1. Fringe Fancy

2. Pirate Cosplay

Style Notes: There are many theories as to why pirate influences are currently coming to the fore. Mostly associated with the 17th and 18th centuries, alongside the pirate boots, bandanas and tricornes, this trend encompasses military influences and other maritime tropes. We’re all now surely aware of the impending comeback of the Napoleon jacket as part of the Indie Sleaze resurgence, which fits into this. But whilst some are drawing inspiration from The Libertines and Kate Moss' peak Topshop era, others are considering the romance and whimsy that pirate cosplay brings. "An homage to the Golden Age of Piracy, luxury houses such as Dior, Khaite and Chloé showcased vintage lace, ruffles, tricorne hats and layered clothing that skillfully played on the buccaneer aesthetic, whilst maintaining a monochrome and pared-back colour palette. The result is a collection of romance-inspired clothes that feel a little bit more 2026, and much less like something straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean," says Brittany Davy, Who What Wear UK’s editorial assistant.

Despite appearing on the runways only a couple of months ago, this trend is already having an impact ahead of the collections becoming available, with demand for slouchy boots up 22%, ruffled blouses up 8% and ghillie (lace-up) shoes up a huge +77%, according to Lyst. "Piratecore is shaping up to be one of 2026's most resonant trends. From Dior’s romantic blouses and structural 'pirate' hats to McQueen’s tall, slouched boots and "

3. High Society

Style Notes: Whilst the general mood has been cemented as one of drama, extravagance and not holding back, these designs sit alongside some more demure dressing codes. "The quiet-luxury trend has dominated the past few years, but personally, I found it a little boring, even for a minimalist like myself. Luckily, the S/S 26 runways have provided us with an aesthetic that’s just as elegant but slightly more elevated than the expensive-looking basics that took over throughout our quiet-luxury phase," notes Davy.

The connotations of quiet luxury as wealth-whispering and "old money" haven't dissipated, but Davy notes that they have shifted. "Designers such as Chanel, Tory Burch and Baum und Pferdgarten swapped out more simple neutrals for baby blues, pops of red and sage greens that look just as modern as they do timeless (and also don't feel too out-there for a simple dresser like me). These, paired with classic prints such as checks and pinstripes and a mix of boxy and waisted silhouettes, create a fresh aesthetic that I just can’t get enough of."

For designers like Ralph Lauren, Chanel and Mugler, this preppy, "high society" style of dressing came with tailoring: skirt suits at Sandy Liang, Mugler and Thom Browne,

4. Puff Skirts

Style Notes: In a drama-filled season, perhaps nothing made more of an impact than the exaggerated silhouettes seen on the waists and hips of models at Mithridate, Simone Rocha, Dior and Keburia. After seasons of sleek silhouettes and skirts of varying lengths, this time around, the runways signified not a change in length, colour or fabric, but in width and volume.

"Every season, there is a skirt trend that dominates. For S/S 26, it was all about the knee-length silhouette, seen everywhere from Gucci to Toga, but this season, it’s something altogether more playful: puff skirts. Spun from frothy tulle, feather-light organza and luxurious taffeta, and delivered in ice-cream shades that honestly look good enough to eat, spring/summer’s biggest skirt trend is sculptural, joyful and surprisingly wearable," says Poppy Nash, managing editor at Who What Wear UK.

In lengths from mini to midi and drop-waists to high, these bubble hemlines and sumptuous fabrics sitting atop birdcage-style petticoats feel fun and, frankly, fabulous. But before the "ludicrously capacious" references begin questioning the wearability of said silhouettes, Nash notes that these playful and puffy pieces are surprisingly easy to style. "I’ll be pairing my pouff of choice (I’m thinking a pastel mini like those seen at Mithridate and Dior, or a sheer floral midi style inspired by Simone Rocha) with a simple jumper or a neutral blazer to balance proportions, and, most importantly, make it work hard in my wardrobe for the season ahead."

5. Real Housewives

Style Notes: Domesticity and the topic of "tradwives" have been a prevalent conversation in pop culture and style for a while, and this season, they filtered onto the runways in a series of pinafore styles, aprons and babydoll dresses with '60s-style floral motifs. "The archetype of the wife has walked away from the aisle and straight onto the mood boards of designers. From Carmela Soprano-type "mob wives" wearing leopard-print coats to more modern examples like Nara Smith in her over-the-top ball gowns whilst she confines herself to the kitchen to make food for her family 'from scratch', the wife ideal has never been more pressing," says Ava Gilchrist, Who What Wear UK's SEO writer.

