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The 13 Spring/Summer Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2026

January 25, 2026

It might feel like the bleak midwinter, but we’re actually on the brink of a new season—one of renewal and promise: Spring/Summer 2026. Back in September, our editors watched fashion month unfold in New York, London, Milan and Paris, saving, bookmarking and (mentally) cataloging all the biggest, and best, trends so that, when this weather finally thaws, you’ll have a cheat sheet to hand.

And there was plenty to write home about, from skirts that expounded a theory we’ve long suspected (bigger is better) to visible bras to a pairing so effortless, so cool, that you absolutely need to see to believe it this spring. Whether you’re after an immersive reinvention, with a new colour palette to push you out of your comfort zone, or a subtle update like an opera glove, a curveball hemline or a trouser silhouette that plans to edge out the barrel, there’s something for every style personality.

Say Something Skirts

(Image credit: Future/Launchmetrics)

Slip-of-a-thing skirts appear to have booked an overdue sabbatical this spring. Taking their place—and more importantly taking up space—are skirts that subscribe to a different mantra: bigger is bigger. Thom Brown’s resembled cumulonimbus, with an exaggerated puffball silhouette that appeared like a modern-day take on panniers. Other designers to put their spin on skirts wide enough to require a sideways move through single doorways included Alaïa, Calvin Klein and Simone Rocha, whose translucent, ditsy-print skirts featured visible tiers of little then large hoops.

Atu Body Couture Full Midi Skirt

Over Not Under

Bras haven’t been a purely functional garment for some time, often providing their wearers with a sense of comfort, yes, but also a certain frisson. For SS26, however, the difference is a shift from underpinnings to something more public-facing. At Hermès, a criss-cross bustier was paired with knee-length culottes and sleek riding boots, all in leather, an outfit that felt both action hero-esque and historical. Jil Sander’s interpretation was an optical illusion (almost), a crew-necked mini dress with a circle sliced away to reveal a bra made out of the same material, an understated grey twill. Tiffany Hsu, Mytheresa’s chief buying and group fashion venture officer, goes so far as saying it’s a “key trend”, picking out Miu Miu, who featured, “satin bras layered under dresses, adding a luxurious and modern touch to the look.” Its subversive appeal is obvious, “turning traditionally intimate garments into statement-making elements of the outfit.”

Bluebella

Lia Polka Dot Wired Longline Bra (a-Dd)

A Bright Idea

Soft-focus pastels for spring aren’t exactly groundbreaking, which is perhaps why so many designers opted for saturated colours instead. From primary shades that packed a punch (Celine mixed all three on a scarf-print blouse to sublime effect) to a renewed appreciation for jewel hues (emerald’s stock rocketed after Balenciaga), this is the season to go bright or go home. Jil Sander, by the way, contained the perfect middle ground for those more comfortable in neutrals—a pomodoro crew-neck jumper that came popped over a cobalt polo neck but, crucially, pared back with a black pencil skirt on the bottom half. (Lanvin took a similar approach, pairing a peacock blouse, which, incidentally coordinated with the catwalk space’s walls and floors, with slimline black trousers.)

ZARA

Nylon Jacket With Ties

CHRISTOPHER ESBER

Fusion Jersey and Gathered Crepe Mock-Neck Maxi Dress

Grey Matter

There’s a different path, however, if your comfort zone is colours that don’t shout but whisper, with grey emerging as the neutral for SS26. The Attico’s grey was anything but drab, with a whip-smart skirt suit the colour of concrete positioning itself as the ultimate way to get promoted if part of your manifestation process is to “dress for the job you want”. At Dior, meanwhile, Jonathan Anderson’s grey jersey frock, with its sporty neckline, intricate draping and moulded hips making it a standout of his debut, was a haute take on everyone’s favourite sweatpants. It’s an easy shade to wear head-to-toe, particularly a darker variation like charcoal, or you can use it to subtly temper full-throttle shades like tomato, cobalt or mustard.

Selfridges

Polka-Dot Frilled-Collar Silk Midi Dress – 6

Massimo Dutti

Pinstripe Wool Blazer

Power Couple

What’s the first thing you reach for on days when, frankly, your default mode is CBA? Jeans. Luckily, that very garment comprises half of spring’s hottest couple: jackets and jeans. It’s a duo that was spotted at Balenciaga, Celine, Dior and Givenchy, where a leather blazer was styled with polished turn-up jeans. You can see why the combination works so well, with the lived-in comfort of denim, effortless and forever the opposite of try-hard, giving a sense of cool to bombers, capes and blousons.

Helsa

The Tweed S Curve Blazer

Khaite

Karo mid-rise barrel-leg jeans

Massimo Dutti

Mid-Rise Wide-Leg Jeans

Riding Low

We’ve had to confront the return of low-rise jeans, the ‘00s throwback no one saw coming. This season, however, it’s their cousin who’s making a comeback—low-slung skirts. There’s less to be afraid of here, trust us, with the addition of a belt that lends a crucial note of polish in this context. At BOSS, a low-slung pencil skirt threaded with a slim leather belt looked ripe for work or play, depending on the styling. (It was paired with a shirt and barely-fastened cardigan, FYI, so you could easily lose the former component if heading on a date after office hours are over.)

ZARA

Checked Midi Skirt With Belt

16Arlington

Delta belted cady maxi skirt

Black + White = More Than Alright

Black and white doesn’t have to mean boring. In fact, monochrome looks made their presence felt in multiple collections for SS26, proving that your wardrobe doesn’t have to be Technicolour. At Celine, a white blazer was paired with second-skin black trousers, a graphic juxtaposition that didn’t look staged but subtle. Over at Tod’s, a strapless leather dress was sandwiched by white, with a frayed border at the hemline, in particular, lending a sense of ease. Most designers gave equal weight to black and white, balancing their looks with blocks of both (Saint Laurent’s black leather skirt suit was balanced with a white pussy-bow shirt, for example). But you could also tip your outfit’s scales towards one with just a flash of the other (Khaite’s high-waisted black tuxedo pants were contrasted with a slender white bandeau).