The 7 Street-Style Trends Defining Milan Fashion Week

With brands of such calibre as Prada, Bottega Veneta, Ferragamo, Max Mara, Tom Ford, and Gucci on the calendar, Milan Fashion Week will always be attended by the elite of the fashion world, meaning that the outfits worn during it every season are held to a very high standard. Even so, never does the street style in the pitstop before Paris ever disappoint—never. And this time around was hardly an exception to the rule.

Street style in Milan always runs the gamut from bold and extravagant to utterly nonchalant and timeless, with many invited guests arriving at shows dressed in at least one piece from whatever brand’s event it is that they’re attending that hour. There’s subtly in the form of impeccable tailoring as well as plenty of risqué behavior (think short shorts and sheer details). Because of that, the biannual get-together always results in a bevy of styling ideas around those previous-season runway items that we’ve been saving up for months to purchase, be it a pair of Prada satin pumps or a Ferragamo handbag. Basically, it’s a fashion person’s treasure trove, and as Milan’s number one fan, I’m here to share the most valuable findings from the week’s outdoor fashion before Paris goes and steals the spotlight. Scroll down to find out which 7 trends made the biggest splash (get it? Because it rained, like, a lot) during the fall/winter 2024 shows in Milan.

Satin’s Touch

When I think of heavy satin, I’ll always think about one specific train-clad micro-miniskirt from Prada’s spring/summer 2022 collection, but following last season’s seemingly never-ending use of the fabric—with appearances at Altuzarra, Prada, Sportmax, Tory Burch, and more—that mini has some competition. And nowhere was that more obvious than outside of Sportmax and Prada during Milan Fashion Week, where dangerously pretty satin dresses, shoes, and more were on full display.

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The Big Coat

In the land of menswear tailoring, especially when the temperatures drop and the sun goes into hiding, of course the street-style scene was clad in big, beautiful outerwear for this season’s shows. Gray was the color of choice among the masses, but black, brown, and camel all also made significant appearances.

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Shielded

It’s official: The era of teeny tiny sunglasses that barely covered your eyes let alone protected them from the sun is over. And in their place are supersized alts of all shapes and sizes, from cat-eyes to aviators. In Milan, despite the somewhat gray skies, show attendees left their hotels and ventured out in droves, all wearing shield-like eyewear.

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9-to-5

Between the geek chic and office siren trends, there’s really no running away from the 9-to-5 look when it comes to fashion, and with Italy being such a mecca for precision tailoring, you know that the suiting spotted during Milan Fashion Week is nothing short of perfection. From fitted pant suits to sleek skirt suits, this season’s attendees could easily go from a show to the office with no need for an outfit change.

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Let’s Keep It Short

If Gucci and Tom Ford’s spring/summer 2024 collections taught us anything, it’s that tiny—like really, really tiny—shorts aren’t anything to be scared of. In fact, they should be embraced with open arms. And if Milan Fashion Week’s street-style scene added anything to that conversation, it’s that you should wear said short shorts with in any way that you please, whether that means styling them with a bra top and blazer or alongside tights and a bright-red satin shoe. The possibilities really and truly are endless.

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Sheer Elegance

And so the sheer trend continues, this time with somewhat covered-up and modest alternatives to the hyper-revealing takes on the look that we’ve seen done so often in the past. Thanks to Prada and Sportmax, two brands that dove into transparent organza fabrics for spring but, instead of using them on their own, layered them over other opaque materials, the sheer pieces found in Milan this week were much more approachable. That is, if a mint-green shift dress with wave-like fringe could ever be described as approachable.

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Precious Headgear

If you asked me right this second what the most standout trend from this entire season has been so far, I’d have to give a shoutout to the hats seen both on the runways (Altuzarra, Fforme, Jil Sander, and Prada) and the streets (from New York to Milan). No one particular shape is standing out, but the concept of topping off an outfit with a cap of some style or form has never been so appealing.

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