The Only 5 Color Trends That Matter For Fall 2023
With the arrival of the F/W 23 runway collections earlier this year came a new set of trends that will shape what fashion looks like in the second half of the year. From the handbag silhouettes to commit to memory to the jewelry pieces that will take over, we’re placing our bets on which trends and specific items will be big. Some of these are already taking shape on the street style scene, as witnessed last month at Paris Couture. Other trends are still percolating and set to be huge in the coming months.
Getting down to specifics, we took a look at the fall fashion color trends that are primed to be major in 2023. Fiery red is the undeniable frontrunner. The bold shade was season-defining on the runways and we’re already seeing ample evidence as fall arrivals start to hit retailers. But there are other colors that will also make a big impact. Ahead, the key color trends to know for fall 2023.
Fiery Red
Early in the F/W 23 season, it became clear that spicy red shades were one of the most dominant trends of the season, period. Many looks featured the shade from head-to-toe and we're likely to see that on the fashion set this fall. If you'd like to dip your toe into wearing the color, however, you can opt for one statement piece instead.
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Sepia
Shades of brown return to the runway palette each fall, but this time around we're seeing it in a very specific shade: Sepia. The tan-brown shade has a warm, earthy feel that was present in the collections of designers including Saint Laurent and Miu Miu. While we saw the color in predictable areas such as suiting, it also set the palette for less expected pieces such as soft dresses, gauzy tops, pencil skirts, and tights.
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Optic White
White is around every season, but it felt especially prominent for fall. This was solidified at Prada—the collection's most talked-about pieces were the fashion house's floral-embellished skirts and shoes, which were executed in bright optic white. It seems that the "no white after Labor Day" rule has officially been unwritten.
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Frosty Blue
Icy, frosty blue felt particularly fresh on the F/W 23 runways. We saw it in a range of iterations from cascading shiny satin dresses at Loewe to slinky knits at Fendi. The market for fall—including just-dropped accessories from Khaite—is already proving that the color will be huge this season.
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Dove Grey
The abundance of dove grey is making the case for the color to pick up steam this fall. Khaite's pleated wool maxi dress has already been wore by Kaia Gerber, while Loewe's oversize knits will set the tone for inventive styling in the coming months.
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Kristen Nichols is the Associate Director, Special Projects at Who What Wear with over a decade of experience in fashion, editorial, and publishing. She oversees luxury and runway content as well as wedding features, and covers fashion within the luxury market, runway reporting, shopping features, trends, and interviews with leading industry experts. She also contributes to podcast recordings, social media, and branded content initiatives. Kristen has worked with brands including Prada, Chanel, Tiffany & Co., and MyTheresa, and rising designers such as Refine and Tove, and her style has been featured in publications including Vogue.com, Vogue France, WWD, and the CFDA. Before Who What Wear, Kristen began her career at Rodarte, where she worked on styling, photo shoots, and runway shows, and at Allure, where she moved into print and digital editorial. She graduated from the University of Southern California, where she studied art history and business, and currently lives in New York.
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