Which pieces will make a Belgian wardrobe feel current this autumn?

Spaey’s account describes a season built around contrast. For women’s wardrobes, low-waisted dresses and Art Deco references sit beside very full trousers and cropped, fitted jackets with a 1990s flavour. Ornament returns through geometric details, relief patterns, larger jewellery and fabrics associated with evening dress. Fine fringes appear on jackets and bags, while draped scarves and gloves give everyday outfits a more deliberate finish.

That reading broadly matches the international runway picture. Vogue France’s review of the autumn-winter 2026-2027 collections found black, cream, violet, floral motifs, monochrome colour, trouser suits, faux fur and head-to-toe leather among the prominent ideas. A separate Vogue analysis based on Tagwalk data highlighted tweed, stirrup trousers, bombers, animal print, extra-long sleeves and pencil skirts. These are runway indicators, not instructions or guarantees about what people will wear on Belgian streets.

The most adaptable idea is layering. A thin roll-neck can sit beneath a V-neck jumper, with a short jacket and scarf added as the temperature changes. That is particularly useful in Brussels

Place

Brussels

City where readers can use a bilingual network of second-hand and social-economy shops.

Why it matters

City where readers can use a bilingual network of second-hand and social-economy shops.

About

The City of Brussels is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the French Community of Belgium, the Flemish Region, and Belgium. The City of Brussels is also the administrative centre of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions in its European Quarter.

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Spaey sees men’s fashion mixing formal and sporting wardrobes: a suit with a cap, a Scandinavian-patterned ski jumper with tailored trousers and a belt, or classic shapes made in jacquard and velvet. She also observes more design cues conventionally coded as feminine in menswear. That does not prescribe a single look or identity; it reflects a broader loosening of the boundary between retail categories.

A cautious way to try the shift is through texture or accessories. A velvet overshirt, patterned scarf, softer-coloured knit or small brooch can change an outfit without requiring an entirely new silhouette. Those who prefer conventional tailoring can use the same season through a precise jacket, fuller trousers or a richer fabric. The point is choice, not compliance with a trend forecast.

First, place the clothes you actually wear within view and identify the gaps created by Belgian weather: perhaps a light waterproof layer, comfortable closed shoes or a knit that fits beneath a coat. Second, test the season’s ideas through combinations—short over long, tailored with sporty, plain with ornamented—before purchasing. Third, select one focal element, such as a scarf, tweed jacket, balloon trouser or textured bag, and keep the rest restrained. Fourth, check fibre composition, seams, fastenings and care instructions; an attractive piece that is difficult to wash or already pulling at the stitching is a poor investment. Fifth, use a one-week pause before an unplanned purchase and ask whether the item works with at least three things you own.

For second-hand shopping in Brussels, the regional Bruxelles Environnement portal lists Les Petits Riens, Oxfam, Terre, Emmaüs, Croix-Rouge Vestiboutiques, CYCLUP and De Kringwinkel among the social-economy options, alongside private platforms such as 2ememain and Vinted. CYCLUP’s friperie is open to everyone, according to the portal, while people supported by a CPAS receive the discount stated by that service. Names vary across Belgium: search for “friperie”, “vide-dressing” or “ressourcerie” in French-speaking communes, and “kringwinkel”, “tweedehands” or “textielinzameling” through a Dutch-speaking gemeente. Collection and shop arrangements can differ locally, so the relevant commune or gemeente website remains the best place to confirm them.

The apparent swing from minimalist basics towards ornament, layering and historical references is less a clean break than fashion’s familiar cycle of reaction. Art Deco shapes, 1990s tailoring, ski knits and fringe return in altered combinations. The more consequential development is the two-way movement between gendered wardrobes: women’s tailoring has long borrowed from menswear, while contemporary menswear is making more space for drape, decoration, soft colour and fabrics formerly marketed chiefly to women.

There is also a tension between seasonal novelty and durability. The European Commission

Organisation

European Commission

EU institution providing the cited 2020 textile-waste figures.

Why it matters

EU institution providing the cited 2020 textile-waste figures.

About

The European Commission (EC) is the executive cabinet of the European Union. It is composed of 27 members of the Commission corresponding to the number of member states, unless the European Council, by unanimous consent, decides to alter this number.

Official site ↗View source record ↗

In practice, Belgium’s autumn trend is best treated as a menu. Try a low waist only if it suits your comfort and proportions; use velvet, satin or jacquard as an accent if a full look feels theatrical; and let gloves, a scarf or jewellery do the work when your coat must remain practical. Over the coming months, retailers and street style will show which runway ideas survive contact with everyday life. The unresolved question is not what everyone must own, but which of these recurring ideas people will keep wearing after the season’s promotional cycle ends.