Hey, hey, hey, it’s that time again — time to learn what all the cool girls (yes, that’s you) will be wearing this season. If you want to have a super stylish winter, but you’re not sure how to update your wardrobe, I’m here to help. Let’s get started.

Hello, gorgeous. Welcome back to the Everyday Style School, the podcast that gives real-life style advice to real-life women. I’m your host, Jennifer Mackey-Mary. I’m a wardrobe stylist who’s been dressing everyday women for over 20 years, and I’m the founder of Everyday Style, where we’re on a mission to inspire women to love the way they look and give you the tools to make getting dressed easy.

Here we are again, another new seasonal trend episode. Is it just me, or do three months go by really, really fast? It’s like I take a breath and it’s time to create another capsule wardrobe guide and talk about trends again. Life is crazy and it seems to get crazier all the time.

But today we are covering 10 winter runway trends that can apply to your everyday life. Winter is a little bit more subdued in the trend department — a lot of things are holdovers from fall, because the fashion shows, there’s two big ones a year, right? Fall/winter, spring/summer. So those follow-up seasons don’t get as much love, there isn’t as much new stuff hitting the stores. In this episode, I’m talking about fall/winter runway trends that are showing up for winter. There were some that I saw back in August, September that just weren’t going to be in stores yet, so I didn’t talk about them then — I’m talking about them today. And we’re going to talk about a few holdovers from fall as well. For the most part, I try not to cover trends I already talked about for fall, so that I can bring you new information. If you missed that episode, we will link it in the show notes.

As always, we’ve got links and examples in the show notes on our website for all the trends we’re talking about today, so head over there, check them out, maybe do a little wardrobe updating since we’ve done all the hard work of shopping for you.

Also, if you want to see how to work the trends into your existing wardrobe, the Winter Capsule Wardrobe Guide is out right now — just came out yesterday. And just like every season, we show really practical ways to update your wardrobe just a little bit at a time, so it’s always looking fresh and current without having to do a major overhaul each season. We combine current trends and wardrobe basics that you probably already have to create over 200 outfits that will get you dressed each morning quicker than you can say, “ugh, what am I going to wear today?” It is absolutely the best way to build a cohesive, mix-and-match wardrobe that saves you time and money without sacrificing style.

You can get the Winter 2024 Capsule Guide inside of our Style Circle membership, and you’ll also get our private members-only podcast, all of our style masterclasses, the outfit calendars, the community, member style coaching opportunities, and lots, lots more. Like I always say, come for the capsule guides and stay for all the style education you never knew you really needed. I can’t wait to meet you in the community, so head to the show notes and come join us.

Two “Not Real” Trends Worth a Mention

All right, let’s talk about winter 2024 trends. Just a reminder, this is not a recap of all the trends out there. I like to talk about the ones that I think are wearable for most women, in our regular, everyday going-to-the-grocery-store, going-to-work, going-to-dinner kind of lives. Will all the trends work for you? No, absolutely not. Will you like all of them? No, probably not. Take what works for you and leave the rest.

But as you’ve probably heard me say pretty much every season, don’t close your mind to new things. Sometimes your eyes just need time to adjust to a new silhouette. With every single trend or style shift that has happened since I’ve been dressing women — which is now almost 25 years — I have heard, “oh, that’s awful, who would wear that?” I heard that with skinny jeans, I heard it with bootcut jeans, tall boots, ankle boots. A lot of the things that, after a while, women hung on to tighter than Rose clung to that floating door in Titanic — like, you’re just not letting it go, right? Point being, never say never. Don’t make a liar out of yourself — just say “not yet,” or “how could I wear this in a way that would work for me?” That’s how you stay current and avoid a style time warp.

Okay, so with that said, here are 10 trends from the runways that regular, everyday women can work into their regular, everyday wardrobes. But first, hold on, sidebar — there are a couple of trends from the runways that deserve a mention, but I’d file them under “thank you, Captain Obvious.” So I’m not going to go in depth on them, and I’m not even going to include them in the 10 real trends. Consider these just two bonus ones.

