What You Want to Wear at Fashion Week

Do you want to wear a fashion statement at fashion week? Look no further, because this post provides fashion-forward outfit ideas to turn heads. No matter whether you are attending a show or walk on the street, you will leave a lasting impression. From bold patterns to unexpected color combinations, these outfit inspirations make you visible in the crowd. Show off your personal style with a mix of high fashion, streetwear, and the latest trends. Experiment with different silhouettes and vibes.

Sleek or sophisticated, edgy or avant-garde ensemble, there are fashion week outfit ideas for any age and style. Accessories like statement jewelry, a stylish handbag, or a look-at-me pair of shoes are key in completing the perfect look. Fashion week outfits are all about pushing boundaries and expressing your individuality. Be bold, and fearless; let your look do the talking. Embrace the spotlight, steal the show with these fashion-forward outfit ideas.

Contents

When In Doubt Wear Black
How to Stand Out?
- Cool Fashion Week Outfit Ideas to Make a Statement
The Irony of the Season: Dress for the Weather, Not the Future Season
- How to Dress at Spring/Summer Fashion Week as a Visitor
- What to Wear to a Fall/Winter Fashion Week
What to Wear to a Fashion Show: Visitor Outfit Inspirations
Wrapping Up What to Wear at Fashion Week as a Visitor

When In Doubt Wear Black

Sure, wearing black jeans with a black polo-shirt like sweater and white sneakers styled with pushed up sleeves à la Isaac Mizrahi or a black suit à la Karl Lagerfeld or Kate Moss to a fashion event is a no-fail recipe. Or try a cool American girl next door look like Karlie Kloss. The same applies for a LBD with a statement bag and/or statement pumps.

But when you are the gal who likes to stick out of the crowd or when you are in the mood for something more daring, create a fashionable outfit with one statement piece and one trendy item. Or go for a great street style look.

collage with all black outfit idea with runway in the background — Example of an all black outfit idea.

How to Stand Out?

But when you are the gal who likes to stick out of the crowd or when you are in the mood for something more daring, create a fashionable outfit with one statement piece and one trendy item.

The easiest way to look unique is to don a custom-made piece that you made yourself or designed like the skirt from shirts or the 1940s-inspired dress I made myself in the collage below.

collage of custom-made and diy clothes to stand out — Custom-made (middle) and DIY-clothing (skirt, dress on the right) guarantees no look-alikes.

Try First Fridays outfits: The goal is to dress to impress at both events. This means to not dress like everyone else.

Tip: Be yourself, because everyone else is already taken.

Cool Fashion Week Outfit Ideas to Make a Statement

Here are some fashion week street style outfit inspirations:

Skinny gray pants with distressed black sweater, gray pumps and a sequin jacket.
Leather pencil skirt with tuxedo or men’s shirt and Swarovski crystal necklace.
Sequin skirt or leggings with cable-knit sweater in neutral colors.
Sequin jacket with khakis snake print pumps and gray T-shirt.
Plaid skirt with sequin top and sweater.
Pencil skirt with camisole under semi-sheer top with denim or bomber jacket.
Mix and match unexpected pieces for a truly show-stopping ensemble.

The Irony of the Season: Dress for the Weather, Not the Future Season

Because the fashion industry needs some time to produce the new looks, spring/summer and fall/winter fashion weeks are offsets by about six month of the actual season. Young fashionistas may get away with spring/summer clothes in fall/winter and vice versa. However, on us midlife women, doing so would look immature. Not to mention it is a health risk. Therefore, dress for the weather, no matter what season is presented.

What to Wear to Fall/Winter Fashion Week

This year, Paris, Berlin, London, New York, and Milano Fashion Week start January 16, February 5, 9, 16, and 20, respectively.

Consequently, it is still too cold to go to the events without outerwear at least in rainy London and Paris, and especially in New York when the Polar Vortex is ahead of Big Apple. To stay in thermal comfort, opt for a statement coat like in the last photo of this post.

Enjoy the show and remember: Some of the pieces presented are only meant as exaggerations of the trend showcased by the models. Even they would not wear those pieces on the street!

