Most of what we see during fashion week isn’t meant to be taken literally. Catwalk styling is designed to inspire, to deliver impact from 20 paces. Real-life clothes have to work when you’re doing 10,000 steps, going out for dinner or making a presentation. They should survive central heating, public transport, sitting down and the absence of a professional lighting rig. But that doesn’t mean they should ever be dull or unenjoyable. Here are six of winter 2026’s most compelling ideas, translated into outfits you could genuinely wear. No slavish head-to-toe looks cobbled together from tacky dupes, no fancy dress – just the essential ingredients that can work for plausible events, worn by someone I can vouch is real: me.
1. The tweed jacket – the office staple now works in multiple scenarios
Lisa wears: British tweed jacket, £650, cotton and silk shirt, £125 and wool blend trousers, £225, all Me+Em; Suede slingback shoes, £245, Anonymous Copenhagen; Gold plated earrings, £75, Missoma
There’s a reason Chanel’s tweed jacket has been endlessly copied for nigh on a century. It functions day and night as the most pragmatic and elegant of anchors. Since he took over at the helm of Chanel a year ago, Matthieu Blazy has reminded us it doesn’t have to look ladylike. The easiest way to modernise one is to resist everything that traditionally goes with it — overly trad pearls, a matching bag or skirt — and introduce something looser.
There are plenty of high street options, but if you’re looking for one that will look good in 10 years, this Me+Em jacket, made from British Linton tweed, is a proper investment buy; grounded in high-quality fabric and manufacturing, with a metallic gold thread which makes it evening friendly, without overpowering in the day. It’s also sufficiently cropped to give definition but not so fitted it feels prim. We tried it with a skirt, à la Blazy’s styling in the show, but on me, at 5ft 4in, the skirt hem was a horizontal line too many. Worn over a long, fluid shirt and relaxed chocolate trousers, it becomes less Madame Rue Cambon, more every day mademoiselle.
As for what colours to wear it with, one of the joys of flecked tweed is that it gives you a range of options. The jacket supplies the polish; everything else takes it down a notch.
2. The statement skirt as your new go-to
Lisa wears: Cotton shirt, £74.99, H&M Studio; Detachable lace skirt, £129, Whistles; Leather shoes, £275, Anonymous Copenhagen; Leather bag, £350, Strathberry; Sterling silver earrings, £299, Monica Vinader
After years where trousers did most of the heavy lifting, skirts are interesting again. At Fendi, Jil Sander and Saint Laurent transparency and strong pencil shapes made them the entire point of the outfit. Miuccia Prada, who, at 78, still manages to make them look cool, not least on herself, just dedicated her entire show to them.
The secret to wearing one away from a catwalk is to remove the drama from everything around it. In reality, a crisp white shirt strips it right back, making a pinstriped pencil skirt feel graphic rather than corporate. Mix masculine with feminine, restrained with decorative to prevent a “special” skirt from looking OTT. Roll up shirt sleeves to create volume. Think about wearing the shirt loose, or half tucked in to avoid it looking overly prim and perfect.
Lisa wears: Cashmere jumper, £185, The White Company; Organic cotton shirt, £115, Brora; Embellished tulle skirt, £260, Essentiel Antwerp; Leather shoes, £179, All Saints; Mixed metal earrings, £129, Missoma
As the weather cools, add a simple knit, low slingbacks or a clean-lined shoe and wear the skirt during the day. For its winter 2026 show, Prada used the simple expedient of colourful cuffs to make its statement skirt plus jumper formula pop (they’re selling the cuffs separately, for the price of a small pony).
This Essentiel Antwerp checked skirt with a filmy top layer does most of the work, so I kept the rest streamlined: a chocolate sweater, black sandals and a neat bag. The bright green cuffs (the Prada effect) are a tiny intervention that stops the brown palette becoming worthy or autumnal in the predictable sense.
3. The everyday trench gets interesting but keeps it real
Lisa wears: Water repellant trench coat, £595, The Fold; Metal necklace, £29.99, Zara; Cashmere t-shirt, £225, Me+Em; Herringbone trousers, £180, Reiss; Leather shoes, £189, Arket; Suede bag, £645, Tusting; Mixed metal earrings, £129, Missoma; Sunglasses, stylist’s own
A trench coat hardly qualifies as breaking news, which is precisely why styling matters. At Celine, the familiar camel was given a new attitude with dark layers, oversized sunglasses and substantial, hand-worked-looking jewellery. The result was less commuter staple, more discerning art collector on her way to Frieze.
