Mega-changes are on the way for the fashion world. New situations are forcing the industry to adapt, and the changes are being driven by you, the consumer. First: when is a bargain an unacceptable exploitation of Third World workers, many of whom are children? No garment requiring workers to graft for 80 hours a week at 4p an hour can be considered desirable by civilised consumers anywhere. Next: carbon footprint. The fashion business has an enormous one, not least in the cost to the environment of thousands of journalists and buyers flying around the globe to look at fashion shows that are available within hours on a screen at home or in the office. And, with seasonal differences disappearing, and holidays being taken at any time across the world, who needs the old classification of spring/summer and autumn/winter? Once both logical and relevant, these seasons now seem increasingly to be neither. It feels to me as if an old-fashioned order is fading – watch this space for a new one. But until then, let’s take a look at what’s coming this autumn.

This time round, there is consensus from the fashion capitals: it’s all about glamour. That means a tailored silhouette – military and naval cuts are everywhere. Only the second-string designers are doing puffy parkas and quilting. Huge knits with yarn as thick as ship’s ropes are giving what little bulk there is. Designers have realised the weather has changed and the need to protect against the cold is no longer essential. They also know that the women who can afford designer labels are limo girls, and a shrug of fur or a superfine cashmere throw is enough to protect them as they step from car to restaurant, from boutique to hotel.

Of course, there is always fur – imitation, real and printed – which is beginning to reinstate itself after a couple of seasons in which designers tried to replace it with feathers. That didn’t catch on – few have seen how mangy even the noblest cats can look in the wild, but we’re all only too aware of how flea-ridden chickens and budgies can be. For the woman who has a real budget for clothes, the seriously sophisticated choice is neither fur, nor feathers, but skin – alligator, crocodile and snake. All appeared in collections as different as Celine, Hermès and Versace.

The feeling of sophistication continued in the palette. Almost universally dark, it went from Gareth Pugh (where, of course, it was all black), through Yves Saint Laurent (where Stefano Pilati showed a mastery of tailoring that Saint Laurent himself would have appreciated), to Gucci (in a collection that showed that the label had grown up considerably from last season). Although silver and grey are still around in every shade and texture, the designers who really know which way the river is flowing went headfirst into the sort of bright, strong colour normally reserved for spring/summer. And it looked more right than any other trend when it was in the hands of a maestro.

It was half a century ago that Balenciaga showed the effect that jewel colours such as fuchsia and purple can have in a predominantly sombre palette – a trick he learnt from Goya, Picasso and Miro. A modern master, John Galliano used this power to the full at Dior, with acid yellow, hot pink and grass green in silk, wool, leather and long, thick yeti sleeves of fur. Alber Elbaz showed the same theatrical confidence at Lanvin, with shoulder-emphasising dresses in scarlet and magenta that pulled off the double trick of being both sophisticated and cool. Dolce & Gabbana are masters at playing with colour, and the label’s shiny, ruby-red dresses with wide black belts stood out. The short cocktail dress studded with rubies was so drop-dead sexy, it surely will be ripped off on the high street. The same can be said for the tinted silver and pewter fabrics – they may have looked a little like crinkled BacoFoil, but they are perfect for London’s nightclub scene this winter.

Donatella Versace continued the Italian feel for elegant confidence, with a controlled mixture of well-cut coats and slinky dresses that were less about sexy and more about empowerment.

Cut was the real story, however, with tailoring the backbone of the strongest collections. The ones that did it best were Raf Simons – who is bedding in nicely as the Jil Sander designer – with narrow Audrey Hepburn-style coats with tiny collars, or no collars at all, and Versace, with coats cut high on the thigh.

Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein have made much of their reputation for impeccable cut, and this season they continued triumphantly. Lauren’s full-length, narrow topcoat could go anywhere. Francesco Costa’s tailoring was right on the money. A suit, narrow tailored dress and coat from this season’s collection would remain in anybody’s wardrobe for years – they are instant classics.

You should also keep a lookout for some of the more unexpected labels, whose designers showed that they knew a thing or two. The mysterious Martin Margiela, recently bought by Diesel, has a band of devoted followers. High, square shoulders (even for T-shirts), cutout circles of shaggy fur and coats that Marlene Dietrich would have worn in the 1940s all contributed to the tailoring trend. It was a tour de force, and a radical change for the company.

And the Brits? Well, we’re hanging in there, but it’s a matter of lack of money, rather than lack of talent. Stella McCartney, Hussein Chalayan and Alexander McQueen all make their mark because they show in Paris, so they are in the right arena; all three held on to their places in the limelight this season. But it’s much harder for designers who show in London. The few international column inches devoted to our fashion week were, predictably, given to the Marc by Marc Jacobs show, which was held to highlight the opening of the new Mount Street store. Add on Christopher Kane, Preen and Jonathan Saunders, all of whom produced worthwhile looks, and that, unfortunately, is about the size of it, as far as international interest is concerned.

But there is plenty of excitement for consumers this season. Maybe even too much. If you want some instant zip, the best bets are a pair of deliciously sexy satin ankle boots by Lanvin and a python clutch by Burberry – both hot esssentials for cold days.

Times recommends

• Live chat: Thrifty ways to update your winter wardrobe
• Is anybody out there really listening?
• Nutrition Q&A: Will eating late make me fat?