The year's first Fashion Month has barely kicked off, and already I'm noticing something: From Ralph Lauren to Auralee, Dior to Louis Vuitton, it’s clear that Fall/Winter 2026 closets will be marked by a particular shade of weatheredness.

No, I'm not referring to those corny, campy, purposefully tire-track-and-God-knows-what-else-soiled jeans or hole-burned sweaters certain places offer for copious amounts of money. I'm talking about more subtle insignia that mimics the kind of wear-and-tear you'd only experience with an age-old garment of sentimental importance. 

At the Prada Milan men's show, one saw this on display via coats designed to look almost as if they were disintegrating — revealing an entirely different fabric beneath outermost, shedding shreds of cloth. Grime-beflecked shirt cuffs, crinkly trenches, and lightly oil-smudged blousons made for an entire assemblage of pieces that, out of context, might make for a hard sell at your typical consignment counter. Or would they?

These pieces don't beg the question of whether you can wipe, dab or soak them clean. They expect you to wear them with pride, unmended battle scars and all. The accompanying “imperfections” are supposed to tell the story of how lasting and loyal a companion this jacket, this boot, or this bag has been — however fictitious that narrative might be for you personally. 

You may find this type of artificial patina to have all the allure of, say, sexting with a chatbot, but upon a closer look, there's an endearing subtext to how consumers crave deep bonds and innate histories to the products they possess or buy, be it for emotional or aesthetic reasons, and obtained via genuine, fabricated (new purchase) or pre-existing (secondhand) methods. It’s not not a form of nostalgia, but one that (like that whole 2016 thing) favors mementos with the roughened guise of something well-loved, whether earned and authentic or not, over the visual recycling of specific bygone eras.

Are these new “distressed” looks capitalist commentary? Self-serious or self-aware? Is it a riff on the rise of thrifting, or recognition that newness has just become gaudy altogether? Admittedly, it's a big leap to get from faded workwear, lived-in leathers, or dad's vintage band tees to downright mildew-resembling stain patterns. Still, these are all points along the same spectrum — symptoms of the same “I’m about that life” phenomenon. For an industry powered by constant, forceful novelty, this appreciation of depreciation — or depreciation through appreciation, rather — feels, as a concept, quite fresh, even if it looks anything but. 

Written by Max Migowski, Highsnobiety Shopping Editor

In itchy anticipation of a footwear reset, the resurgence of red shoes, the impending Diadora collab with Jonathan Anderson's namesake label, and a renewed interest in old-school sneakers might also be interpreted as low-barrier versions of the currents described above. Dries Van Noten's scarlet suede steppers and Nike's recent Moon Shoe comeback are also illustrative of this special brand of nostalgia.

On the topic of oddball sneakers, Issey Miyake's all-new ASICS model is landing this week. Inspired by archival wrestling and track shoes, the color-blocked HYPER TAPING firmly embraces the foot with an elegance akin to that of a dance shoe. 

Quickly circling back 'round to JW Anderson: How about this sick bomber jacket? We've all got a regular one of these, surely, but whose has a chic shearling hood attached? That's what I thought.

Another key motif popping up in houses big and small — from Zegna to the 2025 LVMH-prize winner SOSHIOTSUKI — is wool: handsomely suited, layered, houndstooth'd. For your wardrobe purposes, we recommend beginning with a linchpin, like these Bode trousers.

This jeans shape reminds me of Lemaire's infamously warped pants, which in turn harken back to when Levi’s introduced the twisted seam in 1999. Now it's back as the Barrel pant, in blue and black.

Before we even used words like stealth wealth or normcore, A.P.C. was setting people up with trend-agnostic luxury quality goods that were moderately priced. They're doing a big sale, and this is officially your sign to go investigate it properly.

Trail running and hiking season is soon upon us, and your gear might be due some swap-outs. I couldn't do without my roomy, grippy ROA Altras from a while ago, and would urge you to check out the base model's newest version. Or you could wait for Prada's high-brow take instead.

And as for the apparel: Late winter alpine summits never go as smoothly, I find, as they do in these stretchy cotton mountain cargos by Arc'Teryx. You'll likely want to keep them on down in the valley, too, or back at your desk.

By Max Migowski

with Herbert Hofmann, Delia Cai & Youri Chapelle