This is not the first time designers have toyed with aprons. The Row, Dior and Phoebe Philo put forward bib-like silhouettes in recent seasons, but never so overtly as Miu Miu did in its latest spring collection. Indeed, we can always rely on Miuccia Prada to hold a mirror up to the contradictions in which we currently live. Gilchrist explains that when we look deeper, this reflection is less about a "trapped" ‘60s housewife and more about

6. Sports Club

Style Notes: At a glance, you might think that this feels like nothing new. Fashion has long drawn inspiration from the sports field, especially those sports that feel rooted in the preppy culture of the upper classes. From equestrian sports like horse riding and polo in the ‘80s and ‘90s to athleisure's heyday some five years ago and football mania falling into fashion, team sports have constantly dipped in and out of favour over the decades. This time, it feels less gimmicky and more nuanced, and as such, more wearable. As with style in general right now, there are parallels to the mid-2000s and 2010s eras—think striped rugby and polo shirts layered under V-neck jumpers. Whereas the trend originally had more of a post-Brit-pop, mod vibe, this time it's laid-back, relaxed and colourful.

"Preppy fashion may be back in rotation, but it's the quieter, lesser-known sub-genre of preppy sport which will be shaping the mood in 2026. Chalk it up to the Miu Miu effect from the spring runways last year, where the collection glamourised rugby tops, fitted polos and languid V-necks. Since then, it feels there has been a divisive zeitgeist shift away from sports style with a streetwear undertone, and instead a move towards a more laissez-faire, preppy sport influence," says Imani-Nia Francis-Tsolaki, Who What Wear UK’s junior fashion editor.

"One year on, the S/S 26 runways prove that striped polos weren't just a passing microtrend. Reminiscent of the slouchy jumpers that did the rounds in your PE kit at secondary school, Mithridate’s moss-green-and-navy striped polos were layered over blue menswear-inspired shirts, whilst Loewe styled bright red V-necks casually shrugged over butter-yellow button-downs. From here, the mood is clear: designers are championing a new uniform in 2026, one built on slouch, ease and a hint of undone nonchalance."

7. Hand in Glove

Style Notes: Gloves are expected on the autumn/winter runways, and you’d be forgiven for not expecting to see so many in spring. But what is the S/S 26 season if not surprising?! From opera gloves (which, according to Lyst, have already seen a +11% surge in demand)

8. Rococo Revival

Style Notes: It’s no secret that fashion trends often reflect wider culture, so the rococo revival should really come as no surprise. With the Victoria and Albert Museum in London exhibiting the Academy Award-winning costumes from Sofia Coppola's much-loved Marie Antoinette, we could have predicted that this season, designers would seek influence from late-18th-century France. What’s more, after years of pared-back quiet luxury, as well as the brashness of the Y2K movement, the runways are reflecting a thirst for refinement, grace and charm. Max Mara specifically called out Madame De Pompadour as a core influence on its collection. Although still in line with the brand’s classic and often neutral DNA, creative director Ian Griffiths created ethereal details with delicate floral prints painted onto layers of soft organza.

"Rococo’s flirtatious allure swept through the S/S 26 runways as designers scattered 17th-century silhouettes, motifs and colour palettes across their collections. At Erdem, the trend unfolded in sinuous corsetry, chin-grazing, frill-trimmed necklines and delicate lace. Elsewhere, labels such as Findikoglu and Yuhan Wang leaned into the era’s powdery pastels, weaving them through airy fabrics and languid draping. Hemlines ballooned and curved, whilst lace, florals and metallic sheens injected a sumptuous energy into these collections," says Natalie Munro, Who What Wear UK’s news writer.

"Though fashion’s heavyweights—John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood amongst them—have long mined rococo for inspiration, the devotion we've seen in recent years to ’90s minimalism temporarily pushed the trend’s exuberance out of frame. Now, as designers show renewed appetite for whimsy and ornamentation, rococo is resurfacing with fresh relevance, answering our collective craving for a little more opulence, fantasy and everyday extravagance," Munro adds.

