Every Over-50s Style Icon Has Been Wearing These 5 Sophisticated Autumn 2025 Trends On Repeat
Taste doesn't have an age, as these elegant over-50s fashion icons prove. Here, one 26-year-old fashion writer breaks down exactly why this style set is her main source of inspiration for trending autumn 2025 outfits.

I was having a conversation with a girlfriend the other day when I let a tight-lipped fashion secret slip.
Between cocktails, the conversation turned to discussing our respective journeys in discovering our personal style, and I revealed that the fashion icons who wield the most influence over me are actually a set of chic older women over 50. In particular, Victoria Beckham, Chloë Sevigny and Kate Moss.
For the autumn 2025 season, this sentiment has never been truer. ‘Tis the season of sumptuous cashmere jumpers, calf-grazing skirts, chunky blazers and warm coats, after all, and I find that the discerning dressers who do these categories best are the ones who have a few more decades of experience over me. This is, in part, because of the very nature of these clothing items. Knitwear and tailoring favour those who have spent years becoming familiar with the shapes, cuts and fabrics that suit them best. A new jumper is not going to look the same on me as someone who has spent so much time cherishing and caring for a similar garment.
So, what are the autumn 2025 fashion trends for over-50s that I’ve also taken note of? From Prada’s white-cotton-mini-dress-and-triangle-scarf closing look from Milan Fashion Week to Jennifer Aniston’s peplum LBD, this season is all about embracing the classics. There’s a soft glamour and quiet power that comes with wearing something so timeless, so whilst these trends aren’t necessarily hyperspecific design elements, like wearing a trim of lace underneath a roll neck, they’re reflective of specific silhouettes or individual garments that are resonating now.
Without further ado, keep scrolling through for the five key autumn 2025 trends worn and adored by women over-50s.
5 Key Autumn 2025 Fashion Trends For Over 50s
1. Timeless Tailoring
Style Notes: When Julia Roberts arrived at the 82nd Venice Film Festival back in September, wearing Dario Vitale's first look for Versace, the moment cemented a total vibe shift. Ostentation was out; enduring design was in. Instead of chintzy sequins or glittering metallics, the most significant motif is delicate stitching, refined fabrics and perfectly shaped features. Don't worry about finding the perfect going-out dress this autumn. Instead, it's far wiser to pick sophisticated pieces that you can wear day in and day out.
Shop the Trend:
Tommy Hilfiger has been synonymous with refined dressing since the '80s, and this gloriously chic navy blazer is easily something you could've seen the brand designing back then, too.
With hidden buttons and a deliciously soft sorbet-hued stripe, this is a shirt you could wear through winter under a coat and in summer over swimwear.
No word of a lie, these are the perfect pair of straight-leg jeans.
The braided effect reminds me of Bottega's Intrecciato leather, which is so synonymous with Italian luxury.
2. Canadian Tuxedo
Style Notes: If autumn is encouraging you to lean into a more languid way of dressing, then this trend is sure to pluck at your heartstrings. Taking the timeless tailoring movement and rendering it in a more casual format, double denim is an enduring look that you can always fall back on. As one of those fuss-free silhouettes, pairing denim jeans with a matching jacket (albeit in the right shades and with suitable accessories) will always seem more considered than it really is. Simply add some playful accessories that showcase your individuality to offset the utilitarian origins of the ensemble.
Shop the Trend:
Modelled after iconic 81-year-old actress Lauren Hutton and the Bottega Veneta pouch she wore in American Gigolo, this clutch is evidence that enduring craftspersonship and lasting design are the most important qualities when it comes to luxury.
3. Bermuda Shorts
Style Notes: Gen Z might be making a case for the 2010s to come back with all this talk about the return of the Celine Phantom and Chloé Paddington bags. However, if you were to ask the glamorous over-50s style set about what decade they’re taking cues from for the autumn 2025 season, you’ll notice it’s actually the 1980s.
If the previous two trends didn't make this clear enough, allow me to direct your attention to Tracee Ellis Ross’s chic Bermuda shorts from Jonathan Anderson’s debut collection for Dior. Cuts that grazed the knee were all the rage in this decade, whether spotted on mums hosting backyard parties or on Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Now, with a polished pleat and slightly boxier fit, they’ve come back around. Wear them with a structured shirt and kitten-heel shoe for a more present-day take.
Shop the Trend:
Sorry, burgundy, but khaki has come to dethrone the shade as the most in-demand colour this season.
4. Little Black Dresses
Style Notes: From Gabrielle Chanel’s early interpretations of the little black dress in the 1920s to Audrey Hepburn’s iconic Givenchy iteration in 1960s Breakfast at Tiffany’s, this specific cut and colour has been regarded as the epitome of elegance. This season, the LBD is everywhere, with some of the most notable style insiders wearing the look in quick succession. (See Margot Robbie in Stella McCartney, Margaret Qualley in Chanel and Shailene Woodley in Kallmeyer, for instance.) However, it’s this strapless black gown seen on Pamela Anderson that makes it apparent how truly eternally elegant this style is. With party season soon upon us, I simply can’t think of a better option.
Shop the Trend:
5. Leather Jackets
Style Notes: Autumn trends are less fickle than other seasons, given how demanding the weather is during this time of year. There’s less room to experiment when dressing simply must be practical to withstand the elements. That being said, there are still new shapes and styles that crop up.
Jackets and outerwear are probably the area where we’ve seen the most volatility, with collective popularity rapidly shifting from one side of the spectrum to the other. This year, barn jackets are taking a backseat. Instead, those in the know are reaching once again for leather jackets. It's fitting for Top Gun: Maverick star Jennifer Connelly to deliver a masterclass in wearing a bomber style, but we’ve also seen an uptick in funnel-neck jackets and cape coats, too.
Shop the Trend:
A boot style that can take you from the heart of the city to the countryside.
Why Trust Us
At Who What Wear UK, fashion is our speciality. Our editors have years of industry experience, from reporting on seasonal fashion trends seen at international fashion weeks to working with some of the most recognisable names in fashion. Every item we recommend is carefully selected based on current trends, quality and real-world wearability.
We regularly try on pieces ourselves—everything from best-selling jeans to designer shoes—and speak to external experts and fashion insiders, staying closely connected to what our readers are searching for. Our advice is grounded in expertise, and each and every buy we feature has to meet our exceptional taste standards—so you can feel confident in every recommendation.
Ava Gilchrist is the SEO Writer at Who What Wear UK. Born in Sydney but now based in London, Ava has worked at some of the most prestigious women’s luxury and lifestyle publications including ELLE, Marie Claire and most recently GRAZIA where she held the title of Senior Fashion Features Writer. Ava has five years of industry experience, beginning her writing career after graduating with a Bachelor of Communication from the University of Technology, Sydney. Her words fuse style with substance, bringing readers insightful commentary on the latest fashion trends, runway shows, celebrity red carpet offerings, must-have shopping pieces, beauty hacks and pop cultural moments. As an editor, Ava has interviewed everyone from Kendall Jenner, Margot Robbie, Zendaya, Emma Corrin and Stella McCartney.
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