The AW25 Accessories Forecast
Accessorizing has always been an essential facet of fashion, but with 2025 being dubbed the year of accessories, what are the most influential accessories on the runway this season?
Photo from Tagwalk. Photographed by Simone Rocha, February 2025. Available via Tagwalk. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Accessories have always played an essential role in fashion, completing outfits individually and fully immersing viewers of fashion presentations into the worlds that designers create. In 2025, accessorizing has taken center stage, becoming a powerful form of communicating self-expression through the finishing touches that enhance an outfit. This season, functionality has also emerged as a critical facet of winter accessorizing, proving that cold weather doesn’t mean dressing warm has to be basic. Designers have also meshed together different period accessories to make up AW25 outfits, creating unexpected pairings from pieces that may not have been previously coupled to take looks to the next level. This article will discuss the must-have accessories defining and shaping 2025.
Bags
Bags have played a significant role in accessorizing this season, with many playing with proportions. Larger bag styles, including the 2000s bowling bags, have returned with the rise of the Marguex Bowling Bag from The Row. Smaller bag styles such as the newly revived East and West from the 1950s, mini purses, and clutch bags appeared on many runways. These silhouettes have been refreshed with new textures and patterns, such as suede, fur, velvet, and tweed. Colors for this year include jewel tones, pastels, and neutrals, which are often adorned with bag charms, unique hardware, and playful key chains. Playful novelty purses, most popular in the 1980s, such as the pearl clutch from Chanel, have inspired more creative senses of personal style.
Photo from Tagwalk. Photographed by Chanel, March 2025. Available via Tagwalk. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Wearable Accessories
Layered accessories, such as belts, body chains, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets, were repeatedly seen on the runways. Mixes of gold and silver added dimension to outfits. Multifunctional pieces have emerged as one of the top trends this season, with statement belts, gloves, and watches pointing towards the overall trend of maximalism in fashion. Neck ties, scarves, and head scarves characterize the AW25 looks, proving that warm and stylish aren't mutually exclusive.
Photo from Tagwalk. Photographed by CHLOE, March 2025. Available via Tagwalk. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Footwear
Various footwear styles appeared on the runway this season to capture a mixture of styles from different decades resurfacing and blending. This includes 1950s-style stilettos and evening heels, complete with tights or embellished socks to add interest to an outfit. These more feminine shapes can point towards the return of more traditional values. This was also done with more modern styles such as 1990s equestrian-style high boots with interesting hardware and rouching, alongside some classic 2000s casual sneakers for more streetwear-oriented looks. In addition to the traditional colors of black, white, and brown, some footwear added more colorful pops of color to the outfits they were paired with, including red and purple. The toe boxes of the footwear on the runway have been defined into three main varying shapes, either meeting with a sharp point, a square outline, or a delicate curve.
Photo from Tagwalk. Photographed by Isabel Marant, March 2025. Available via Tagwalk. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
It’s clear that accessories are no longer just supporting elements of an outfit, but driving the conversations around fashion in 2025. This season’s accessories are redefining how looks are put together, combining maximal accessorizing with multifunctional winter staples and different decades' most popular pieces. The right accessories don’t just complete an outfit, but transform it entirely, and these standout trends are set to shape personal expression.
