I might be biased in saying this, but how you dress is an extension of who you are. Everything we know and love about Carolyn Besette Kennedy is linked to her dedicated sense of '90s minimalist style, and who would Carrie Bradshaw have been, if not for her eclectic sense of dress and love of Manolo Blahnik shoes? In fact, I'd go so far as to say that not caring about how you dress, is an informed decision in itself that projects a point of view.
When you work as a fashion editor, you almost by proxy become a good judge of character, because it's your job to observe and understand culture in the context of history and trend cycles. And it's especially true if you're a fashion editor that's chronically online, like me. More often than not, a trained eye can tell not only where a person shops, but the music they listen to, the celebrities they love and the contents of their Instagram Saved folder, all from their outfit. Undoubtedly, these are all generalised superficial things, and not a real tell on who a person actually is, but their hobbies and interests? For sure.
Whilst season after season there are some trends that dominate—quiet luxury, Y2K nostalgia, for example—your approach to style, the brands you love and the colours you're drawn to, are (whether you know it or not), part of a style tribe. It's not just a case of minimalist vs maximalist, lately the different personalities within personal style are more nuanced. You have your classic dressers that are refined and elegant, they appreciate pretty things, will adopt some trends, but nothing that feels too alternative, rather timeless yet cool. These people look to the likes of Laura Harrier, Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner and Katie Holmes.
Then there are are 'fashion girls', who adore Alexa Chung, Emma Chamberlain and Chloe Sevigny, they have a more eclectic taste, shop a lot of vintage and will likely have an extensive knowledge of a brand's archive, there are a few types of these, so I've divided up into their own tribes. Notable mention should be made to the return of boho chic, which has inspired so many sub-trends and growth for brands like Dôen, Hill House, Sea New York, Bode and of course, Chloe. This aesthetic has become a tribe in itself. With the return of Indie Sleaze comes conversation around again around the 'Hedi Girl'. "Hedi" referring to Hedi Slimane, a noted fashion photographer and the ex-creative director of Celine.
And there are so many more! See below the 5 I think will be most dominant for autumn 2026.
5 Style Tribes For Autumn 2026
1. The Coach Kid
Style Notes: Making the top 10 on Lyst Index's hottest brands in the world for Q2, it would be remiss to not mention the power of Coach in fashion right now. With a slightly more affordable price point, a global marketing strategy that hits the mark with its Gen-Z cool consumer, the Coach Kid *that* girl, especially for those below 30. Most often dressed casually, in low-slung bootcut jeans or grey 3/4 length sweat pants and a sports jersey, the Coach Kid is the cool younger cousin to the Miu Miu Maven and Archivist (more on those later). Never without a matcha latte, the signature 'platypus pout' (as well as her Coach Tabby, of course), she's probably busy growing out her brow slits and considering a brow piercing instead. When she's not browsing Vinted, the Coach Kid is shopping at independent brands such as Mode Mischief, Attega and Jaded.
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2. The Khaite Classicist
Style Notes: The Khaite Classicist is an easy one to spot. An appreciator of timeless style, she isn't as interested in hype products and passing trends as some of her friends, unless of course it's a pair of Saint Laurent loafers or a Chanel handbag. An early adopter of quiet luxury and a minimalist to the core, she doesn't just invest in Khaite, but Rohé, Reformation and Toteme, too. If you told her she could only wear one brand for the rest of her life, it would be a toss up between The Row and Phoebe Philo's Celine.
Whilst her wardrobe is fairly neutral, the Khaite Classicist looks to texture to build her looks. Silk next to cashmere, lace trims, good denim as well as neatly fitted coats and jackets, she never misses the mark and always looks expensive, even when her outfit comes from the high street. For accessories, you're more likely to see her wearing a pillbox hat, a gold cuff and a Birkin, over maximalist charms or any of the reedition handbags from the 2000s era (absolutely no Juicy Couture here). Whilst you'll see a lot of these dressers in New York's West Village, you'll also find them in every city, from Paris to Milan to London, because a classicist's style works wherever you go.
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3. Miu Miu Maiden
Style Notes: The Miu Miu Maiden is more of an eclectic dresser and an absolute sucker for trends. She's influenced by Y2K nostalgia, but isn't ruled by it, and, whilst she probably grew up during the Tumblr years, and therefore spent teenagedom wearing American Apparel basics, her taste has become slightly more kitsch, making her a fan of Marc Jacobs, Sandy Liang and Ashley Williams. She loves nail art and made bleached brows her entire personality last year. With a screen time of over seven hours a day, she's chronically online (probably sharing far too many niche memes from Sofia Coppola movies), but decided to start reading performatively when Miu Miu began its book club. Whilst she may grow into being a Prada lady when she's older, its the playful younger sister brand that is the blueprint for her, anything Miuccia says, does or sends down the catwalk is gospel to the Miu Miu Maiden.
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3. The Gentlewoman
Style Notes: Although supremely elegant and fairly classic in style, The Gentlewoman is not to be confused with the Khaite Classicist. Leaning slightly more contemporary, a little more avant-garde, there's an intelligence and thoughtfulness to this style that cannot be matched. A loyal fan of Issey Miyake, she was wearing the Madame-T stole long before it was trending on TikTok. A wardrobe full of elevated basics, she wears mainly black and white, but will venture into the occasional pop of primary colours when the occasion is right. As well as the Japanese houses, she fills the gaps with labels like Lisa Yang, Studio Nicholson, Lemaire, COS and Camper, that suit her need for well-made, practical yet artistic styles. You'll often find The Gentlewoman in a gallery on the weekends, she prefers print media, drinks her coffee black and can only get to sleep at night if tucked into Tekla bedding.
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4. The Boho Baddie
Style Notes: Until Chemena Kamali made her debut at Chloe two years ago, boho chic hadn't been much of a thing since Sienna Miller and Jude Law were still together. There were soft showings of bohemia here and there, '70s-style Afghan coats and jackets from Saks Potts and Charlotte Simone, Dôen's white cotton broderie anglaise dresses and fringe or folk-embroidered separates from Bode or Alix of Bohemia. But the Chloe effect under Kamali has meant this once under-the-radar trend has become ever more present. As such, the Boho Baddie is back and in full swing. Think suede jackets, clog wedges, ruffled Rixo blouses and an unhealthy obsession with Daisy Jones and the Six, this girl is solely responsible for keeping Free People in business.
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5. The Archivist
The Archivist is the person in the group that you’d want in your pub quiz team. When it comes to fashion, they really know their stuff. Obsessed with the history of the runways, show them an old Celine runway image, and they’ll know if it was the Michael Kors era or Philo years. Because their respect for fashion history runs deep, naturally they’re more likely to shop almost solely vintage. But this doesn’t mean they don’t adopt trends: they know the next It Bag before it’s reached It Bag status, and are the ones you envy because they managed to secure a Saint Laurent Mombasa in mint condition for £350 in 2024. Be it vintage Chanel ballet flats, a McQueen skull scarf, The Archivist knows what designers will be showing, long before even they do. Just be aware—once you get this person talking on their topic of choice, you'll be stuck for the night listening to how there'll never be a better creative directorship than Tom Ford for Gucci.
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