9. Underwear as Outerwear

Style Notes: Underwear as outerwear, as the name suggests, details the overt presence of lingerie, crop tops and shorter-than-short shorts for next spring. There’s no question that this is one trend that always sparks conversation and divisiveness amongst fashion critics when it returns, with many this season commenting that it could be seen as a regression to the industry’s often sizeist reputation. Some others, however, remarked that it's rather a celebration and liberation of women’s bodies.

As Gilchrist remarks, "'Naked' dressing has always been one of the more polarising segments of fashion. Designers again pushed against these tropes of exhibition and conservatism by presenting bralettes and briefs as effortlessly as they would a pair of trousers or a brilliant coat. It’s no longer shocking to bare all and reveal a glint of skin, but the underwear-as-outerwear trend is more than just putting yourself on display. It’s about redefining the convention of when and where you can wear specific pieces of clothing."

Its popularity, specifically on the S/S 26 runways, made it impossible to ignore. Bralettes were the common denominator, and Prada and Jil Sander chose to expose these as a bottom layer below pinafores and low-scoop dresses, whilst others, such as Simone Rocha and Fendi styled them below cardigans. Versace and Keburia went more embellished and had them worn solo as more of a statement piece.

"Fendi, an Italian Maison renowned for its subversive knitwear, presented micro-shorts rendered in a silky argyle weave. Simone Rocha toyed with the constructs of comfort and femininity with sumptuous ditsy floral-print cardigans offset by sequin strapless bandeaus, and Danish wunderkind Nicklas Skovgaard took it one step further by presenting looks that had models in various states of undress, as seen in the look featuring a chartreuse tulle-trim pencil skirt set against a white T-shirt bra. Was this a conscious act of stripping garments back to their most rudimentary state, or something that further challenged the notion of pieces that must be hidden and those that can be shown?" questions Gilchrist.

It might feel strange, and definitely a little ironic, for this report to detail the comeback of naked dressing and BDSM-inspired pieces alongside the preppy classicism and high-society dressing that we associate with conservatism. But hey, what is fashion if not divisive, controversial and at times, hypocritical?

10. Send in the Clowns

Style Notes: Sometimes fashion feels expected, and sometimes it throws us a curveball. From jumbo polka dots and haute harlequin checks at Khaite and Dries van Noten to thick stripes and ruffle necks from Valentino and Jacquemus, it seems that for S/S 26, we’re being dropped into the joyous, theatrical splendour of the circus.

“In 2025, we’ve seen prints of all iterations hit the mainstream. From leopard to micro polka dots, we’ve flirted with what could be considered the 'new neutrals' already, but perhaps nothing would have prepared us for the costume-esque styling coming for spring. With maximalist dotted, fringed waistcoats and colourful checks, it's clear that 2026 is set to be filled with fearless textures and playful finishes, rejecting the beige normcore safety nets of seasons past," says Imani-Nia Francis-Tsolaki, Who What Wear UK’s junior fashion editor.

But Mair suggests this reflects a deeper meaning. "Clown-coded references signal fun, performance and humour. However, historically, clowning has been about hiding the true emotional state behind exaggerated expressions. Designers may be tapping into the modern tension between polished outward personas and internal anxieties," she explains. "This is also reflected in the harlequin pattern, which is inherently about duality, and psychologically speaking, our ability to hold conflicting emotions simultaneously, [like] joy with melancholy, confidence with uncertainty, boldness with vulnerability. Designers leaning into this motif may be responding to people wanting a wardrobe that mirrors the complexity of their internal lives."

11. Primary Tones

Style Notes: Another trend making a strong case for colour and joy in the S/S 26 collections is the use of bold, primary tones. Usually, we associate spring with pastels—delicate and soft tones that feel pretty, pale and at times, saccharine. But not this season! This idea of creative heads wanting to 'make an impact' occurs once again, with a more back-to-basics approach to colour. Think letterbox red, Kelly green, cobalt blue and even canary yellow at big hitters like Loewe, Lanvin and Versace.

"I spotted a whole legion of pencil-box brights at Paris Fashion Week, and seemingly this trend waved its painterly hand over Milan and Copenhagen, too. It's all about being brave with colour, whether you wear it in head-to-toe, monochromatic fashion à la Akris, Alaïa or Lanvin, or in a mix-and-match manner, as seen at Celine, Skovgaard and Loewe. A masterclass in toying with scarlet red, Yves Klein blue, buttercup yellow and punchy green tones, this styling technique looks like it's been lifted from modern artists’ palettes and sketchbooks. To punctuate such colourful ensembles, look to black leather accessories, such as bags, belts and shoes, as they don’t detract from the bright hues, but ground them instead," says Watson.