Recall: A fashion show is a show after all!

mature fashionista in a Burberry coat and Dior otk-boots street style look — High- and low-end fashion outerwear inspiration. Here the high fashion motorcycle coat (Burberry), bag (YSL), and over-the-knee boots (Dior) make a contrast to the low end DIY-cable knit scarf and inexpensive gloves.

When you like the blog, you may also want to get my style recipe book How to Dress for Success in Midlife. Buy your copy now.

How to Dress for Spring/Summer Fashion Week as a Visitor

At the time of Spring/Summer fashion week, the weather can be still warm enough to get a glimpse on how the fashion models dress. Which can be inspiring for your own personal style. When it is rainy or already chilly, a long leather or other statement coat is in order when shopping and sightseeing, and going to the shows.

Underneath wear something like the fashion week outfit ideas presented in the list above or the outfit inspiration photos. When you are an avid attendee of vernissages, take your inspirations from the visitors’ First Fridays outfits. The goal is to dress to impress at both events. This means to not dress like everyone else.

Tip: Be yourself, because everyone else is already taken.

What to Wear to a Fashion Show: Visitor Outfit Inspirations

Here are some photos featuring various personal styles. The captions explain why these looks work to help you create fashion week street wear from your own wardrobe.

Free Spirit or Eclectic Style Fashion Week Street Wear

woman featuring eclectic style with knitted pants sweater hoodie print jacket gemstone accessories and shearling booties — Free spirit or eclectic style ties elements from different styles and fashion eras together in a creative way. The 1980s gemstone necklace and Mexican belt have common colors and gemstones that repeat the colors of the abstract church-glass print denim jacket, Irish cable-knit pants, hoodie dress and shearling booties.

eclectic fashion week street style chic inspiration with Fair Isle sweater Nepal skirt silver boots hot pink hat — This free spirit look consists of a sweater and skirt in Fair Isle and traditional Nepal pattern knit paired with trendy thick sole silver boots, a 1980s belt and a hot pink shearling bucket hat. It builds on the desaturated look with pop of vibrant color “recipe” and mixing patterns.

British Classic in the New and Old Black

fashion week outfit inspiration with British Classic elements in olive and black — This British Classic style look is a variation on the insider all black with a pop of color (necklace) insider look using the olive is the new black attitude.

Rock’n Roll Personal Style

Fit-and-flare leather dress in mature fashion — Fashion-forward Rock’n Roll style with a little black dress in leather and fit-and-flare cut plus vibrant yellow and red. While leather and red heels are full on in sync with Rock’n Roll, a fit-and-flare cut is unexpected for a leather dress and for the style. The accessories (chain necklace and watch, studded bangle) say Rock’n Roll.

Minimalist Style Inspired

fashion week outfit inspiration of silver leather pants black sweater with unexpected gold necklace and snake fall sandals — This fashion week outfit inspiration features a minimalist look with custom-made silver leather pants and Hermes collier de chien bangle (both high-end) paired with a black sweater. Accessorizing with gold pendant necklaces and snake fall sandals is unexpected and creates a personal note and interest.

Street Style Chic

over 50 years old street style blogger in leather skirt with pleats and sweater as inspirational look for attending a fashion show — Example of unexpected mixing and matching of desaturated pieces with a bold, vibrant color for street style chic. A pleated leather skirt is a statement because pleats are typically considered very classic and conservative, while leather is associated with rock, sexiness, wild. A coin necklace is very traditional which contrasts the fashion-forward leather-on-leather (suede, plain).

American Classic or Preppy Style

classic and polished aesthetic fashion-forward look with sequins, tartan, pearls and sports watch — This look reads classic and polished aesthetic on first sight. Its interest results from the tension between menswear (tartan, sports watch) and preppy feminine elements (sequins, pearls, floral print).

Wrapping Up What to Wear at Fashion Week as a Visitor

Show your creativity with an unique outfit to make an entrance. Otherwise go for black everything to look like an insider. Stay away from anything that could be considered copy-cat or costumery.

Recall: The most important thing is to have fun with fashion.

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Photos: G. Kramm