A Fashion Executive Breaks Down The Top Fall 2025 Accessories Trends

With hundreds of shows and presentations across four cities, it may feel impossible to keep up with all the newness during fashion month. Sure, you probably saw the breezy gowns that beautifully flowed down the Chloé runway as well as Miu Miu’s color clashing looks, but did you catch all the accessories? If not, Chee Smalls, Coach’s senior director of product development, is here to break down the front-running trends. The in-the-know insider closely examined the accents from New York, London, Milan, and Paris, landing on five looks to put on your radar (and shopping list).

First off, the runways underscored a growing craving for self-expression in fashion, notes Smalls. According to the expert, this desire for individuality is fueled by the current state of the world and the uncertainty that comes with it. “People want that avenue of creativity and a way to express themselves, and it’s going to be through their accessories,” she shares. As such, personalizing bags by way of charms and other adornments will remain a trend next fall. Styling belts in unexpected ways is set to rule in six months, too.

Smalls also believes customers are seeking new, fresh offerings on the market, leading designers to think outside the box and introduce accessories that may not be the norm for them. “Brands are doing certain silhouettes or shapes that they haven’t done before,” she explains. “We’re seeing trial and error; they’re branching out and experimenting.”

Get a full rundown of five standout accessories trends from the Fall/Winter 2025 season, below.

Blast From The Past

Longing for a specific bag from a bygone era? It may be given a second life as Small says designers are digging back into the archives and reviving silhouettes from the past. Not only is there a demand for vintage carryalls, but the fashion pro says the resale market is at play here as designers are trying to compete with the secondhand industry and keep the silhouettes in-house.

Chloé, for instance, brought back the beloved Paddington tote, launched by creative director Phoebe Philo in 2005. Meanwhile, Coach drew inspiration from an archival 1968 style for its new Twin Pocket bag, reimagining it with elongated straps. Then, over at Fendi, the label’s Spy bag, also released in 2005, made a cameo. Once loved by the likes of Gwen Stefani, Kristen Bell, and Paris Hilton, the silhouette was updated with a deconstructed and a twisted handle.

The Bee’s Knees

The next cold-weather It shoe? Over-the-knee boots. “We saw them go down the runway at shows like Fendi and Balmain, and I think they’ll be a great fall shoe,” says Smalls. The former showed brown ostrich boots (more on the exotic trend ahead), while the latter presented super slouchy wedge silhouettes. Another must-have pair came from Burberry, which went with tall horse girl-looking riding boots.

Belts 2.0

Belts got a major upgrade for fall/winter 2025. “We saw them on dresses and coats as a way to accentuate the waist,” the insider explains. “They exemplified that feminine look that we saw down every runway.” Some brands, such as Schiaparelli and Jil Sander, doubled (or tripled) down on belts, serving up a cool styling approach to the everyday accessory. A trend in the jewelry world, mixed metal looks also dominated the catwalks, seen at shows like Balmain. There were extra-thick styles, like Louis Vuitton’s iterations, that grabbed everyone’s attention.

A Case For Lace

Though bright, solid-colored tights — red, in particular — have been making waves lately, it seems fall will be all about lace styles. “It’s the idea of pushing that femininity look and bringing it into accessories,” she says. “They give more vintage type of feel.” Black hosiery infiltrated the runways, spotted at shows including Isabel Marant, Valentino, and Alexander McQueen.

A Little Exotic

“Exotics are a staple in the accessory world, but designers are doing it in a new way, using different materials.” She adds that ostrich carryalls were on the runways at Stella McCartney and Dior, with the former showing a work-approved light gray tote (even styled with a laptop peeking out) and the latter opting for roomy crossbody look. Meanwhile, Gabriela Hearst introduced croc totes and shoulder bags.