6 Winter 2025 Microtrends That Make Outfits Way More Stylish

We are tantalisingly close to 2025, and while the new year signals a clean slate in many ways, fashion isn’t always necessarily one of them. The trends that are big this side of the 31st won’t disappear at the stroke of midnight, replaced by even fresher looks; inevitably some of what we’re seeing now and will come with us into the next 365 days. And while this will apply to all of the main trend headliners, it’s also true for the smaller microtrends we’ve seen bubbling up recently.

What is a microtrend? This is what we like to call looks and pieces that are distilled down from bigger trends of the season, resulting in these smaller off-shoot trends. An example of this might be the top-to-toe leopard print outfits that we saw on the runways—while it’s rare to see someone wearing such a look, how the trend is being worn in real life is often a microtrend. In this instance, this could be the leopard print bags I’ve seen so much of on the streets of London lately.

While some might argue that microtrends have a shorter shelf life than more classic fashion items, this might be true, but I find them to be an effective way of cherrypicking the latest trends that work for you without having to overly commit. Plus, if you choose pieces because you genuinely love them and not just because you think they’ll make you look trendy for a while, you’re likely to want to wear them for years to come.

The microtrends we see at any given time often change with the seasons, and while we’re about to leap into another year, when we land, we’ll still find ourselves in winter. So, I thought I’d take a closer look at what fashion people are wearing to bring you a selection of chic winter 2025 microtrends that will feel just as current come January. Scroll on to see them.

6 Winter 2025 Microtrends That Will Make Your January Outfits Feel Fresh and New

1. Brown Leather Skirts

Style Notes: Brown has been one of the biggest colour trend of the past year, and I don’t see that changing in 2025 either. We’ve seen the hue take on a variety of different forms across the seasons and now, in the throws of winter, there’s a fresh update to consider. Enter the leather skirt, which many will consider to be a staple of the colder months. Now, I’m seeing fashion people all over trade in (or at least pause wearing) their black styles in favour of rich brown hues. The market? Well, it’s just as infatuated.

Shop the Trend:

M&S Collection

Leather Look Midi A-Line Skirt

The glossy texture of this skirt makes it look so high end.

Toteme

Leather Midi Skirt

This leather looks so buttery soft.

John Lewis

Leather Pencil Skirt

Norma Kamali

High-Rise Faux Leather Midi Skirt

The full silhouette creates a pretty shape on the body.

2. Skinny Knit Scarves

Winter Microtrends 2025

Style Notes: Of all the items I wore in the early Noughts, the one that received the most airtime was undoubtedly my skinny knit scarf; I wore that thing until it was foundation-stained beyond repair. And now, for winter 2025, it joins the ranks of other Y2K trends that have come back in a significant way.

Shop the Trend:

H&M

Skinny Hole-Knit Scarf

This also comes in a black hue.

Topshop

Seb Skinny Scarf in Yellow

Use this to breathe a new lease of life into your dark coats.

This isn’t knitted, but it was too cute not to include.

3. Rugby Shirts

Winter Microtrends 2025

Style Notes: Sports-inspired clothing was a big trend on the spring/summer 2025 runways, and we’re already seeing fashion people channel this by way of winter-friendly, long-sleeve rugby jumpers. Preppy but also cool, those in the know are wearing theirs with light-wash jeans, loafers and chunky socks. I’ll do the same, then.