The Top 5 Kidswear Trends Fashion Journalist and Mum Anne Lora Predicts Will Be Everywhere This Autumn

As a fashion trends writer and mum, these are the five key childrenswear directions for the season, and JoJo Maman Bébé has created a collection that taps directly into each one.

As someone who works in fashion trends full-time, I already know the trends before they take off and well before they appear on feeds and streets. As a fashion and parenting writer with over a decade of experience, and as a mum myself, I’ve built my career around identifying the pieces, brands and trends that are genuinely worth knowing about, from the latest fashion finds to children’s clothing that works for real family life. I am constantly scanning kidswear drops, buyer previews and brand socials, and I must say, AW26 is shaping up to be one of the most visually cohesive seasons in a while.

The overriding direction is clear: nostalgic British prints, gingham, dainty florals, functional outerwear silhouettes, and sweet-but-practical detailing that actually survives real childhood.

Across the board, childrenswear is leaning into comfort-led styling without losing aesthetic clarity, and JoJo Maman Bébé is very much aligned with that shift this season.

Here are the five key trends I keep seeing everywhere, and JoJo’s interpretation is some of the best I’ve seen.

Gingham: The new everyday heritage print

Gingham might have been everywhere for spring and summer, but it’s still going strong all the way through to autumn. It’s already in the wardrobes of mums (I include myself in that).

My son still wears his JoJo blue gingham raincoat from a couple of seasons ago, and it’s as timeless as it is trendy. But for autumn, it continues to dominate. JoJo’s brown gingham is one of my favourite ways to wear it in autumn, especially when paired with padded outerwear and utility shapes. It’s a great option for your child’s puffer rotation jacket this season.

One piece that caught my eye is the Brown Gingham Cosy Lined Puffer Jacket (£50–£52).

Autumn Hero: What’s autumn without the pumpkins

You cannot celebrate autumn without pumpkins, and childhood moves fast, so you want your kids dressed in them, but in wearable designs that bring seasonal charm and can keep up with everyday life. Pieces that feel cosy, comfortable, and practical. JoJo has an entire range that taps into this perfectly. My favourites in the collection are the Cream Pumpkin Embroidered Knitted Jumper (£28–£29) and the Orange Pumpkin 2-Piece Dungaree Set (£28–£29).

Frosted Florals: Soft, muted and changing with the season

Florals still continue to trend, but the direction for autumn is much softer this season. It’s reimagined take with smaller-scale prints, muted tones, and a more vintage, ‘hand-me-down’ feel rather than bright seasonal florals. It captures the best of dainty, soft British dressing.

This is very much aligned with the broader move in kidswear towards timelessness, with pieces that don’t feel tied to a single season or trend cycle. The use of the same floral motifs across different styles and age groups is particularly clever making it easy to build cohesive outfits. It also lends itself beautifully to those photographic sibling moments, where different pieces feel connected through the same print or colour palette without looking too coordinated.

I am obsessed with the Blue Denim Floral Print Shirt & Trouser Set (£34–£36), and even want it for myself in a matchy mum set too, as it is perfect for photographs. The Mustard Yellow Floral Embroidered Cord Dress (£32-£34) is also one of the best autumn floral dresses you’ll find on the high street.

The Ivory Embroidered Fleece Gilet (£27–£29) is one of the dreamiest pieces I’ve seen, and the Cream Floral Fair Isle Oversized Cardigan (£32–£34) is one for autumn that could go straight into the holidays. But the Natural Floral Embroidered Borg Fleece £42–£44 is the best of all and one I predict will sell out fast.

Berry Motifs: The cutest novelty print

Probably my favourite trend of autumn is the berry motif. If you’ve been keeping an eye on fashion this year, you’ll know berry icons are everywhere, and JoJo has interpreted the trend beautifully for children, especially little girls. The sweet print taps into the wider fruit-print trend seen across fashion this season, and it works well for autumn.

Cherry prints are becoming the standout novelty motif of AW26. They sit perfectly between nostalgia and modern kidswear graphics. My ultimate favourite is the Red Cherry Embroidered Gingham Fleece Jacket (£34–£38). It has a Peter Pan collar, tiny cherry embroideries and pretty gingham detailing.

Stripes: Who says stripes are just for nautical?

Stripes are moving away from classic Breton styling into something more structured and uniform-inspired. It’s less seaside, more schoolyard, but elevated through colour and texture.

JoJo has a strong mix of knitwear and outerwear with stripes. I love the Khaki Green Stripe Packaway Waterproof Dungarees (£34–£36) made for muddy puddle adventures.

I also love the Burgundy Red Stripe Knitted Collar Jumper (£26–£27), which has a rugby feel to it, especially when paired with denim. For something more casual, on a day out at the pumpkin patch, I love the Denim Fox & Squirrel Appliqué Skirt & Rib Top (£34–£36).

AW26 kidswear is ultimately about ease. The best pieces are the ones that showcase print, practicality, and repeat-wear value. JoJo is leaning into exactly that space this season, where gingham, stripes, cherries, and florals aren’t ‘themes’, but building blocks of a wearable everyday autumn wardrobe. It’s not about standout dressing anymore. It’s about consistent kidswear style that still lets kids actually be kids.

Shop the trend-led picks

About the author

Anne Lora Scagliusi is a UK-based fashion and parenting writer with over a decade of experience. She currently writes for Grazia UK, and her work has also appeared in Mother & Baby, Vogue, Glamour, Marie Claire, and Vanity Fair, covering a wide range of lifestyle, and fashion topics. She is a mum to a three-year-old and spends her time spotting viral fashion buys and curating the best in children’s style, both professionally and at home.