Fall 2023 fashion trends for knitters

It’s not quite officially fall, but almost. It’s definitely the time that we start thinking about what we want to wear this fall. I know that you and I are mostly not people the trendy type. I mean the whole thing about knitting is that we are creating a carefully curated wardrobe of lovely investment pieces we'll wear for a lifetime. I get that. However, we all want to look current. So I watch the style videos each season and try to interpret the trends for knitters who mainly identify their personal style as classic.

First, let’s talk define our terms.  Trends does not mean trendy.  Trendy is the here today, gone tomorrow of fast fashion. Most of us couldn't knit fast enough to keep up with it, even if we wanted to.

Trends, on the other hand are gradual shifts that happen not seasonally but over the course of years. These are the slow changes in lapels, hemlines, and pant widths. For example, we didn't jump into skinny jeans. It wasn't a fad as it took nearly ten years to move through that trend.  But now we can almost universally agree that skinny jeans are "out" 

I’m always interested in what is “trending” not because I want to have the latest fashion, but because I want to catch the wave at the beginning and ride it as long as possible.  I also want to see how the trend relates not just to what we knit now, but to how we style what we knit last year, and the year before, and so forth. Because paying attention to these things helps us look current even if we label of our personal style is “Classic .“

So, here are the trends identified by several of my favorite internet style mavens. 

Focus on the waist - nipped jackets, belts, the hourglass silhouette. To visualize this trend, think in terms of how we’ve moved from sweaters being work long and loose over the waist to the half tuck to fully tucking sweaters into the top of high waisted pants.  Think about shorter sweaters with ribbing than cinches in at the waist.  These trends are evolving slowly to showcase the waist with a belt, a tuck, or a wide band of ribbing.

Quiet Luxury - This is a trend that really resonates for me.  It’s the simple piece in high end fabric with perfect fit and tailoring. It’s quality and refinement.  For us knitters, it’s the simple plain sweater knit in finest cashmere. It’s investment pieces we love to knit that we’ll wear over an over, whether we tuck it into waistbands this year, or wear it another way 5 to 10 years hence.

Off the shoulder - I love this one. While the cold shoulder was an unfortunate trendy look, off the shoulder is classically elegant and relatively timeless. Either a fully bare shoulder or a nod to the trend with an extra wide boat neck could work here.  Kim Hargreaves was a master at this look, with several sweaters that are unselfconsciously bare.  

Cropped cardigans - Does a classic buttoned cardigan ever go out of style. Well, yes. Sadly, this lovely shape and style has seemed a bit frumpy and uptight for many seasons, we're now seeing a return to the kind of refinement that only a fitted, set in sleeve cardigan can bring to an outfit. Think Martin Storey.

Blanket shawls - Just like it sounds - these are wraps that look like you grabbed the blanket from where you were sitting and just brought it with you as part of your outfit. Bigger than a regular shawl but smaller than an afghan.  Andrea Mowry loves this look as does Georgia Farrell.  Quail Studio also has one in the current Rowan magazine. 

Color trends

Red- from rich scarlet to deep burgundy, paired with gray, brown, and other neutrals.  I personally love red with olive green.  

Yellow- a shade typically seen in the spring is showing for fall - keep to pastel and soft buttery shades. 

Non knitting trends

Bows and broaches - a soft bow tied at the neck of a blouse or sweater and a classic gold broach. We haven't seen broaches trending for more than 20 years.  A great way to pin that blanket shawl in place.

Flats and low heels - ballet flats, flat Mary Janes, and especially pointed flats and pointed kittens heels, are trending for a lovely ladylike look with wider leg pants.

Statement earrings - especially silver.  Look for the asymmetrical shapes and large scale

So, what do you think?  Are you seeing something different, or maybe you don't care about trends.  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments - and be sure to tune in this Wednesday at 7 for a live look at the trends and patterns you can knit to capture them.

Until next time, keep knitting, and create something beautiful.

Warmly,

Ellen