Fall fashion trends: Brown is 'in' for everything from dresses to shoes

Ask any retailer what THE color of the season is and the answer, across the board, is unanimous: Brown. Warm, lush and deep, adding the hue to your closet may be the fastest way to update your wardrobe.

So says Joanna Mazzella, the owner of Mint boutiques in Mattituck, Westhampton Beach, Stony Brook and Southampton. "One thousand percent the overwhelming color for fall is chocolate brown. Anything I’ve brought in is already sold out. I think back to 20 years ago when everything left over on my sale rack was brown ... now it’s flying out."

Over at Bloomingdale’s, fashion director David Thielebeule concurs. "For fall, designers leaned into richness — of color, texture and silhouette with a quiet confidence that feels right now. Earthy hues like chocolate and camel set a grounded tone."

Even shoes reflect the trend. Summer’s sometimes colorful flip-flops and sandals are making way for chunky clogs, lug-soled loafers and even sneakers (yes, brown sneakers) along with the now staple cowboy boots at Jildor shoe stores in Cedarhurst, Greenvale and Woodbury. Veteran shoe buyer Joe Friedman says, "Everybody’s liking brown. It hasn’t been hot for so long, but now, if you have it in stock, brown is gold."

And Coreen Eitan, a personal stylist from Great Neck who travels the country to create complete wardrobes for her clients and doles out fashion advice on her Instagram @styledbycocoNY, says, "The color flatters so many skin tones, works beautifully as a neutral and instantly modernizes a clothing collection, while adding that rich, cozy depth, perfect for the season. It’s anything but boring." She adds, "Suede and leather in brown are the season’s chicest power combo."

While brown is ubiquitous, Mazzella reminds, "We are entering this new phase. It’s an interesting time in fashion when we’re figuring how to stand out in a world of AI and everything getting so robotic. How are you going to personalize and emotionalize your style in a way that no one could put together but you?" To that end, she suggests pieces you wouldn’t expect to be mixed.

Just say neigh

Hello to the horsey set. Western style — fringe, boots, even hats have been popular for a couple of seasons but now, according to Mazzella, the "yee haw" moment is starting to encompass a more refined equestrian vibe and has also gone, well, quite literal. "We’re seeing leather elbow patches and legit horse motifs everywhere. During the summer there were sweet cherry prints but now anything with a horse on it is huge."

Here and elsewhere find horse head and horseshoe graphics on sweaters and bandanna print clothing along with jewelry adorned with dangling horse-related charms.

Along these lines, a clog in a pony print is selling out at Jildor. And significant brands like Cinq à Sept, drew inspiration from the American Southwest focusing on prairie-western vibes for fall 25. The lineup has a bohemian aesthetic meshed with slightly rustic overtones that include leather and suede.

Beyond brown

Woman can’t live by brown alone. To break it up, there are fields of fall flowers. Most eye-popping award goes to Alice & Olivia at the Americana Manhasset where Shakespearean-inspired silhouettes planted with bold blooms are showstoppers. But there are more subtle floral takes as well. And Eitan adds that shades including moss green, burgundy and "a lot of mustard" will come into play as well.

Mazzella is also seeing a strong embrace of vivid wine-toned accents. And Thielebeule hails "unexpected jolts of saffron and icy blue" to add a "fresh vibrancy" to what might be considered a subdued palette.

One singular sensation

Virtually nobody wants to replace their entire wardrobe each season. But for this one, the experts weigh in on one great thing: The coat. "Invest in a killer jacket or coat," Eitan says. "It should be a statement maker and your main event. It’s your outer shell, and the first thing people see."

Agreeing is Bloomingdale’s Thielebeule who says "a standout piece" such as "a sharply tailored coat ... anchors the look and will remain relevant this fall and beyond."

And of course, it should be brown.