This autumn has seen red reign supreme. My own TikTok For You page has been dominated by plenty of videos focused on the colour red: whether it’s makeup looks featuring a statement red lip, a full red monochrome look, or what seems the most popular move, a pop of red.
Scrolling both Instagram and TikTok equates to an abundance of ‘strawberry glaze’ makeup looks, or ‘cherry red’ and ‘tomato red’ OOTDs, with every shade of red under the sun seeming to make the cut. This colour epidemic extends across both high street and high-end fashion, as at this year’s London Fashion Week (LFW) red was the ‘it’ colour. It was even named “Fashion Week’s favourite colour” by Glamour.
Red dominated the runways this LFW, as designers brought a fresh perspective to the classic shade; whether it’s sheer, cut-out, satin, or asymmetric – no brand has escaped the grip of this commanding colour.
LFW 2023 saw Burberry offer a monochrome two-piece suit, while Simone Rocha opted for a satin red two-piece, a mini skirt, and blouse fitted with a bow-piece neckline. Whatever your taste, it seems there is something for everyone.
Personal favourites from LFW include this Preen By Thornton Bregazzi red PVC style trench coat. This shiny, wet look in a bright cherry red is sophisticated and fun, and would be great paired with a gold statement earring and black kitten heel – or this elegant satin look by Roland Mouret.
The command of the fiery shade has also infiltrated ‘affordable’ luxury brands. These Ganni red buckle flats also tick every box for me, however they definitely fall outside of a student budget! A cheaper alternative can be found in this gorgeous burgundy buckle heel from Cider, or this cherry red ASOS number of a buckle heel.
If you’re still not convinced, according to Tagwalk, Autumn/Winter 2023 saw a 33% increase in looks featuring the colour compared to Autumn/Winter 2022. A stark difference from the traditional neutral tones we see around autumn amid this quiet luxury epidemic (Thank you, Sofia Richie and Mrs. Bieber).
So, why has such a bold colour suddenly become so popular in a fashion landscape made up of a million hues of beige? It seems the most popular TikTok influencers generally advise that a little dash of the standout colour incorporated into an otherwise unassuming outfit is the best way to style the exciting colour, with #popofred trending in TikTok’s search bar.
@jadehoney62 pop of red outfits / styling the colour of the season!!! ❤️ #popofred #redoutfits #colouroftheseason #autumnoutfits #cosyoutfits
♬ This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) – Natalie Cole
In this way, we see the quiet luxury, ‘clean girl’ aesthetic combined with a bold red accessory to create a hybrid look, halfway between the Scandi-style and ‘rockstar girlfriend’ aesthetics.
I’m as much a fan of second-hand shopping as the next girl, as after all a cheaper, more sustainable way to shop always wins in my eyes. Some of my favourite red pieces to search for on Vinted this week are Zara kitten heels, Tommy and Kate handbags, and 90s-style leather jackets. All of these searches retrieve countless stylish and inexpensive options.
Whatever your opinion of this fiery colour, one thing is for sure; you won’t be feeling the winter blues this autumn.