As previously noted, the quiet-luxury era feels like it may be coming to a quiet end. Although, of course, neutrals will always be classic, a period that celebrates boldness and self-expression is always welcomed with open arms. "S/S 26 proved that the biggest takeaway from this trend is that colour is for storytelling. If you compare Givenchy and Versace, Tom Ford and Loewe, the colour palettes may overlap, but the looks are completely in their own lanes. It’s a perfect trend because you can partake without looking like everybody else. I wouldn’t even call it a trend; colour is a tool!", says Ra.

Be it with sportier silhouettes and fabrics at Akris and Skovgaard or tailoring and leather at Versace and Loewe, largely, this trend focuses on unfussy pieces, letting the colour do the work.

12. '80s Nostalgia

Style Notes: You don’t need to be a fashion critic to know that styles from previous decades tend to come back around. This season, it’s the ‘80s, but not as we've often seen it before. This time, it was more than shoulder-pad-clad power suits that allude to enviable cinematic costumes like those seen in The Firm and Working Girl. Instead, it includes vibrant colour palettes, accessories and motifs.

"We’ve lived through the resurgence of ‘90s and '00s dressing (hello, low-rise jeans, baguette bags and windbreakers), but for S/S 26, the ‘80s return with a more relaxed focus, as designers like Saint Laurent, Versace and Chloé revisit and revamp the decade’s maximalist silhouettes, colours and prints.

On the runways, cropped floral tops with bright, slim trousers, structured printed blouses worn with jewel-toned knee-length skirts and defined—but not exaggerated—shoulders highlighted a renewed interest in ‘80s proportion and statement pieces, all approached in a much more controlled (read: elegant) way. The result is a quieter version of ‘80s power dressing: confident, streamlined and aligned with the practicality and ease expected of a 2026 wardrobe. This is not the ‘80s your parents lived through (thank god); it’s polished, modern and makes a statement without being excessive or loud," says Nash. Pinterest has announced its trends for 2026, highlighting '80s maximalism as one of its core fashion trends, with searches on its site for "'80s luxury" up 225% and "baggy suit" up 90%. It seems we'll soon be switching our low-key pieces for more standout styles.

13. Touch-Me Textures

Style Notes: Whilst moments of opulence and frivolity have had some presence over the years on the runways, there has long been a period of restraint, or at least a utilitarian approach to style, with tailoring, neutral colour palettes and functional fabrics dominating for the past decade. So the hit of sumptuous textures, colour and dimension for next season—which perhaps arrived due to a pressure felt by new creative leaders to make an impact—certainly quenched a thirst we didn’t even know we had.

"Texture took centre stage, becoming one of the most compelling ways designers added depth, drama and proportion to otherwise pared-back silhouettes. At Balenciaga, texture appeared everywhere—from mint-green cocktail dresses trimmed with feathers to sculptural skirt silhouettes. Over at Bottega Veneta, Trotter pushed the theme further, presenting elegant outerwear embellished with feathers, bouclé dresses with a uniquely tactile finish and even the house’s now-iconic fibreglass 'fur' coats, which reimagine traditional texture through a modern, innovative lens. The result is a season where touch is as important as sight, and where clothes feel alive with movement, tactility and unexpected detail," notes Who What Wear UK senior shopping editor, Marina Avraam.

Feathers were also used at Chanel and Demna Gvasalia’s teaser preview of what’s in store for his debut at Gucci, lining kaftan hemlines and layered in multiple hues across dramatic separates. Mugler used feathers in a more literal sense, showcasing a top with a high neck and wing-like arms, completely covered and carefully placed in a flat formation, emulating the body of a bird. Looking at all this, I can’t help but consider what Gilchrist notes in her recent Who What Wear UK winter issue feature on the art of dressing up, in which she questions why we’ve become afraid to wear our most frothy and downright fabulous pieces every day.

In this, she notes a move towards injecting this opulence and texture into more wearable pieces in the spring collections. "Whatever happened to fun? To getting dressed up for the sake of it? To throwing caution to the wind? To capturing every second instead of waiting for the right occasion to wear what we treasure most?" she asks. Could we see the S/S 26 collections as a direct response to this? I think so!