New (Old) It Bags to Demure Dressing, These 7 Luxury Winter Trends Are the Ones Worth Knowing

As much as I love summer, when it comes to fashion, winter is my favourite season. The big cosy coats, the sumptuous leather boots, the cashmere and of course, the partywear! It’s a period of occasions, festivities and therefore drama—and we (I) love the drama when it comes to dressing. What’s interesting about luxury winter trends in 2025, is that there is definitely a change in the air. After years of quiet luxury, Y2K and several ‘something-core’ aesthetics or ‘something-girl summers’ thanks to TikTok, it feels as though we’re about to enter into a new era. This is no doubt because this year has seen the biggest game of fashion musical chairs probably ever, as such, the September fashion month introduced a slew of new creative directors and their visions for their respective houses. Of course, this showcase was for spring/summer 2026, but still, you can feel the dawn of new beginnings is just on the horizon.

So, as much as the ever-classic styling that the quiet luxury period brought us is timeless, some of the biggest luxury designers have offered a twist on these capsule wardrobe staples that make wearing our winter favourites feel fresh and new. For example, where often this time of year is all about monochrome dressing and neutrals, this year, according to the likes of Saint Laurent, joyous pops of colour and colourblocking is mandatory. Animal prints are having a moment too, but then, we at Who What Wear would say this is neutral anyway. And if you are considering investing in animal print, be advised that this year it’s not just leopard print like last year’s trending Mob Wife aesthetic. There’s zebra, cheetah, snakeskin as well as replica deer, giraffe and dalmatian (the latter of which feels like a winter iteration of the oh-so-popular polka dot print this summer). In the same vein, faux fur is going to be huge this winter. I know what you’re thinking, and sure, faux fur seems like a timeless winter staple. It’s true—but this year it’s more prominent than ever, and not just with coats and jackets at Ferragamo, Fendi and Gucci, but with accessories like shawls, scarves and hats at Miu Miu, Dior and Prada.

Speaking of Miu Miu, fashion’s cool younger sister, has been leading the charge with the preppy trend. Mini skirts, striped polo shirts, loafers and grey knitwear galore—we’ve loved seeing this schoolgirl-meets-librarian aesthetic prosper in the last year or two. Whilst Miuccia Prada’s autumn/winter 25 collection featured lots of these same references, elsewhere I’ve noticed a more grown-up iteration. Drawing inspiration from the ‘50s and ‘60s, this new wave of preppy styling feels quite conservative and less playful than the more youthful Miu Miu vision. Skirts are longer—to the knee, not mini—and we’re swapping knee-high socks for low-denier tights.

I couldn’t talk about luxury trends and also not mention handbags, could I? Whilst each designer has its own signature bag, or two, it’s been hard to ignore several luxury brands bringing back some iconic silhouettes from the noughties and 2010s. From the Celine Phantom, to the Chloe Paddington, at times it can be hard to tell if it’s 2005 or 2025. But you know what they say, what comes around, goes around.

And with that, let’s take a closer look at the 7 luxury trends to invest in for winter 2025.

7 LUXURY WINTER TRENDS TO KNOW NOW

1. DEMURE DRESSING

Style notes: One of my personal favourite trends of the season, and one will really take off and continue into next spring, is the slow move into a more ‘50s demure sense of style. It’s a progression from quiet luxury, but still remains supremely chic. Instead of oversized power suits à la ‘80s, think neat collarless blazers, polo necks and pearls—a style that feels as though it has come directly from the wardrobes of Jackie Kennedy, Princess Anne or Mad Men’s Betty Draper. Think skirt-suit tailoring, top handle Lady bag silhouettes and headscarves worn with sling-back kitten heels. It’s certainly very demure, very mindful.

2. WINTER BRIGHTS

Style notes: Winter may usually be a time for a rich, dark palette—many of us are guilty for thinking that to look chic, one must hibernate in black, greys whilst maybe adding a little burgundy, olive and navy as a point of contrast. But Gucci, Saint Laurent, Dries van Noten all beg to differ, and the message is simple: go bold, or go home. From fuchsia pink to orange and yellow, as well as a sea of different purples that would make Violet Beauregard proud, maximalists rejoice! Your time is now.

3. NEW (OLD) IT BAGS

Style notes: If you were thinking the Y2K renaissance was reserved for Juicy Couture and capri pants, think again. As the 20-year cycle theory suggests, what was “in” and then fell “out” of favour around two decades ago, is usually due a comeback a generation later. As such, many of the It bags of the 2000s and 2010s have been re-released. It began with the Fendi Baguette and Dior Saddle a few years back, but now there’s even more. Phoebe Philo fanatics who will go mad for anything “old Celiné” will tell you of the re-edition of the iconic Phantom bag. The Chloe Paddington—the one that was seen on Sienna Miller along with her low-slung boho belts—is now being styled by the likes of Dua Lipa, Rachel Sennott and Katie Holmes. So if you have a Mulberry Bayswater, a Balenciaga City or any of the above at the back of your wardrobe from 15 years ago, now's the time to get it out.

4. FUR REAL

Style notes: If last year's TikTok Mob Wife aesthetic delivered anything, it was an obsession with faux fur. Whilst 2024 gave us coats galore, this year brings us accessories. Shawls, scarves, hats and more, all in different shades, prints and textures from Fendi and Dior. Don't worry, coats and jackets are still on the cards too, with Prada, Ferragamo and more delivering different cuts and lengths worthy of your time and investment.

5. SHEER DELIGHT

Style notes: It might feel wholly unfathomable to style sheer in the colder months, but the catwalks have spoken, and trust me, this is not just a spring trend. From sheer boho dresses at Chloé—which had frills, layers and pastel shades—to lace after lace garment at Dior, Valentino and Rabanne, sheer is here to stay. At first I was dubious, considering practicality to be the issue, but now I realise that this is a brilliant, perhaps chicer alternative to sequins during the festive period. My suggestion is to embrace this trend with one single garment per ensemble, be it a knee-length skirt with coloured tights below, a high neck lace blouse or a dress with a capacious coat over the top, don't do it head-to-toe, but let one hero piece make a statement.

6. ANIMAL PRINT

Style notes: If there is just one appearance of an animal print, you best believe I'm including it in a trend round-up. Turns out, however, there were plenty of animal prints on the AW25 catwalks, and as such, I'm seeing them on style insiders as they gear up their wardrobes ready for the decreasing temperatures. Leopard, the one we all think of when reading the phrase "animal print" is having its moment, but so too is the less obvious iterations. Dalmatian at Dior, cow, zebra and snakeskin, especially on shoes, are all fast becoming the print to wear.

7. BROWN ON BROWN

Style notes: Despite my aforementioned point that colour is king, there will always be a place for neutrals in any season. This year the neutral of choice is brown. A continuation from last winter, where brown then too was also having its time in the sun, I’ve noticed brown coming in more styles than usual. Sure, there’ll always be camel coats, copper cashmere and beige and tan tailoring, but this thirst for hot chocolate shades is extending to slightly less expected items—denim, dresses, silks and shirts. They key to nailing it? Mixing textures and tones to add subtle points of difference.