8 Outdated Fall Dress Trends We're Skipping and 8 We're Buying Instead

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(Image credit: @fiahamelijnck; The Style Stalker; 16Arlington)

Dresses are a mainstay in our year-round wardrobes, as they can take you to work to weekends and beyond. The right dress can be reliable, chic, and versatile—easy to dress up or down, a great dress can make us feel invincible and special—and its influence should never be underestimated.

This fall there are plenty of chic and alluring dress trends to get excited about. After analyzing the fall/winter runways in great depth, seeing what's trending on the fashion It crowd right now, as well as getting plenty of input from our Who What Wear editors, we rounded up the must-have styles to invest in this season as well and keeping you updated on the silhouettes that are starting to phase out (or we're at least setting aside for a little while this season). 

From long silky slip dresses to seriously sexy sheer frocks, keep scrolling to see the dresses worthy of your wardrobe this fall 2022.

Skip: Asymmetric Hems

Wear: Maxi Hemlines

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(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

While the Y2K trend certainly brought about the resurgence of asymmetric hemlines for the past few seasons, this fall, it's all about long maxi-length styles in straight and sleek silhouettes.

Shop the trend:

Skip: Crazy Cutouts

Wear: Long, Silky Slip Dresses

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(Image credit: @pernilleteisbaek)

Last fall/winter, an insane amount of statement cutouts dominated the runways, and while we still love a cool cutout, this season, we're leaning into it a little less. Instead, long, silky slip dresses are on our minds. They were spotted all over the fall/winter 2022 runways, and we can't wait to style them with cozy sweaters, boots, and leather bomber jackets once the temps start to cool.

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Skip: Crochet

Wear: Sheer 

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(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

If there's one trend that dominated the runways, it was pretty and alluring sheer dresses in delicate thin fabrics in a pretty palette of pastels and neutral hues. We also saw plenty of sheer sequins and iridescent sparkle. The trend feels fresh, fun, and feminine. Set your crochet dresses aside in favor of a little something see-through.

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Skip: Ruffles

Wear: '90s Minimalist Silhouettes

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Ludovic de Saint Sernin)

Skip the ruffles and frou-frou, and lean into this season's '90s minimalist dresses—from tube silhouettes to simple strapless styles. Ruffles had their time and place, but this season's silhouettes are extra sleek.

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Skip: Gingham

Wear: Animal Print

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(Image credit: @fiahamelijnck)

After some time out of the spotlight, it's safe to say animal-print dresses are back, as spotted all over the runways from Michael Kors to Proenza Schouler. Swap out the gingham and opt for a classic leopard or zebra print in a simple silhouette.

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Skip: Smocking

Wear: Flower Adornments

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Coperni)

When it comes to dress details, skip the smocking this season and go for eye-catching flower appliqués and adornments that we spotted at Saint Laurent and Coperni.

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Skip: Nap Dresses

Wear: Brushed Knits 

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Kwaidan Editions)

Knit dresses are a no-brainer come fall and winter, but it's the plush, fuzzy, brushed-out knits that are really catching our attention this season. Cozy, comfortable, and cool.

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Skip: Tie-Dye

Wear: All Black

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(Image credit: @champagnemani)

Sure, there are certainly plenty of unexpected hues trending this fall (from pastels to saturated hues), but this season we will also see the return of chic, black dresses. From goth-leaning styles to the punk aesthetic to long and sleek silhouettes, we're thrilled to embrace the most versatile hue.

Shop the trend:

Up next, the coolest items on our fashion editors' fall wish list.

This post was previously published and has since been updated.

Judith Jones
Senior Fashion Market Editor

Judith is the senior fashion market editor at Who What Wear and has worked in fashion for nearly a decade. Judith started on the Shop Who What Wear team, creating content and managing a team of merchandisers for the Who What Wear shopping app. She later crossed over to the editorial team, where she shares the coolest, most desirable fashion market finds and brands in her shopping-focused stories and social takeovers. She has become one of the top affiliate earners during her six plus years at Who What Wear. Before working in fashion, Judith was a TV host on the PBS travel show Globe Trekker (airing on Netflix and Amazon Prime) and shared her passion for travel and food. She studied at the prestigious London Academy of Dramatic Arts as well as Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York. She later studied fashion merchandising and design, which laid the foundation for her career in fashion.


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