Straight From the Streets of NYFW: 6 Trends Fashion's Coolest Dressers Are Wearing

For some, mid-September means back to school and the start of football season. For fashion people, it means it's time for another New York Fashion Week. NYFW S/S 26 is wrapping up, and the beautiful weather in NYC of late means the show attendees have had the freedom to wear their best looks—sans concerns about puddles and umbrellas. And while the runways have been filled with upcoming spring trends, the fashion crowd has been embracing all of the latest fall trends to view the collections over the past week.

I put my fashion editor sleuthing skills to work and examined hundreds of outfit photos in search of the trends that popped up the most outside the S/S 26 shows. Six, in particular, caught my attention repeatedly, and they happen to be some of the most wearable fall trends of them all. Below, see them IRL on the streets of NYC for yourself, and shop the standout fall trends for yourself.

Checks Please

Step aside stripes and polka dots—the It classic print of fall is undoubtedly plaid. The fashion crowd incorporated plaid into their NYFW wardrobes via shirts, skirts, dresses, and outerwear, giving their outfits a preppy-chic feel in every instance.

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Lace Everything

Of all the street style trends I spotted at this season's shows, romantic lace was probably the most prominent. Whether as an accent or head-to-toe lace, the fashion crowd went crazy for the trend. If you want some fall shopping inspiration, I highly suggest adding a lace piece or two to your list.

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Red Accent Sweaters

For the past several seasons, there's been an It red piece, and the buzzy piece for fall 2025 appears to be red accent sweaters. To attend the shows, the fashion crowd wore them draped over their shoulders, around their waists, and as a layering piece underneath outerwear. There's no easier way to add a pop of color to your outfit.

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All the Animal Prints

As I'm sure you recall, last fall was all about leopard print. It's still very much a thing, but this fall, it's all animal prints on board. Spotted outside the shows (in addition to leopard) were snake, zebra, and cow print. You can go the subtle route and incorporate the trend via an accessory, or make a statement with a dress or jacket. Either way, you'll look incredibly forward this season.

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Column Skirts

Flared skirts are lovely, but the trend all over the sidewalks of New York the past several days has been column skirts. Think of them as a longer pencil skirt. If you ask me, it's one of the chicest, most elegant trends of the season, and I love seeing how the show attendees styled them (more often than not, it's with basics).

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Tan Outerwear

The brown outerwear trend of last fall and winter is still alive in well, but the outerwear color I saw again and again on the streets of NYFW was tan. Whether in the form of a trench, barn jacket, or bomber (to name a few), tan was everywhere you looked. Like brown, it's one of those outerwear colors that looks elegant no matter what you wear with it.

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