What to Wear, According to the Paris Catwalks

PARIS — As the four-city fashion show cavalcade comes to an end, here’s a look at some of the catwalk styles from Paris that could sharpen your wardrobe this fall.

Caped Crusaders

More elegant and practical than the poncho and with better options for layering, capes in captivating cuts and either rich or technical fabrics have returned as the heroines of outerwear this season. Whether your preference is the strong shoulders and block colors with a more traditional feel or the more contemporary strange and sculpted silhouettes and hooded nylon options, expect pieces to swirl their way into stores and online retailers soon.

Puffed Up

The ultimate in comfort dressing, quilting could be found everywhere on the runways, be it as touches on scarves, patchwork pockets and sleeves or the full body cocoons seen at shows like Maison Margiela and Dries Van Noten. The popularity of quilting on the catwalk also falls in line with a broader cultural and industry trend: the rise in sportswear and “normcore,” which sees designers taking inspiration from everyday wardrobe items to create high fashion. When times are tough or confusing, maybe we just want to wrap ourselves in swaddling clothes.

Tartan Army

Troopers in tartan stormed the shows, from lumberjack checks and retro Teddy Boy jackets at Dior to acid plaids at Marine Serre and a sea of gray and brown houndstooth and Prince of Wales prints splashed across numerous collections and tailored trousers, jackets and skirts. The Scottish pattern has long been associated with rebellion. Perhaps, with the clock ticking down to Britain’s exit from the European Union and wider socio-economic unrest rippling worldwide, fashion is wielding tartan as a form of political statement as much as a vibrant fabric choice. On the other hand, one showgoer attributed its popularity to the Netflix series “Sex Education,” which features a tartan-trousered character. Guess it depends on what you watch.

Giving the Bold Shoulder

Sculptural shoulders are always nudging their way in and out of fashion: This season was no exception. A hallmark of female power dressing, shoulders were bigger and everything else smaller — including Balenciaga, where casual outerwear had a couture statement sensibility; Chloë, showing soft silk dresses with square retro finish; and at Saint Laurent, where oversize overcoats had wildly high padding set slightly behind the shoulder for a sharp and sophisticated sense of swagger.