These are things that are really a “trend” in quotation marks every winter — I don’t know, if it comes up every winter, can you really call it a trend? It’s like florals and stripes for spring, or plaid and menswear for fall. For winter, it’s texture and sparkle and shine.

Obviously, sparkle and shine is a nod to all of the holidays in winter where you’d want to wear sparkle and shine. I love a little bit of glitz and glam, and I think there are lots of ways to do this even in an everyday wardrobe. But I look at this as more of a holiday trend than a winter trend. Very few people — even me — are wearing sequin pants in January. If you are, I support that, I want to come have drinks with you. But when it comes to winter trends, I really want to talk about things that will take you through the whole season. When we put the winter capsule guide together, we’re very mindful of the fact that winter includes the holiday season, so we want to make sure there are outfits that make it easy to get dressed for holiday parties and gatherings. But we’re also mindful of the fact that winter includes late January — like, the least festive time of the year. When you’re adding trends to your wardrobe this season, ask yourself: are you focusing on the first part of winter, the last part of winter, or the whole season? Nothing wrong with adding a little glitz and glam, sparkle and shine to your wardrobe for the first part of winter — that’s great, I encourage it. But are you going to want to wear that thing in early February?

As far as texture goes, there are lots of mohair sweaters, corduroy, velvet, sherpa — all the textures. We see this every time the weather turns cold. I am a huge fan of adding texture to your wardrobe. Even those of you with “simple style” can make your outfits more interesting by swapping your jeans for a pair of cords, or adding a fluffy basic sweater to your closet. Again, though, these things aren’t new to your eyes, and you probably won’t even recognize them as trends — it’s just what happens every winter. But they were on the runways, so now you know.

The 10 Trends

Okay, now, finally, here are my official 10 wearable trends for winter 2024.

Trend number one: asymmetrical or off-the-shoulder necklines. I talked about strong necklines in the fall trends podcast, and all of those are still going strong — mock necks, funnel necks, funnel necks especially have really become a thing in sweaters this season. But we’re also seeing a lot of asymmetrical necklines, where it’s either an offset V-neck or one shoulder is exposed. I think these are great for the holidays — they show a little more skin, it’s a little fun, but given the time of year, that extra coverage is very nice to have. I even saw a top recently that was one-shouldered, but the exposed shoulder was covered by sheer chiffon — a great way to be both covered and not. If it’s still available, I’ll throw it in the show notes.

The other big neckline for the season is fully off the shoulder. I think we used to call this a Bardot neckline. And while there are some thinner off-the-shoulder tops, this has really shown up in sweaters. I think this is a great look for New Year’s Eve, date night in January — I don’t think it reads overly “holiday” if you’re not doing a sequin sweater. I just think it’s pretty and feminine and a little bit sexy, especially done in a fluffy texture. Very sweet.

A couple of things to consider with these sweaters. First, the bra thing — you’re going to have to go strapless. Showing even bralette straps wrecks the look a little bit on the fully off-the-shoulder sweater; I think that’s better for the slouchy kind of off-the-shoulder top. The other thing is, if you have broad shoulders, you might want to proceed with caution. The big horizontal cuff right across your shoulders and chest will make that part of your body appear wider — you can always add more volume to the bottom to balance yourself out. And if your shoulders are narrow, this is a great way to create that balance. But if you don’t want to draw attention to your shoulders or make them look bigger, or if you’re worried about appearing top-heavy, stick to the asymmetrical necklines — they’re a little easier to wear.

Trend number two: faux fur. Does this technically belong in the texture trend I said wasn’t a real trend? Eh, maybe. But this is something we haven’t seen to this extent for a lot of years. I was talking to our capsule creative director a couple weeks ago, and we were reminiscing about the years we put a faux fur vest in the capsule guides — it made it so easy to create great outfits all winter long. But then there was a time where they looked dated, and we didn’t include them. So in that respect, different from velvet or fluffy sweaters, faux fur is new for winter 2024, and it deserves its own trend spot.

