-kilter, cheeky love letter to Britishness with a patchwork cardigan to capture what press notes describe as the “shape-shifting spirit of today’s aristocratic ‘it’ kids who lunch by day, rave by night, and escape to the countryside in between”.
Chanel, in contrast, channels dreamers with a wistful cardigan decorated with motifs found on the antique Coromandel screens Mademoiselle Gabrielle Chanel so cherished—a romantic nod to the past that still feels relevant today.
Unapologetic Vintage Florals
Old-school florals are back in a dainty, unapologetically nostalgic print that feels plucked from Liberty archives or spun out of a Lilly Pulitzer fever dream. Splashed across tea dresses and boxy tops, these blooms evoke a retro romance that’s as prim as it is gently deranged.
Mrs Prada, ever the connoisseur of contradiction, leans into naive flowers. Sweet, unschooled doodles disguised as prints, they suggest innocence, but with a sly twist, like a debutante quoting Derrida. Coach’s Stuart Vevers goes louder and kitschier, dressing slip dresses and shirts in brash, beachy florals that evoke a vintage resort fantasy.
The Loewe antidote: digitally printed dusky violet blooms on sculptural dresses for an ikat effect or oversized, soft-focus poppy motifs for a dose of melancholy cool.
Utility Dressing with Poetic Intent
Utility dressing gets a soft-power upgrade as rugged functionality meets delicate refinement this season. Cecilie Bahnsen combines zippers with organza and backpack straps with fil coupe. Using gauzy fabric and delicate embroidery, an industrial-toned top and cargo pants silhouette is reimagined as dreamy and practical.
At Sacai, the ongoing collaboration with Carhartt continues to retool Americana workwear staples into unexpectedly pretty dresses that retain their utilitarian edge.
Meanwhile, Maria Grazia Chiuri of Dior transforms khaki into a literal canvas with her jackets and coats featuring painterly sketches reminiscent of Japanese gardens, rendered on silk and structured textiles. Even the humble field jacket gets a couture-level overhaul, nodding to the traditional noragi with precise, architectural tailoring.
