The 6 Micro-Trends Every Fashion Editor Is Investing In Right Now for Fall

Micro-trend is a dirty word. It describes something that is trending but not timeless, something that doesn't have the same weight as a trend trend. A micro-trend is often something we see popping off on social media and not necessarily on the runway, so people discredit it as not really holding any weight in the zeitgeist. The micro-trends I'm seeing right now, however, feel different than all those that have come before them. The micro-trends for fall 2025 actually have longevity.

That might have to do with the fact that the micro-trends of the moment actually have been on the runway too—just not as dominantly as the major trends. From fluffy-tail key chains to horse girl–approved riding boots to stripes, these are the six micro-trends fashion editors like myself actually believe in and want to invest in.

Riding Boots

I recently attended Copenhagen Fashion Week and wrote about the horse girl aesthetic I saw on a handful of runways there. There was a major resurgence of riding boots, which are also popular on TikTok thanks to Gen Z discovering a popular pair by Prada Sport. We can expect these to become the preferred tall boots of the moment, and everyone will be subverting the typically preppy vibe by wearing them with anything and everything, from knit polos to fuzzy miniskirts. Horse not needed.

Fluffy Key Chains

At Tory Burch's F/W 25 show, I was mesmerized by nearly everything, especially a funny little tail charm that hung from models' belts, dresses, and bags. Obviously, bag-charm culture is huge right now, but as the Labubu craze begins to die down, I think we'll start to see more of this more subtle—but still fluffy—option. There aren't that many on the market yet (sometimes, that's how it is with micro-trends!), but a leather tassel gives a similar vibe and works well while it's still too hot out to start incorporating that kind of texture.

Camouflage

Camo is back. As minimalism becomes a thing of the past, louder patterns like this one will be everything. I'm seeing a lot more camouflage items on The RealReal and in thrift shops but have especially seen people having lots of fun styling the pattern more subversively and with humor on social media. It's easy to have fun with something like camo since it is associated with a certain kind of aesthetic. All you have to do is style it with anything else, like something preppy or delicate, to get a "so wrong it is right" look.

Beaded Shoelaces

Once again, bag charms are huge right now, but eventually, everyone is going to run out of space on their bag straps for funky little charms. Where will they look to next? Their shoes! On the runway at Cecilie Bahnsen and Coach, we saw models wearing shoes with beaded laces and small charms attached. It's easy to DIY and can give your favorite footwear an instant look that makes you feel like you've bought brand-new shoes.

Stripes

Polka dots are everywhere right now, but stripes are coming for the quirky print's crown. Sandy Liang putting stripes on its fall/winter 2025 runway was a surefire way to get every It girl in New York to consider wearing the pattern with more frequency, but you'll notice it was all over street style in cities like Copenhagen as well. Stripes may be associated with breezy, subtle French style, but this fall, you can expect it to be worn in a far more eccentric way à la the Sandy Liang runway.

Billowing Pants

There has been a running joke that the dominant look of the moment is a pair of big pants and a tiny little shirt, and… It's very true. Now, instead of wide-leg pants, expect to see more loose, bohemian-style pants everywhere. Free People's Forever Young Bloomer Pants have already gone majorly viral multiple times over, and everyone wants to be a Chloé girl right now thanks to Chemena Kamali. It's the kind of micro-trend that will blow up because of how comfortable and easy it is to wear.