Faux fur coats and jackets are out there in every color, every silhouette, every fur type — from understated lady jackets in a smooth texture to long coats in shaggy Muppet fur. I love it when a trend can be interpreted in so many different ways and work for just about anyone. For those of you in warmer climates, this one may not be the trend for you, but a faux fur vest could be a great option since it’s a little lighter and not as much coverage.

We started putting the winter capsule guide together a few weeks ago — we had to start really early because of the Thanksgiving weekend. When we talked about putting a fur vest in, I did my quick search and there weren’t quite enough options to make it easy for our link team to find lots of sizes and price points, so we didn’t include it this season. But then I searched again while working on this episode, and there are so many more now — it’s crazy how many more cropped up in just a few weeks. So, sayonara for now — hopefully they stay big for next year, because a fur vest really does make it easy to create cute outfits in winter. So try it, you might like it.

Trend number three: the colors of the season. You know I love a color trend — if you’ve listened for a season or two, you know why, but if you haven’t, I’ll tell you. I love color trends because they’re a super easy way to infuse a trend into your wardrobe, but they don’t really go out of style. I did a free holiday style workshop a few weeks ago — if you missed it, make sure you’re on our email list so you don’t miss the next one — and one of the questions was from someone who bought pink a couple of years ago and wanted to know if it would look dated. My answer is no, not at all. You might not find it in the stores as much, but nobody is going to be like, “oh my gosh, pink was so 2022.” It’s a little bit of a trend-proof trend — it takes a long time for a color to really look out of style.

Now, with that said, like I say every season, in order to make trending colors look trendy, you need to wear them in a more intentional way. My favorite ways are either a monochromatic outfit, which is still going strong, or a two-for trend — that’s when you combine two trends. Years ago, I bought a faux fur jacket in a deep green, which this season looks very on-trend because deep green is a big color this season.

So the big colors for winter — a couple of them are holdovers from fall, and that’s dark brown and burgundy. But we’re also seeing lots of rich jewel tones like emerald, violet, cobalt blue. There’s also this whole other muted palette I’ve seen cropping up in stores too, like sage green, light blue, light pink. So this season colors are a little bit all over the place, but burgundy and brown are still going strong, and those rich jewel tones seem to be having a big moment as well. Because we covered brown and burgundy in the fall episode, in the links for this episode I’m going to show more of the jewel tones that are out there.

Trend number four, another holdover from fall, is leopard print. In winter and summer I like to talk about new trends I didn’t cover the previous season, like I said earlier, but every article I read, every video I watch, mentioned animal print for winter, so I guess I’ve got to talk about it here too. When you hear “animal print,” it’s really leopard print — I found a few giraffe, zebra, and snake prints popping up here and there, but overwhelmingly it’s still leopard. One change I have seen, though, is that there are more gray and black and cooler beige-based leopard prints this season. So if you’re one of my cool-tone sisters complaining because the browns and tans aren’t best for you, you have more options now — they’re out there.

Trend number five: satin. We’ve seen satin tops gaining popularity the last few seasons, especially in the cooler seasons, but right now satin bottoms, especially satin pants, are everywhere. I think this is a great pick for the holidays that can keep going all season long, especially if you choose a less specific holiday color or pattern — red satin pants are going to read Christmas, but choosing pink or teal, green, even black, those can keep going all winter long.

I love the look of satin pants or a skirt paired with a fluffy sweater — it’s a really pretty juxtaposition of textures, and then you get the texture trend, you get the satin trend, and it’s super wearable. One thing I’ve seen on a lot of websites while putting this episode together is a monochromatic outfit with satin pants and a matching non-satin top. I think it’s a great way to have that elegant, instantly polished look that monochrome gives you without looking like you’re wearing pajamas. I think satin-on-satin looks a little jammy — if you like that, you do you, but to me it just reads a little bedtime-ish.

By the way, if you’re not on the monochromatic bandwagon, what are you waiting for? If you want to look modern and polished in the easiest outfit of your life, that’s how you do it. Super easy, foolproof.

