Forget Denim and Trousers—Skirts Are the Moment, and Here Are Fall's 7 Biggest Styles

Fall wardrobing is usually synonymous with denim and trousers, but this season, there's a rivalry brewing because the fall skirt trends on deck are so good you just might find yourself overlooking your pants to test-drive one of them. For the past several seasons, designers have been putting skirts into full focus, anchoring their collections around a few key skirt styles. This includes Tory Burch's glossy-leather styles, Miu Miu's voluminous A-line silhouettes, and Prada's wool skirt suits. For fall, designers are only doubling down on their fascination with these outfit-making skirts, and there are so many fresh styles on deck for the season ahead.

I've done a ton of trend research and pulled out seven fall skirt trends that will define the season ahead. From the pretty sheer styles that make a chic impact to the full skirts everyone will be skipping minis for, behold the coolest skirts of fall 2024. Mark my words: It's going to be the season of the skirt.

If skirt trends were tracks on Brat, then pleated minis would be "Girl, So Confusing" and fall 2024's grown-up skirts would be "I Think About It All the Time." For this season, we're embracing what it means to be a woman in the world today, especially a working woman. The runways posed an answer to this call in the form of chic skirt suits, whether it was Sandy Liang's retro midis or Prada's marled wool sets.

If I had to choose just one skirt trend for fall, I wouldn't even think twice before naming full skirts. Everywhere I look, this elegant shape is popping up, whether it be on the runways or in the market. For their fall 2024 collections, designers proposed a diversity of iterations on full skirts, from Miu Miu's crisp poplin version to Marni's glossed-leather iteration and Brandon Maxwell's matching jacket set.

"Naked" dressing is hardly a new trend, but this season, designers doubled down on their infatuation with sheer dressing, agreeing unanimously on the sheer skirt. I'm already jotting down the styling ideas from the runways that marry the skirts with more conservative tops like turtleneck sweaters and hourglass tunics and make the tricky pieces seem much more wearable.

Leather dressing just feels right for the fall, and this season, it's not coming in the form of the buttery leather of seasons past, but of glossy patent finishes that give the skirts an utterly chic feel. I plan on pairing one with staples like a thin turtleneck and knee-high boots to really let them shine. However, designers like Tory Burch insisted on a two-piece look for maximum impact.

Across the board, we're seeing a return to more streamlined tailoring and a movement away from overly relaxed fits. That means pencil skirts are once again on the menu, but this time it's sleek, ankle-length hemlines that are giving the often outdated skirt style a fresh, modern feel.

Busy people, rejoice! Skirts that come pre-wrinkled for an already-lived-in effect are gaining ground for fall, and they couldn't be any easier to wear, especially for those of us who never leave enough time in the morning to break out the steamer.

While the skirts on offer this season largely lean refined and timeless, designers still managed to tap into a bit of whimsy, and one maximalist trend is all about texture. At Carven, creative director Louise Trotter sent forth a knee-length style in shaggy avocado green that couldn't have been chicer paired with almond pumps, and Sandy Liang's runway similarly featured a monochromatic look involving a thin polo knit and feathery skirt to match. Both indicate that experimenting with maximalist pieces can certainly be done in a polished way.

This post was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.