All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Many of the fall winter 2025 runways reveled in high ’80s glamour and opulent details: fringe-embellished dresses, pops of red, and curvaceous shapes. And with the turn of each new reason, we’re eagerly awaiting said trends to embrace: Garments that promise to refresh our closets and help us keep up with the ever-changing sartorial waves.
But what would happen if we chose pieces that didn’t respond to ephemeral whims? What if the novelty in our style were to be found in the timelessness, in impeccable lines that resist the passage of time? So while decadent dressing is in for fall and winter, there’s a growing appeal for a minimalist rival. A pared back dress that, sans prints or embellishments, still shines. Simplicity is its own sartorial force this season.
Where are we seeing said minimalist dress? Check Emily Ratajkowski at Calvin Klein’s most recent show at New York Fashion Week, where she wore a long, black dress with a straight, flowing silhouette and high neck. The design only lightly contoured her body, accentuated by the absence of sleeves, and the large side slit to her hip. It totally stood out, quietly assured and striking. She completed the look with a pair of tight-fitting, kitten-heeled boots (ticking off another seasonal trend), as chic as it was austere.
The minimalist dress has thrived in totally different contexts. Vittoria Ceretti attended the Los Angeles premiere of her boyfriend Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest film, One Battle After Another, and opted for a white Tom Ford design from Haider Ackermann’s fall 2025 debut collection.
The look followed the same pattern as Ratajkowski, amping up the energy with a hip-to-floor slit in either direction. Paired with a matching simple clutch bag, black stilettos, and plenty of silver jewelry (including some sparkling ear cuffs that drew the attention upwards), the model banked on the silhouette to create a look that was refined and magnetic; ideal for a red carpet.
What unites these two moments is a minimalist aesthetic philosophy, a manifesto of contemporary sartorial sobriety that’s about essentials, but never boring. While a look seems simple, when truly observed, the craftsmanship shines.
And so, the minimalist dress formula to follow on your own hunt for the perfect fall and winter look: think straight and simple cuts, with the absence of sleeves, and a closed and high neckline. (Perfect, for when the average temperatures start to drop). Consider block colors in on-trend chocolate and rust, or timeless black and off-white. Here’s a piece that you can incorporate into your closet forever, style up to meet this season’s more outre aesthetics and throw on as a one-and-done.
Shop an edit of minimalist-inspired dresses, below.