All right, we are halfway through the list — which is your favorite trend so far? Which ones are you feeling like you want to try? All of them, none of them? If that’s the case, let’s see if the last half of the list brings you something you love.

Trend number six is a personal favorite of mine, and that’s capes. I love a cape. I love a cape. I feel like I’m channeling my inner superhero, and at the same time I always feel sophisticated and stylish in a cape. There’s something both dramatic and minimalist about them — I don’t know what that is, but I love it, and they’re having a moment this season.

When we’re talking about capes right now for winter 2024, we’re actually talking about capes — not ponchos, not wraps, not ruanas. Those are out there, you’re going to see them, but the trending item is a cape with some shoulder structure and a place for your arms. I have two capes in my outerwear collection that I wear a lot — one is a double-breasted heavy knit with a fur collar, which is great for dressing up, and the other is a puffer cape from Zara. I think I’ve talked about this cape before — I can’t get over it. I bought this thing on clearance the day after Christmas a few years ago. I made my daughter stand in line for over an hour to buy it, but it was so worth it — I mean, obviously it was her time, so it was totally worth it. But it is by far the piece of my wardrobe I get complimented on the most, from teenagers to grandmas — people love this puffer cape. If I can find something similar, I’ll put it in the show notes for you.

Now, if you’re someone who likes a little more definition to your shape than a cape usually provides, go for a belted style — there are lots of them out there, and then you can have the best of both worlds.

Trend number seven is long sweaters, or should I say “long-er” sweaters. In the Style Circle we talk about the “-er” a lot — the ER, right? So if you’re not into wide pants, maybe you could go a little wider. If you’re not into short tops, you can go a little shorter. We don’t have to go to extremes — sometimes it’s just making something a little bit more of what it already was. So instead of a long sweater, if you’re not ready for that, go for a longer one.

Now, when you shop you’re still going to see plenty of cropped sweaters, plenty of hip-length sweaters — they’re not going anywhere yet, but now there are more low-hip and tunic-length options out there too. I’ve been seeing these longer sweaters styled with fuller bottoms, like a wide-leg pant or baggy jeans, and to be honest, this is a look my eyes haven’t quite adjusted to yet. Volume on top and volume on bottom is a tough look to pull off without looking frumpy. I think this is one of those things that really works well on street-style Instagram influencers and models on the Zara website, but it’s tough to do this in real life without looking frumpy. And the trend is not to tuck or half-tuck the long sweater. So I’d say, if you like this look and want to try it with lots of volume, go for it. But if that’s a little out of your comfort zone, go for a straight leg, or a bootcut, or a flare — something that’s a little closer to the body on some part of your figure. And when those feel comfortable, move on to the wide legs.

Trend number eight is another blast from the past, and that’s riding boots. Oh, riding boots — I know you’re all excited. Before you go and dust off your 2014 riding boots and squeeze into your 2014 skinnies, hang on, hang on. We are not going back to the Han Solo days — no riding boots, skinny jeans, and puffer vests, we’re not doing that. 2024 riding boots are sleeker, a little more refined, some heels on them as well. Pair them with your skirts and dresses, or a great pair of thick, non-faded leggings and a sweater.

Remember, the last time we saw riding boots in a major way, styles were more overdone, right? We had the statement necklaces, we had big scarves, we had lots of color blocking. Now we’re still doing the quiet luxury thing — a little more refined, upscale, elevated pieces, understated accessories, lots of neutrals. If you pull out your 2014 things and style them the way you did in 2014, you’re going to look dated — even if you’re like, “well, they’re riding boots, so I’m on trend.” Nope, nope. I found an article that I’ll link to in the show notes showing riding boots in 2024 — some of them aren’t super wearable for my everyday girls, but it’ll give you an idea of how to make riding boots look modern. Link is in the show notes, go check it out.

