Grey wool skirts, sweater dresses and tights shape 2025-26 fashion

As temperatures fall, wardrobe attention is shifting to a handful of dependable pieces that dominated recent runways and retail lists: grey wool skirts, sweater dresses and a renewed focus on tights as a styling tool. These items are being embraced for their warmth, versatility and ability to bridge high-end tailoring with everyday wear across autumn and winter 2025 into 2026.

Grey wool skirts have surfaced as a quietly pervasive staple. Designers presented multiple iterations on the fall-winter 2025 runways, from crumpled, cropped and deconstructed takes at Prada to oversized pleats and buckled belts at Vaquera, and a gilded-button pencil silhouette in a reimagined Chanel show. A punk-tinged raw-cut version appeared in Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood, while streamlined and full-skirted versions turned up at Vetements, Fendi and Jil Sander. Off the runway, the skirt has appeared in popular culture in pleated Prada iterations styled with belts and knits.

The appeal is practical as well as aesthetic. Many wearers and stylists point to the material heft and plain color as assets: wool provides insulation, the neutral grey pairs easily with existing pieces, and simple cuts...