After examining the runways as well as the current state of style, one of the biggest movements we are observing in fashion is the shift to a new era of elegance. We reported on this pivot in fashion earlier this year, but after the fall/winter 2024 collections were released, it became even more clear that the aesthetic has major staying power. This renewed sense of sophistication comes on the heels of oversize suiting and baggy low-rise jeans—an overall sense of casual fashion that dominated, and style has now swung to the opposite side of the pendulum. Now, a sense of refined glamour has returned with modern-day swans on the runways—contemporary interpretations of 1950s and 1960s style as encapsulated by elegant socialites like C.Z. Guest and Babe Paley, and celebrities who dressed in timeless looks such as Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.

On the fall/winter 2024 runways, we are seeing this play out in many ways that are already making an impact on how style insiders are getting dressed. Just as the internet decried skinny pants, tapered cigarette pants appeared on the runway at Altuzarra. Almond-shaped court heels made a huge impact and can be found in the collections of The Row, Toteme, Carven, and honestly too many designers to name. Brooches—long thought of as old-fashioned—have risen to the ranks of the in-the-know accessory of the moment. 2024 is set to be the year of the swan as discerning shoppers move towards pieces that are grown-up and glamorous.