WHY YOU SHOULD BE WEARING RUFFLES THIS SEASON

September 24, 2024

Coming from the German term “ruffelen” which means “to wrinkle,” ruffles have been a beloved fashion detail for centuries. These delicate manipulations of fabric provided a level of decadence and extravagance coveted by everyone from Marie Antoinette to Simone Rocha. After seasons of clean structure and minimalism, the ruffle re-infuses softness, romance and drama into the current fashion landscape. You may associate ruffles with spring and summer, but we predict they’ll be a mainstay in FW24 – read on for our reasons why.

Collage of models at the Chloé AW24 runway show, wearing ruffle clothing

Pictures: Getty Images

#1: THEY'RE TOTALLY BOHO

Chemena Kamali's FW24 Chloé show made it clear: boho is back. This kind-of-cowboycore, kind-of-coquette aesthetic became synonymous with 70s hippie culture and is usually identified by neutrals, naturals and, of course, ruffles. The free-flowing vibe of ruffle dresses, skirts or sleeves are a big part of nailing boho – pair a ruffled blouse with a slouchy bag, brown boots and maximalist jewelry to fully embrace the trend.

Model wearing miscellaneous ruffled clothing outfits

#2: YOU CAN STYLE THEM UP OR DOWN

Old aristocracy had a monopoly on ruffles that thankfully doesn’t exist now, you can channel their elegance by wearing ruffles on date nights or to dinners. On the flip side, grunge fashion gave ruffles an edge – team darker pieces with leather pants and pointed-toe boots for a casual take.

Model wearing ruffle clothing on the streets of London while posing

Pictures: ASOS

#3: THEY LOOK AMAZING WHILE OFF-DUTY

Historically, Flamenco dancers often wore ruffle dresses alongside their signature floral accessories to emphasize their sharp movements, proof of how stunning ruffles translate on-camera. Their charm comes in how relaxed and undone they are, but also their ability to look just as put-together and polished as the holy-grail of city styling: the satin slip dress.

GET THE LOOK:
ASOS DESIGN ruffle off shoulder tiered maxi dress in mid blue, $109
ASOS DESIGN ruffle off shoulder tiered mini dress in khaki, $74.99

Models wearing three different ruffle clothing outfits, including a blouse, a rose-print dress and a green mini dress

#4: THEY MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A GODDESS

Fun fact: ruffles were a favorite of Christian Dior and Cristóbal Balenciaga for the ethereal, fairy-like silhouette they offered without being heavy. Cascading ruffle dresses and skirts also form an A-line shape which accentuates your figure. Not all ruffle dresses or skirts are follow this form, but straight-cut dresses and sheer, oversized blouses will still give you an 18th century goddess-like aura.

Daisy Edgar-Jones wearing Chloé AW24 ruffle dresses. Left: cream minidress with brown clogs. Right: Blue maxi dress with suede boots.

Pictures: Getty Images

#5: THEY'RE DAISY EDGAR-JONES-APPROVED

Actress Daisy Edgar-Jones has been establishing herself as a fashion heavyweight lately, and when she stepped out in these ruffle looks we knew she was serious. Strolling in NYC, she styled a semi-sheer mini dress with brown clogs and a slouchy tote for some Emily Ratajkowski cool. On another occasion, she was spotted in a blue cutout maxi. If you aren't big on neutrals, pastel ruffles achieve a similarly sylph-like aura.