Paris Fashion Week ended this week, and as much as I love seeing the collections, I always find myself watching the streets just as closely. What I liked most this time was how little the best looks seemed to depend on novelty. There were plenty of familiar pieces: shirts, blazers, denim, simple trousers, leather, a trench. But they were worn with enough ease and intention to make them feel interesting again.
That is often what I find most useful about street style. Not the outfits that ask to be copied exactly, but the ones that make you reconsider something already in your wardrobe. It may be a color combination you had forgotten, an unexpected pairing, or simply a familiar piece worn in a way that suddenly feels right again.
I saved far more photographs than I could reasonably include here, but these are ten I kept returning to. Some are polished, some more relaxed, some a little more unexpected. None of them needs to become a formula. Think of them instead as a small autumn moodboard: ten ideas to borrow lightly, then make your own.
1. Denim Blue, Black, and a Little Polish
A pale denim shirt, a black midi skirt, pointed shoes, a small black bag.
2. Cream From Head to Toe, Grounded With Brown
A reminder that pale autumn dressing does not have to feel summery. Cream becomes much richer when it is broken up with leather, black and warm brown.
3. The Kind of Autumn Layering I Always Come Back To
A herringbone blazer, pale denim and a red knit worn almost like a scarf. Familiar ingredients, but the color gives the whole look energy.
4. Grey, Burgundy, and a Trench
A particularly beautiful autumn palette. Soft grey, muted green, burgundy and black feel quiet together without becoming flat.
5. A Softer Way to Wear a Midi Skirt
I liked the ease of this one: a light jacket, a dark flowing skirt, loafers, a simple tote.
6. White, Lace, and One Perfect Red
I loved the contrast here: the looseness of the white shirt against the delicacy of the lace, then that single note of red at the feet.
7. Brown, Denim, Stripes, and a Scarf
This is perhaps the most immediately wearable of the ten. The blazer does most of the work, while the striped shirt and scarf keep it from feeling too correct.
8. Brown on Brown
I loved the depth of the color here. Leather, wool and suede in neighbouring shades make brown feel anything but basic.
9. Black Tailoring, Worn Without Fuss
There is something especially good about black tailoring when it is worn this casually: flat shoes, an easy bag, very little decoration.
10. A Short Jacket, Faded Denim, and Loafers
Perhaps the simplest look of the group, and one of my favourites. A reminder that sometimes all an autumn outfit needs is one good jacket over clothes you already wear constantly.
If You’d Like to Go a Little Further
Looking back through all the photographs I saved from Paris Fashion Week, I found myself wondering which of these ideas I would actually bring into my own wardrobe.
In this week’s Édit Privé, I narrowed dozens of street style looks down to the five wardrobe upgrades I think are genuinely worth considering this autumn. I explain what to look for, who might benefit from each change, how I would wear it, and where I think spending money is actually worthwhile. Read Édit No. 65 →
