Collegiate style is one of the hottest trends for autumn

There’s a reason everyone always fancied their English teacher. Esoteric, unconventional, and often a little flamboyant, they were the fun ones you wanted to impress. They were also the best-dressed, abiding by a specific dress code set for them by some almighty sartorial wizard sat atop a cloud in Clergerie loafers while reading The First Folio. And now that autumn is in full swing, it seems as though everyone everywhere is trying to emulate this aesthetic.

In case you weren’t paying attention in your English lessons, allow us to guide your revision. The look is defined by a few key staples: tailoring, clean lines, and an oversized silhouette. According to new data released by Depop, the so-called “heritage chic” trend is dominating the platform right now, with searches for “tweed” up by 86 per cent since July, while searches for “argyle” and “trench coat” have spiked by 127 per cent and 170 per cent, respectively. The secondhand fashion marketplace puts the sudden surge down to the popularity of Celebrity Traitors, which sees host Claudia Winkleman frequently clad in collegiate clothing, while stars including Jonathan Ross and Stephen Fry have sported capes, checked coats, and velvet jackets.

“After years of micro-trends, we’re seeing shoppers lean into a classic and sophisticated style. We have seen a surge in the Heritage Chic aesthetic on Depop, with searches for Barn Jackets (+1,045 per cent) and Cashmere (+167 per cent) on the rise,” says a spokesperson for the secondhand retail platform. “The Celebrity Traitors aesthetic, with its layers of tweed, Fair Isle knits, and sharp tailoring, is contributing to the rising trend.”

Crucially, the trend is androgynous in origin and, when worn well, can work just as magnificently on men as it can on women. The latter was best exemplified by the late Diane Keaton, who passed away last week at the age of 79, swiftly sending cinephiles and fashion fans into disarray.

On screen and off, Keaton was known for her distinctive style embodied by three-piece suits, ties, and waistcoats, and collared shirts. The look was best exemplified in Annie Hall, which was famously inspired by her relationship with Woody Allen, who wrote, directed, and co-starred in the film. Here, Keaton’s wardrobe is all very college campus coded: wide-leg camel trousers, tartan scarves over white-collared shirts, stiff tweed blazers, and maxi dresses over tight-fitted long-sleeved tops. It’s casual, academic, and deeply cool.

“The heritage chic aesthetic found a perfect muse in Diane Keaton,” adds the spokesperson for Depop. “What people adored about her style was its sense of effortless, authentic longevity. She mastered the art of borrowing from menswear, with sharp tailoring, vests, and sophisticated layers, making her look feel entirely feminine and individual.”

It’s an inherently sustainable look, given how easily it can be created through vintage and secondhand items. Beyond that, though, there’s a sense of careful thought behind it, too.

“Diane Keaton’s wardrobe continues to resonate each autumn because it embodies structured comfort: a balance of tailoring and warmth that fits both mood and temperature,” says Roza Francken, e-commerce manager at the Dutch footwear and accessories brand Aurélien. “Her signature mix of crisp shirts, wool blazers, turtlenecks, and masculine silhouettes reflects the essence of collegiate dressing: intelligence, nostalgia, and quiet confidence.”

Perhaps dressing with academia in mind is a way of reflecting one’s own intelligence back at the world. After all, we are what we wear. So the appeal of wearing collegiate clothing makes sense for those wanting to convey a sense of understated confidence that feels effortless and clever. This was certainly the implication in After the Hunt, the latest film from Luca Guadagnino that is set at Yale and centres around a sexual assault allegation.

Starring Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, and Andrew Garfield, the film serves as a masterclass in autumnal college campus dressing. For Garfield, the smarmy professor vibe is channelled through denim Ralph Lauren shirting, double-breasted blazers, and jeans, maintaining a low-key, somewhat intentionally scruffy look. Whereas the wardrobes of Roberts and Edebiri mirror one another (an intentional narrative tenet of the film), with a uniform defined by white baggy jeans (high-waisted and belted), round-neck T-shirts worn underneath double-breasted blazers, and black loafers.

“All the characters of the film have the same ingredients, blazers, loafers, jeans, button-downs,” said costume designer Giulia Piersanti in an interview with The Cut. “My mood boards were filled with the women I get inspired by, whose style is so subtle and effortless that it never passes.” Keaton, Joan Didion and Carolyn Bessette were all cited as references for the film. “A lot of people have come up to me saying they would like to dress like this,” she added. “I feel like it is a style that has always been there. I see it in the streets. It is focused, practical, smart dressing that doesn’t fall for trendy.”

The brands worn by the characters might be out of each for the typical college professor or student (it’s a lot of The Row and Lemaire) but they are easily replicable if you know where to look.