It’s a major Spring/Summer 2026 season ahead, with designer debuts at Chanel, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga and Dior (womenswear), to name but a few. And while each creative director will be keen to make their mark on the season and distinguish their vision, the SS26 men’s shows, Copenhagen Fashion Week and summer events like the Venice Film Festival — where many new creative directors have tested looks on the red carpet — have given some indication of the silhouettes, colours and aesthetics we can expect.
SS25 has been dubbed the trendless summer, as fashion moves away from the micro-trend churn. So it makes sense that SS26 focuses less on aesthetics like medievalcore or Barbiecore, as we’ve seen with previous versions of this report.
Flip flops abounded and Pucci was splashed all over Instagram, but this summer, there was no defining trend, a la Brat or Barbie. What can brands make of a trend-less summer — and what does it signify about culture at present?
“As with men’s fashion week, individuality, self-expression and personal style will continue to grow for SS26. Outside of fashion, there’s a lot of conversation around self-worth and setting boundaries, and this individualism is affecting how people are dressing,” says Frida Tordhag, analyst at Heuritech, a trend forecasting platform that uses image recognition on Instagram to identify fashion trends as they’re bubbling up, using AI to predict how much they will grow in the future. “Fashion is feeling fun again. And while [quiet luxury] will stick around, 2026 will give way to more playful, colourful and textured trends alongside it,” she adds.
So what’s in store? Here, Vogue Business breaks down the key trends and aesthetics to look out for at the shows and on the streets for SS26.
Soft femininity
Since the boho renaissance following Chemena Kamali’s debut at Chloé (SS24), there’s been a rise in soft femininity season-to-season. And the trend is set to continue for SS26. “Big macro trends like romance never go away. There’s always that little bit of an evolution happening every season,” says Kim Cupido, catwalks senior strategist at trend forecasting agency WGSN. It’s expected, in the challenging times we are living in, that some people will seek escapism and whimsy from fashion, he adds, which is galvanising certain hyper-feminine items like blouses, bows and babydoll dresses.
There are signs already on the red carpet: early looks from Jonathan Anderson’s Dior womenswear at Venice Film Festival align with this mood, from Rebecca Marder’s pussybow, silken shirt dress to Greta Lee’s showstopping navy blue number, with a giant bow at the hem, and Chloë Sevigny’s baby pink Simone Rocha dress, covered in satin ribbon and bows.
Blouses have been trending already this Spring, with arrivals in stores up 28 per cent vs. SS24, according to retail intelligence firm EDITED, which tracks the arrival and sellout of certain styles online and in-store, to determine trends bubbling up for future seasons. Bold and feminine blouses with statement sleeves and collars, including Peter Pan, pussybow ties and ruffles, are set to trend for SS26, says EDITED retail analyst Aoife Byrne.
“I think we’re going to see a soft voluminous blouse come through quite strongly, specifically, because it’s very versatile,” says Cupido. “You can dress it up easily. You can dress it down more casually, easily. I think we’ll see a lot of that coming through.” Soft voluminous dresses, as seen frequently in Copenhagen Fashion Week, will be another key item to watch out for, notably those with big sleeves, per WGSN.
Lace skirts were identified as a key trend both on and off the runway at Copenhagen SS26, and arrivals of lace in early season arrivals have grown by 121 per cent year-on-year, according to EDITED data. According to Heuritech, fine lace is set to grow 29 per cent for SS26, while English embroidery will grow 16 per cent.
Sixties feminine silhouettes like the babydoll dress will also be a key silhouette, trend forecasters agree. They were prominent in Copenhagen at Cecilie Bahnsen’s anniversary show. “The babydoll silhouette has been a growing trend of interest on TikTok following Chloé’s Boho revival and we can expect to see other designers following suit, integrating this trend into collections to capture the Gen Z consumer,” says EDITED’s Byrne. On Pinterest, search is already up for “babydoll dress 60s” (+982 per cent); “1960s babydoll dress” (+119 per cent); and “babydoll crochet top” (+111 per cent).
