Anatomy of a Milan Fashion Week Outfit
Breaking down five fall looks, street style color trends, and the skirt taking over MFW
We’re in the home stretch of AW25 fashion week: Milan ended and Paris started this Monday. We’ll go back to regularly scheduled programming in two short weeks, but thank you for coming along on this fashion week street style journey with me. I live for a trend analysis…once a merchant, always a merchant as they say.
I’m shaking it up this week since the street style trends keep repeating themselves across the last four fashion weeks in different variations. Sheer? Check. Ladylike? Check. Suiting? Check. Shades of brown and bag charms? Double check. Leather, fur1, animal prints? Check, check, check.
Instead of rounding up Milan Fashion Week (MFW) street style trends, I’m taking a closer look at five outfits I can’t stop thinking about and sharing some secondhand finds that capture the spirit of these looks. If you’re one of the innovators/early adopters in the Diffusion of Innovation model and already have these pieces in your wardrobe, I need to know more about how you’re wearing them.
Love fashion week street style? You can read my trend recaps of Copenhagen Fashion Week here, New York Fashion Week here, and London Fashion Week here.
Shades of Red Dominated in Milan
A maximalist color theme emerged across MFW street style with red as the standout color from bright cherry tones to deeper, not quite burgundy hues. This color showed double digit growth on New York fall runways, flowing into Milan Fashion Week street style where full-on red looks served serious outfit inspiration.
Burgundy continued its momentum from Copenhagen Fashion Week street style where it was photographed as an accent color to winter whites and as a statement color in its own right.
Milan showgoers took burgundy a step further, worn as a head-to-toe monochrome aesthetic or mixed with pink for a playful vibe that lends a touch of sweetness to a bold fall color.
5 MFW Street Style Outfits to Love
Milan’s street style covered the spectrum from effortless casual denim looks to modern skirt sets. Mini skirts were a key trend across MFW street style, even with the impressive spike in midi skirts seen on runways. Although I’m more of a maxi skirt person, I had to include two mini skirt outfits where the shorter length can be swapped out for a midi skirt or trouser depending on your personal style.
The Outfit Anatomy:
A polished twist on the wool triangle scarf that I can’t stop talking about
A dark denim and cardi ensemble with subtle special details
An autumn/winter outfit that keeps your summer skirt in rotation
A glossy mini skirt set that’s equal parts chic and edgy
A preppy look in my new favorite color combo
1. The Tailored Shawl Outfit
Call it the evolution of my obsession with the winter triangle scarf, call it me trying to perk up my minimalist outfits after analyzing CPHFW street style trends, but this classic patterned shawl against a simple neutral suit feels very fresh for 2025.
The secondhand buy: This Missoni wool shawl in a goes-with-everything mocha mousse/black/white print, this Missoni silk scarf to liven your tailoring up with a whimsical floral print, or this Gucci fringed shawl for a red moment.
2. The Casual Cardi & Denim Look
The ultimate everyday denim outfit: at first glance it’s deceptively simple, but the textured newsboy cap, drop shoulder cardigan set, cuffed denim, and brown accessories in various tones all combine to give this a little extra oomph.
The secondhand buy: This Lou Lou Studio drop shoulder gray cardi, these A.L.C. straight leg dark denim jeans with an inseam long enough to cuff, or this Prada Sport wool newsboy cap in a multicolor tweed.
I had to share a close up shot of the cap, the hair, and the sweater neckline. For all of my friends with short bobs, I’m living vicariously through you because this look is going to be stuck in my head for the foreseeable.
3. The All Year Round Skirt
One way to reduce your fashion footprint is to rewear items that you already own. Repurposing your summer skirt so it gets as much play in the fall is a great start.
The attention to detail in this look is incredible - the jacket trim matches the skirt color, the tonal black top, bag, and footwear ground the outfit, and the sneakers peeping out from the skirt are a quintessential example of
’s wrong shoe theory.The secondhand buy: This Maje white pleated midi skirt, this Acne brown leather moto jacket with shearling trim, or this Tory Burch black envelope shoulder bag.
4. The Sculptural Sleeve Mini Skirt Set
Although the AW25 runways are chock full of midi skirts, Milan was allll about the mini skirt and the statement sleeve, which is having a moment of its own on the runways. I’m not a huge mini skirt wearer - in fact I don’t own any - but this outfit could be the one to change my mind. Even better, it’s showing that the glossy outerwear trend we saw at NYFW street style is gaining steam globally.
The secondhand buy: This glossy burgundy Tibi mini skirt, this Veronica Beard double breasted burgundy leather jacket, or this Gucci Bamboo 1947 small top handle mini bag in pink if you’re feeling spendy.
5. The Perfect Preppy Color Combo
Blue and brown has been on my mind ever since I saw it on Marianne Theodorsen at CPHFW. The softness of a pale blue offset by the richness of dark brown is a winner for the early transitional period in fall and can take you right through to spring.
Add in a contemporary tie neck shirt, a patterned boat neck sweater to show off said tie neck, a mini that could easily be traded for a midi skirt or trouser, and a sophisticated knee high boot for a modern preppy look.
The secondhand buy: This blue subtly striped tie neck Balenciaga shirt, this wool brown Giorgio Armani mini skirt, or this brown maxi denim Reformation skirt.
That’s it for this week, thanks for reading as always! I’m using Notes as a way to share quick trend bites during the week. Anything trend or secondhand fashion-related that you want to see to stay updated between posts? Let me know in the comments!
Although my vegan mind can only comprehend the fur trend as vintage fur and secondhand faux fur.
Listen, I am LOVING this content. Obviously only if it's fun for you but I would gobble up all the street wear translated to second-hand content you have in you. It's shocking to me that The Real Real isn't doing a better job creating substacks with this exact content!! They need you.
So much to love in this post!! It’s hard to pick a favorite. I was already obsessed with a knit triangle scarf, but now I need a shawl for spring and summer.
Also, while I don’t think I’ll heavily participate in the baby blue color — I love it on everyone else. So loving that it’s popping up everywhere.