This version begins with The Fold’s pared-back, water-repellent trench – and a notable absence of fussy epaulettes which so often clutter the line. Wide chocolate trousers and a simple dark top continue the line underneath, while the large metal necklace provides the killer detail.
This is the return of jewellery with presence, but not necessarily sparkle. Hammered metal, irregular links, stones and sculptural forms look more modern than a formal statement necklace – and they’re far easier to wear. Over a trench, the effect is particularly good because the coat’s plainness gives the piece room to register. Add a soft, plain bag and big sunglasses: practical clothes, but with character.
4. Not just a pretty lace
Lisa wears: Cashmere t-shirt, £225, Me+Em; Lace skirt, £90, Marks & Spencer; Suede slingback shoes, £245, Anonymous; Copenhagen; Leather bag, £135, John Lewis; Gold plated earrings, £65, Lines & Current
Lace is everywhere this winter – a continuation from summer, and the winter before that. As a trim peeking out from an otherwise severe black tux blazer, at the hem of a skirt or beneath a jumper (brooch pinning hems to make them asymmetric is reaching Olympic levels of skill).
There are lace dresses too, but I like what Miuccia Prada calls the contrary nature of a skirt. You could partner it with a khaki combat jacket, chunky knits or a white shirt to create completely different moods. M&S’s lace pencil skirt in a sophisticated olive-brown and was styled in their showroom with a cinnamon-coloured high lace neck top – a direct nod to a Saint Laurent look from last year. Reality check: the neck was too high for me, and too literal. Instead, a textured short-sleeved knit proved a better match providing an interesting colour combination and a flatteringly gauzy texture. It’s these small disruptions that make familiar clothes feel current.
The longer, straighter skirt shape matters too. It’s cleaner than a flippy, pleated style and gives checks more authority. Think of the pattern as a neutral, then add one slightly “wrong” colour to wake it up.
5. The classic coat gets a revamp
Lisa wears: Wool coat, £389, Jigsaw; Feather fringe, £24.95 per metre, VV Rouleaux; Cashmere merino jumper, £175, Rise & Fall; Pleated trousers, £97, & Other Stories; Mixed metal earrings, £129, Missoma; Sunglasses, Lisa’s own
Dior’s feathery coat is the inspiration here, but we’ve made it versatile. First we took a tried and tested classic from Jigsaw – the Maxi City Coat was originally designed 14 years ago and give or take numerous variations remains essentially the same idea – then we bought some feathers from VV Rouleaux and some double-sided tape.
A word about feathers: they can go wrong with astonishing speed. Too many and you’re dressed for the cabaret; too few and they resemble something accidentally caught on your coat. Dior’s idea is to apply them as sparingly to serious tailoring – a flicker of whimsy rather than Big Bird.
A dark knit made for a calm, tonal base. Pale trousers keep the overall effect from becoming too heavy. It’s an excellent example of one statement at a time while brown makes the whole proposition softer and more contemporary than black. This is how you make your workhorse of a daycoat into a party companion.
6. Your new evening ace: the drapey dress
Lisa wears: Crepe dress, £365, The Fold; Patent leather shoes, £540, Nomasei; Sterling silver earrings, £300 and sterling silver bangle, £325, both Monica Vinader
Toteme introduced the side-draped dress a few seasons ago. With some strategic ruching, it rescued us from the shapeless tent without squeezing us into a tube of toothpaste.
Now this deceptively forgiving style is everywhere, never better perhaps, than in red, at Michael Kors, where it made its entrance with opera gloves and a black bag. Beneath the styling theatrics is a simple proposition: a strong colour, a long, lean line and just enough draping to flatter. Red is fashion’s nuclear power but it needs to be kept in line with a clean silhouette and absence of fuss, otherwise it looks histrionic.
This real-life version features fluttery sleeves that cover the upper arms without looking matronly, a softly gathered waist that creates shape without corseting it; and a midi length that feels elegant. I paired it with red shoes, to keep the line uninterrupted – good if you want to elongate. These are from Nomasei, one of my favourite shoe brands because they combine a strong fashion sensibility with expert engineering and comfort.
Red and draping are quite enough drama. Minimal jewellery – that neckline is better without a necklace. This is what low-key, high-impact dressing looks like: quiet in construction, emphatic in effect – and capable of working for dinner, a wedding or any evening when black feels like the unimaginative answer.
Photographer: Sarah Brick; Videographer: Jack Leather; Hair & Makeup: Oonagh Connor; Stylist: Sophie Tobin; Stylist assistant: Brynlie Grantland