Trend number nine is barrel-leg jeans. We’ve seen lots of fun and different jean shapes come through the trend list over the last couple of years, but the barrel leg is the one that was kind of the most out-there and ended up sticking around the longest — they were still on the runway for fall/winter 2024, and they’re still going strong in stores. With my body shape, and I’m sure my apple sisters can commiserate, jeans are hard enough, and I honestly haven’t been brave enough to try them. But a few of our Style Circle members have posted pictures in their barrel-leg jeans, and they look so cute that it’s made me think, huh, maybe — why not? Remember, it’s free to try things on in stores, so I will if you will.

I think it’s worth remembering that not all barrel legs are created equally. If you do a search like I have, you’ll find some that have just a little bit of that barrel or balloon leg shape, while some are wildly exaggerated, or the horseshoe jean. You don’t have to go for those crazy exaggerated ones — in the links, I’m going to put the ones that I think look a little more wearable. And if you’re listening and thinking, “I am too old for barrel-leg jeans” — girl, Lands’ End now makes barrel-leg jeans. So no, you’re not.

The only other bit of advice I’d give to make styling barrel legs a little easier and more successful is to err on the short side. With these jeans, you need to see the shape of the leg for them to look right, and for that to happen they need to be able to hang properly — they can’t do that if they’re too long and pulling or puddling at your ankles. So keep them a little shorter.

Okay, last one — trend number 10, one more blast from the past, is boho. I think I might have a little bit of stylist PTSD from all of my clients back in the day who wanted a boho chic look. The 2010s — again, they were so overstyled. So many kimonos, so many feather necklaces, so many floppy hats. Do you remember those? Don’t get me wrong, at the time I thought it was great — it was great, it looked current at the time. However, times have changed, and this is another one where if you pull out the 2014/2015 boho stuff and wear it now, you’re going to look silly.

This is what I mean when I tell women not to hang on to clothes in case they come back in style. Yes, trends are constantly coming back, but they come back a little differently, and if you try to recreate the moment exactly, it just doesn’t work.

So think of this as modern boho. And what does modern boho entail? I’m going to read a description from a Who What Wear article that sums it up perfectly — I’ll put the article in the show notes if you want to read the whole thing. Here you go:

“There are fewer prints, a stricter color palette that favors earthy neutrals, and no need for problematic cultural references like headdresses and bindis. Strip away the layers of over-accessorizing and embellishment, and underneath you’ll find this season’s hero buys: oversized blouses, light maxi skirts, high-waisted jeans, billowing high-neck maxi dresses, and plenty of premium suede and leather.”

That’s a perfect description of what modern boho is. If you want to go boho this season, here’s what I’d add to your wardrobe: a pair of high-waisted, dark-denim flare jeans, a flowy blouse, a suede bag, and a pair of heeled boots. Add a maxi dress, and you’ve got the 2024 boho starter pack. Just leave the feather pendant necklace in the dress-up box where it belongs.

Wrapping Up

All right, friends, there you have it — 10 wearable trends for winter 2024. I hope this episode has given you some insight into what’s big this season, and some practical tips for making it easy to keep your wardrobe looking fresh and current. As always, take what works for you and leave the rest. The most important thing is that you have fun with style and feel great in whatever you wear.

The Winter Capsule Wardrobe Guide is out right now, and you can only get it inside of the Style Circle. So head to the show notes, join us, so you can build an effortlessly stylish wardrobe all season long.

Now, as you know, normally I do a bonus trends episode for our Style Circle member podcast. But to be honest, there aren’t enough truly different or unique trends to do a whole episode. So instead, I’m giving our members an episode on what kinds of shoes to pair with different styles of pants and jeans — and yes, we’re going to talk about socks too. I’m going to teach you how to wear socks that show without looking like your teenage daughter or your mother. Socks and shoes and what pants to wear, all those good things. These are the questions I get asked every single time the weather turns cold, so I’m breaking it down, making it super easy to know how to wear shoes and socks this winter. If this is something you’re struggling with, I’ve got you covered — check out the Extra Credit podcast episode inside of the Style Circle.

All right, don’t forget to head to the show notes on our website for links to everything we talked about today. And I will see you next time. Until then, remember that your everyday matters, so get dressed for it. And that’s a wrap.