How to Spot an Elegant It Girl in Autumn 2026—These Timeless Jeans and This Trending Shoe

If you’re starting to ponder your autumn wardrobe, I’d love to put you on to the jeans-and-shoe (and, whilst we’re at it, bag) combination that’s already shaping the chicest day-to-day looks this season. Spotted out and about in New York this week, Dakota Fanning put me on to the formula, beginning with the cool-weather staple I come back to every year: a sleek pair of straight-leg jeans in an inky wash of indigo blue.

A little more polished than their lighter-wash counterparts, dark denim feels particularly apt as we move towards the smarter season of September. The rich hue gives jeans a more refined feel, whilst the streamlined stovepipe silhouette creates an elegant base that can be dressed up easily. Dakota did just that, styling hers with one of the season’s breakthrough shoe trends: kitten-heel flip-flops. Poised and unfussy in that distinctly ’90s cool-girl way, the barely-there shoes gave her denim a sleek, elevated finish without making the outfit feel overly polished.

Undoubtedly one of the season’s most important shoe trends, the kitten-heel flip-flop made Dakota’s classic stovepipe jeans feel decidedly fresh. In another modern move, the actor sidestepped the east-west bag trend that’s become ubiquitous in recent seasons in favour of a hot-off-the-press satin pouch in an elegant shade of dark red. The fashion set’s new favourite purse, with its small, softly gathered silhouette and glistening satin finish, brings an instant sense of occasion.