The Perfect Finishing Touches Start With This Iconic Brand

There's nothing more iconic than Cartier—period. This French Maison has adorned the wrists, ears, and shoulders (hello, handbags!) of fashion icons and trendsetters for over a century. And throughout the years, it's continued to develop of-the-moment collections that are destined to become icons. This fall, some of the most remarkable decades in fashion are trending, and to take these looks into the present, we turned to Cartier for finishing touches that you'll wear forever from its most iconic jewelry, watch, and handbag collections.

We've been seeing nods to the '90s on runways for years, but this fall, minimalist silhouettes and shapes feel even more prominent. As an ode to the iconic decade, we styled this C de Cartier shoulder bag with a classic trench to perfectly complement the sophistication of the Tank Américaine watch, which first debuted in 1989 and ruled the next decade. Cartier's leather goods are not to be missed. The craftsmanship shows in every detail from the exquisitely made leather to the sculptural clasp designs. The finishing touch is this Panthère de Cartier belt, which ups the fierce factor for a decisively modern moment.

A modern take on prep style calls for equally impactful, on-trend accessories. We accented this grey textured skirt suit and knit top with white-gold and steel pieces from Cartier's collections to add a sophisticated element to stacking. This look gets to Cartier's core, channeling timeless elegance while remaining current. A flash of color comes from the vivid Panthère de Cartier bag and the graduated green dial of the Santos de Cartier watch.

Red was popping up on our mood boards for summer, and it was all over the runways for fall. This season, we're mixing up the monochrome moment with yellow-gold jewelry. The combination of gold and red feels warm and rich. The gold Tank Française watch is a showstopper, and our obsession with the Love bracelet has also grown (if that's even possible) after seeing these variations stacked together. Our favorite has to be the newest brushed-gold metal bracelet—the finish is just stunning.

A power-suiting moment, a structured top-handle bag, and a Tank Française watch? It's everything. If we had to choose a favorite look, this ode to the '80s would be it. Dramatic shapes and strong lines command all the elements of this ensemble. The Cartier pieces bring the '80s aesthetic into the present, most notably the steel Tank Française watch and the timeless leather Panthère bag. Talk about understated elegance.

Bold leather looks made a big impact on the runways for fall, and we love how the embossing on this leather skirt set mirrors the leather strap of this Tank Américaine watch, a new watch model for the storied Tank collection. The Tank has always seamlessly melded history with fashion—the rectangular case was originally designed by Louis Cartier in 1917. It's evolved over the years but still remains a chic expression of effortlessness and embodies Cartier's values of freedom and style.

Read our Fall Trend Report to shop more pieces from this story.