2026 is here and while it’s only been a week, there are some fashion items that are set to define the year. I say this as a fashion editor who spends months studying the runway trends before they hit stores and watches for good street style on the streets of New York in my spare time. There are just a handful of items that have been slowly been spotted on the coolest people I know and it’s only a matter of time before they’re everywhere.

From buttoned-to-the-top button tops to main character coats with personality, below are 5 items that you want to consider investing in now.

Button Tops

Buttons will be the outfit garnish of choice for 2026, mark my words. Maybe Lily Rose Depp’s buttoned-to-the-top trench coat is to blame, but I can’t stop seeing people wearing tops covered in an over-the-top amount of buttons that borders on unnecessary. The result though is a quirky look that takes a practical thing and makes it more fun than utilitarian.

Main Character Coats

Think of 2026 like a funeral for quiet luxury. Understated, minimal looks are out and loud personality pieces are in. It’s great because you don’t need to follow a specific trend or fit in some aesthetic mold to ride the wave. This is especially true for coats. You don’t need to pack away your trench coat but maybe lean into the more colorful patterned coat you’re always looking for an occasion to wear. The occasion is now.

Textured Bags

There are bound to be many ‘It’ bags in 2026 but they will all be soft or sequined or feathered. They will all be fun to the touch and much like the main character coats above, have lots of personality.

Ladylike Pumps

Heels haven’t been in most people’s outfit rotations since before 2020 but they’re finally making their way back to the fashion zeitgeist. This probably has a lot to do with Mrs. Prada sending a ladylike Miu Miu girl down the runway two seasons ago with fur stoles, cone bras, and of course, pumps. It also helps that people seem to be outside and doing things more than ever. Having a dressy shoe these days doesn’t feel so much like a chore as it does a silly indulgence.

Personality Brooches

The theme of 2026, if I had to guess, is going to be EXTRA! Outfits are going to be garnished with funky accessories like brooches. They go hand-and-hand with the ladylike prediction above and the return to pumps but they also feel like a natural progression from bag charms. Think of it this way: instead of decking our your bag, deck out your lapels instead!