Winter is coming! And I couldn’t be more excited. I know it’s officially the fall/winter season, not just because New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week has debuted its F/W 2017 clothing, but also because I ordered my first hot drink. Cheers to hot coffees to warm your cold hands and cute coats to warm your post-summer bod. Although I’m sad to see my summer winding down along with the temperature, I’m so excited to break out my winter wardrobe.

This year, houndstooth and checkered wools will be in style. From cropped pants to long, dramatic trench coats, these patterns will be everywhere. In past years, we’ve seen this trend in dark, rich autumn colors, but this year it seems that the trend will stick to the basic high-contrast black and white color scheme.

To counter this mode, we’ll also be seeing out-of-the-ordinary winter florals. Yup, that’s right! Florals aren’t just for spring anymore. These patterns consist of predominately dark backgrounds with bright pops of colored flora. These prints take on an almost impressionistic theme with blurring lines that blend the vibrant colors with the dark backgrounds. Any type of clothing can work with this design, but Balenciaga, Valentino, and Prada all use it with oversized, flowing dresses. These dresses can be paired with just about anything! The trend, however, seems to be thigh-high or mid-rise boots that hide under the long dresses, creating warmth for your legs and a continuous head-to-toe look.

Throwing it back to the early 2000s and the Brittany Spears/Justin Timberlake era, jean-on-jean is back. Jean is great because you can wear whatever article of clothing it is several times without washing it, and as a college student with minimal time/resources to do my laundry constantly – this is a blessing. Any type of clothing you could think of, think of it in jean. From hats down to shoes, everything has been coming in denim lately. This heavy duty denim craze is amazing because you can pair almost any color with jean and it looks great! Even though the jean-game has been around for forever, there are some twists and changes to it. This winter, instead of distressed denim, we see more and more patch-work with two-tone colors. On more of a punk inspiration trend, patch-work with iron-on patches and labels are starting to come into trend too; they aren’t just for covering holes anymore.

‘Tis the season for vibrant reds. Not only does this trend get me excited for decorated Starbuck’s cups as well as Christmas, but it also means you’ll turn heads walking down the street. Red is a color of passion, so whatever you wear that is red, have passion behind it! No matter what outfit you wear, you should own it.

The cliché “passion for fashion” is ever so prevalent this winter. From passive patterns to luxurious looks, anything can happen this fall/winter season! I just adore the boots, scarves, and oversized sweaters that come along with it. And if you’re out here in Washington, you probably love the long, flowy trench coats and transparent rain jackets that are always in, no matter the season. So as you do your holiday shopping, keep in mind these vogue fashions to get your loved ones. Or if you’re like me, you’ll end up shopping these trends for yourself!