Senior Stylist Michelle Duguid translates the runways into real life, with her style steals from New York Fashion Week
1. Leather arm warmers
When it comes to styling for AW17, designers are making arms the new cold shoulder. Alexander Wang used leather arm warmers to peak out of the ends of rolled-up sleeves on a tailored jacket.
You could also use them to add an extra layer over evening dresses. Get ahead of the same and wear leather arm warmers with everything at London Fashion Week.
2. Layer-up multiple textures
Mix three very different layers for the Coach touch. Wear a hefty, shearling coat over an Americana-inspired, deep-south-appropriate dress in either chiffon or cotton (featuring a whimsical miniature floral motif, madras check and embroidered horses or cherries, of course). Finish off the look with a cozy pair of heavy-stomping, shearling-lined trainers.
3. Loose ponytails
A high, slicked back and super-smooth ponytail is usually the classic go-to beauty look on the New York runways. This time, the ponytail got a chic upgrade from Tory Burch. Give yourself a centre parting and loosely tie back the rest of your hair with a black, oversized grosgrain bow. It will transform this simple style into a straight-off-the-runway look.
4. See-through coats
You can thank Raf Simons at Calvin Klein for the craziest styling idea of New York Fashion Week.
He slipped transparent plastic over everything, from a checked, tailored Crombie coat to a yellow-gold fur coat, and a feathered cocktail dress. It might seem like an odd idea at first, but it means you can clearly see your outfit through the plastic. It may just catch on, especially in rainy Britain.
5. Trousers instead of tights
Love going out in evening dresses but hate wearing tights? Monse gave us the perfect hack for dressing-down refined evening wear: the addition of tight leather or slim tuxedo trousers under your dress. It looks modern and, weatherwise, it's perfect for trying out right now.
6. Mix-and-match colours
Don't be afraid of colour. Derek Lam's strongest looks were when he embraced all-out dynamic hues, making his simple shapes bolder and more modern. The beautiful red leather trench paired with a red shirt and simple tan boots worked so well. Our favourite, though, was a red, ribbed-knit turtleneck with a lavender leather skirt and black shoes. A beautiful but surprising combination – and it was one we loved.
7. Throwback to the Seventies
Why wear one style when you can try out two, three, or four, all at the same time? Marc Jacobs paid respect to the origins of streetwear and went all out. He used rollnecks under most looks, pimped-up hip-hop hats including snapbacks, buckets and Bermudas (all made by the British milliner Stephen Jones), caramel tones, Seventies fur-collared coats and cord textures to add depth to his homage. Just don't leave home without the big gold earrings and the boombox on your shoulder.