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.jpg "I’ve been going to Fashion Week for 12 years – this is what to wear to the shows")
With New York Fashion Week about to come to a close, it falls to our very own capital and the biggest of the ‘big four’ (not biased at all) to host the major players of the fashion industry and stage its own seasonal showcase.
Kicking off on Thursday, London Fashion Week is set to play host to the likes of Burberry, Erdem, Simone Rocha, Richard Quinn and 16Arlington – to name but a few – as designers reveal their fashion trends forecast for our autumn/winter 2026 wardrobes.
And while it goes without saying that what we see on the runway, whether you like it or not, will have a huge impact on what we scroll, shop and wear in six months’ time, for those of you looking for a little more immediate outfit inspiration you’d be wise to look to the street style set to influence your current season looks. Because while it’s fun to wistfully imagine what our dream wardrobes might look like come autumn, it’s a whole lot more pressing – and practical – to think about what we’ll be wearing tomorrow.
Whether you’re heading to some of London Fashion Week’s biggest shows this season or you’re planning on soaking up the high-fashion vibe around the city – even if you’re just scrolling updates and live streams from your sofa – we’ve whittled down our go-to fashion week outfit ideas to just six failsafe formulas that are guaranteed to have you feeling your best self throughout fashion month.
Is there a fashion week dress code?
There is no official dress code for fashion week, and one look at the best street style inspo from any season over the last decade will attest to that. In fact, it’s one of the few occasions you’ll ever attend where you could be standing in a group talking to someone wearing jeans, someone wearing a full-length tulle black dress and someone else wearing a studded leather bra over a shirt, and you wouldn’t bat an eye. Trust me, I’ve been in that exact conversation (I was also wearing jeans, for the record).
This lack of dress code might seem daunting, but it’s actually the perfect opportunity to elevate your style. And while most of us might not be tempted by the studded leather bra option, there are other ways to experiment with your styling – whether that’s with interesting accessories, a more exaggerated silhouette, some unexpected layering, an punchy pop of colour, or a statement piece you’ve been desperate to find the excuse to wear.
Here are our six failsafe outfit formulas for your chicest, simplest fashion week wardrobe yet:
1. The shapeless shirt dress
‘Shapelessness’ has long been considered a derogatory term when it comes to matters of the wardrobe, but it’s one of the things I look for most. Comfortable, fuss-free, timeless and showcasing something of an ‘I just threw this on’ nonchalance, they’re super easy to dress up with accessories and can be dressed up or down easily depending on the vibe of the show.