Fall's Biggest Print Is Deer—and Pencil Skirts Are Going Flowy
From Target shelves to campus coffee shops, the season's trends are a mash-up of nostalgia and new proportions.
Image: hercampus.com
Deer Print Is the New Cow Print
Walk into a Target on any given Tuesday and you're likely to see deer-patterned jeans, tops, and skirts sitting right next to the basics. The print has also spread to Revolve, Nordstrom, and Urban Outfitters, where it shows up on everything from midi dresses to button-downs. It's a fad, sure—cheetah print had its moment in the 1960s, and cow print took over the early 1990s—but the deer version feels less literal and more compositional. The spots are smaller, the browns deeper, and designers are pairing it with solid neutrals to keep the look polished. What's interesting is how quickly it moved from niche boutiques to mass retail: Target's rollout alone puts the pattern in thousands of stores before the leaves even turn.
Fringe Goes Full Rodeo—Without the Cowboy Boots
Scarves started creeping back into late-summer looks, and the natural next step is fringe. This fall, the western vibe arrives via long skirts, suede fringe jackets, and fringe-trimmed purses and boots. Oversized coats and large accessories—chunky necklaces and big leather belts—complete the look. What separates this rodeo revival from past ones: eccentric cowboy boots and denim-on-denim are gone, and western brown takes over as the neutral that ties it together.
Burgundy and Olive Finally Get Their Due
The color combination that's been waiting in the wings is burgundy and olive green, and it's about to dominate everything from silk dresses to knit sweaters. A silk burgundy dress under an olive green cardigan is the classic pairing, but the trend also pushes toward loudly colored pants, skirts, and even head-to-toe looks in either shade. Together, the two colors read rich and deliberately chic—what used to be homework for autumn palettes now feels like the easiest way to elevate a lazy outfit. The tone is deep, not muddy: think garnet rather than rust, and moss rather than khaki. It's the rare duo that works for both office hours and weekend errands without trying too hard.
Pencil Skirts Drop the Stiffness
Fall 2026 brings a rework of the pencil skirt that's less secretary, more Y2K. The once-fitted, constricting silhouette is now cut in colorful, flowy fabrics that move with you. Pair it with small glasses and kitten heels—think '00s movie heroine running through a city street—and you've got the uniform for campus or a first internship. The new pencil skirts come in everything from electric blue to burnt orange, and they're designed to be comfortable enough to sit through a three-hour lecture. The stiffness is gone, but the shape still nods to the original: hem hits just below the knee, and the waist is clean. It's a practical update that feels intentional rather than retro for the sake of it.
Draws on source material published at hercampus.com.
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