Sorry, These Fall Dress Trends Are Officially Over—See 6 We're Buying Instead

Every season, I find myself faced with the problem of not having enough room in my closet for both the clothes that already reside there and the ones I hope to welcome inside. Blame it on New York City closet sizes, but I always have to get rid of something if I want to add anything else. There's no getting around it. This fall, the items on my wish list are primarily dresses, especially after all the coat- and boot-related financial damage I did last winter. But with so many tempting dress trends on the fall 2023 runways, I have no choice but to ditch some items in order to make space for more.

As a Libra who struggles to make decisions about anything, I feel eternally grateful for my co-workers, all of whom have stunning taste and were happy to provide me with some insight on the fall dress trends they're ready to donate and the ones they'll be investing in instead. They shared, and I listened. Scroll down to find out which six are getting the boot this autumn as well as the six that we're welcoming with open arms.

Out: Puff-Sleeve Dresses

In: Off-the-Shoulder Dresses

"I had a thing for puff-sleeve dresses for quite some time, but it's official—I've moved on. My heart is currently set on off-the-shoulder dresses, which might be considered the polar opposite of wearing a puff sleeve. This is such a great opportunity to show off the décolletage for an alluring look that feels more modest than a deep V. In the past, I've seen a lot of floral off-the-shoulder dresses, but this time around, I'm favoring minimal prints and colorways, many of which are crafted with thicker fabrics like suiting and taffeta." — Sierra Mayhew, Associate Editor

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Out: Cutout Dresses

In: Halter Dresses

"I'm officially out of my cutout phase, and I'm ready to leave all my risqué cutout dresses in the past. While they definitely had their moment, I'm more interested in styles that are still sultry but ultimately more timeless. Right now, that means a fixation on halter necklines, a dress trend I've noticed bubbling up a lot this season on the runways of designers like Alaïa and in the closets of celebrities like Kylie Jenner." — Anna LaPlaca, Editor

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Out: Beaded Dresses

In: Velvet Dresses

"For me, fall is all about textures, specifically ones that feel extremely luxurious and rich. I think beaded numbers have the potential to check off both boxes, but in the fall, I can't be bothered to fret over snags or style hard-to-layer materials. Instead, I'm going all in on velvet. It's a fabric that feels elegant every single time, no matter the shape of the garment it's used for. That said, the below body-con dress from Ferragamo and structured, strapless midi from Loewe are especially lavish." — Eliza Huber, Editor

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Out: Baby-Doll Dresses

In: Nipped-In Dresses

"I'm setting my baby-doll silhouettes aside for now and instead opting to 'embrace the waist' and lean into hourglass and fit-and-flare styles that accentuate the waistline. It's a trend we saw all over the fall/winter runways that the fashion set has been quick to embrace this season." — Judith Jones, Senior Market Editor

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Out: Latex Dresses

In: Leather Dresses

"As much as I love summer sundresses, the fall 2023 runways have made me ecstatic about the prospect of slipping into something new this season. I'm particularly excited about the leather dresses we saw bubble up this season that centered draping, tailoring, and sultry necklines to create ultra-romantic frocks. At Alexander McQueen and Sportmax, colorful leather was draped across the shoulders and chest in a way that felt like the leather took on a liquid feel. At Bottega Veneta, Givenchy, and Brandon Maxwell, deep necklines added a sultry touch to longline dresses.

"Besides being utterly breathtaking, what I love about this dress style is that the current iterations of this trend are far more pragmatic and polished than the latex dresses we saw dominate a while back. It's the type of trend you know you can wear for years to come to any setting or occasion without any regrets or fashion mishaps." — Jasmine Fox-Suliaman, Editor

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Out: Ruffled Victorian-Collar Dresses

In: Suit-Style Minidresses

"I've definitely moved on from the ruffled Victorian collars adorning dresses that were so trendy for a while. Now, the number one dress trend I'm shopping for ahead of fall is suit-style minidresses that feel like a continuation of summer's long, fitted vests. Attersee makes a lovely one, but I'm starting to see more affordable versions as well." — Ally Payer, Senior Editor

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This post was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.