Fall Dresses 2022: Open-Knit, Patchwork, Prairie, & More Trends to Try This Season

This may be an unpopular opinion, but fall dresses are the hero of transeasonal styling. Concerned about temperature fluctuations, wet sidewalks, and an ever-present fog come October? We hear you, but those are all the things that make dress-wearing in autumn so perfect. You get a nice breeze to make your dress billow, endless layering options to stay warm, and the general drear just means channeling your inner Practical Magic sister. But if that’s not enough, this season is also bringing some of the most interesting trends we’ve seen in literal years to the fore.

Thanks to some attainable styling spotted across New York and Copenhagen fashion weeks, you can actually wear a ton of the trends highlighted during this year’s pre-fall collections. There are maximalist maxis for anyone unafraid to be the loudest dresser in the room, modern knits that range from structural to drapey fishnet, classic Home on the Range outfitting for a safer bet, and a few wildcard options too. 

Fall is all about layering up and down, and no clothing item is quite as amenable as a dress, so whatever trend you do dip into, the limit of outfit combinations does not exist. Below, find the best fall dresses to kick off your standout autumnal looks. (And yes, those cowboy boots you just bought would pair well with them all.) 

New Knits

Knitwear is to fall as “quiet quitting” is to the workplace; nothing new, exactly. Which is why we’re so excited for all of the fresh takes on knitwear (and crochet-wear!) that debuted in pre-fall collections. Maxis are making waves in particular, with open-knit designs in delicate Pointelle fabrics and fluffy mohair designs as cozy as your favorite sweater. These aren’t to be confused with beachy cover-ups, though there’s nothing wrong with layering some very open fishnet over a bikini, long-sleeve shirt, or puddle pants. For classic fall sweater vibes with a twist, Cult Gaia, Mango, and more are offering up tighter knit options that hug you in all the right places. 

Printed Mesh