Utility looks and cargo styles are part of fashion’s embrace of authentic workwear—the kinds of functional, sturdy clothes that hold up to the physical demands of farmers, construction workers, and tradespeople. Brooklyn-based designer Jack Fullerton of Of—Nothing elevated workwear-inspired looks with subtle dyes and thoughtful details like French seams, along with interesting fabrics sourced from Japan and Italy. Who Decides War elongated a cargo pullover and added roomy front pockets and twill tape drawstrings. Willy Chavarria spun weathered brown denim into a trucker jacket and a multi-pocketed skirt for a collection inspired by the United Farm Workers Movement. Ulla Johnson brought her feminine touch to the look with a flounced sleeveless coat over cargo short-shorts, all in lovely shades of olive. Jack Sivan of Sivan went elegant yet practical with a blue ensemble detailed with utility tabs and clips. Stuart Vevers at Coach used distressed leather for a flight jacket over a cargo miniskirt.

Shirting fabrics—smooth, tightly woven cottons or cotton blends, often patterned with yarn-dye stripes—are key for next spring, bringing their crisp freshness to shirts, dresses, and separates. Ralph Lauren updated a classic blue shirtdress with a contrasting white collar and cut-in halter top. Tommy Hilfiger pieced various striped shirtings into a boxy short-sleeved style. Tibi designer Amy Smilovic gave her striped shirt-set newness with a band collar, raglan sleeves, and a knotted sarong-draped skirt, while Danish designer Christian Juul Nielsen of Aknvas extended the shoulders of a cropped pink-striped shirt and matched it to a layered, asymmetric mini. Batsheva Hay of Batsheva brought out the fabric’s romance with a Victorian-flavored high-necked frock, complete with full sleeves, fitted bodice, and gathered skirt.

Black-and-white is a fashion perennial, bringing a graphic pop to any print or pattern. Monse designers Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia brought out the combo’s high-contrast punch with simple stripes pieced into a fit-and-flare asymmetric dress. Tory Burch went sophisticated with a B/W foulard blouse worked with a black-piped white jacket and layered skirt. Wes Gordon of Carolina Herrera used a silhouetted rose print in negative/positive versions for a chic pencil skirt ensemble, accessorized with a polka-dot handbag. Ulla Johnson, true to her crafty aesthetic, cut a shredded weave into a dimensional wrap coat. Jason Wu, inspired by Japanese calligraphy this season, expressed the ink-and-paper qualities of black and white with an abstract brush-stroke printed jacket over a spattered, layered skirt; raw edges underlined the artisanal approach.

A love affair with fringe, especially the long, swinging kind, started last season and is gaining momentum for Spring 2025. Jonathan Simkhai of Simkhai showed a woven body-skimming tank dress that ended with free-flowing midi-length fringe. Romeo Hunte contrasted a crisp white shirt with a skirt trimmed in layers of silvery strands. Monse brought back the 90s “carwash skirt”, with cut strips of featherweight fabric in a shade of butter-yellow. Prabal Gurung had an opulent interpretation of the look, with a sheer skirt paved in pale blue spangles and shimmery paillettes. Budapest-based Sandra Sándor of Nanushka used a raw-edged poplin that was treated to look like paper for a fringe-covered tiered dress, bringing the 1920s flapper look into the twenty-first century.