Bad romance
We can also expect a darker twist to romantic dressing this season. Hemlines will be hitched, snipped and shredded for SS26, as consumers favour a little more esoterism from their clothes. “Directional silhouettes have dominated 2025 and demonstrate an appetite for the quirky,” says Byrne. “We can expect to see designers build on this [for the upcoming season].”
WGSN has coined this dark romantic trend “haunted cabaret”, as it’s partly inspired by John Galliano’s Margiela Artisanal SS24 show and its subversive, theatre-inspired silhouettes and makeup. “It’s the sort of look that’s less polished, more unapologetic, a bit frayed around the edges,” says WGSN’s Cupido. Sheer layers are a key style, as well as handkerchief (multi-layered) hems in sheer or dark fabrics.
Galliano’s successor Glenn Martens is fuelling the trend. His first looks for the house have featured dechiré hems and frayed edges, as spotted on Cate Blanchett during the Venice Film Festival, in a dress with a skirt made entirely from faux bird wings.
Boudoir dressing is another manifestation of the trend, with underwear as outerwear and dark lace. “We’ll still see the slip come through, lots of lace trims and camis,” Cupido says.
In line with the more undone dark romance trend, patchwork and artisanal styles will be used to add intrigue to tailored silhouettes this season. It’s an update to low-key luxury, Cupido says. “We still have really timeless silhouettes, but we’re seeing little special details come through, whether it’s in trims or finishes or more crafted elements.” He notes Freya Dalsjø in Copenhagen, who showed a skirt of leather squares attached at the corners. Hodakova’s work is another key example, using tailored silhouettes but made up of interesting found materials. “We expect to see a lot more of that coming through. I think for a long time, luxury has looked very sterile, very homogeneous. What we want now is to introduce some personality into those silhouettes.”
Spots and checks
Brands are increasingly investing in bold prints, WGSN has noted, and SS26 will see a continuation of the trend. “Polka dots were already huge this summer, but the trend will endure and evolve beyond the classic polka dot this season,” says Cupido, with spotty animal prints like cheetah and dalmatian replacing traditional polka today. Brands will also explore new takes on polka dots, from oversized dots seen at Caro Editions during Copenhagen Fashion Week, or embroidered polka dots as seen at the Sling Stone show at Seoul Fashion Week.
Heuritech predicts strong growth of big dots in particular, set to grow 78 per cent during Spring and 31 per cent during Summer 2026. And overall, small dots will have an estimated growth of 29 per cent in Spring and 21 per cent in Summer. On Pinterest, search is already up for “polka dot set” (+1,339 per cent); “polka dot headband” (+887 per cent); “polka dot tank top outfit” (+773 per cent); “polka dot mini dress” (+624 per cent); “polka dot cardigan” (+368 per cent)’ and “polka dot two piece” (+316 per cent) over the last year.
Dots aside, popular animal prints will include zebra and tiger, used to spice up more minimalist outfits. “In 2025, we’ve seen a rise in minimalist interior design, with raw materials, dark brown, wooden, sleek lines, but with something interesting in the room, for example, an armchair in zebra. This idea will transfer into fashion for SS26,” Tordhag says. The appearance of zebra print is set to grow by 21 per cent in Europe and 17 per cent in the US, according to Heuritech. Meanwhile, the appearance of snakeskin print will grow 22 per cent in Europe and 6 per cent in the US. Checks will also continue to rise, styled in contrasting layers including gingham, Prince of Wales and windowpane.
Fitted and cinched
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It’s been creeping in for some time, courtesy of Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent, but the 80s will be a firm inspiration for SS26, experts agree. Alongside prints, consumers will endeavour to spruce up daily outfits with exaggerated silhouette details like bigger shoulders and cinched waists.
“We have had so many seasons of low-key luxury and minimalism. I think everybody just wants a bit of exuberance, and wants to be a bit more expressive. That’s coming through in the bubbling up of the 80s,” Cupido says. “When it comes to tailoring, we’ve had so many seasons of the slouchy silhouette, the relaxed suit or boxy silhouettes. I think everyone just wants something more structured.” Sarah Burton’s AW25 Givenchy debut, which featured power shoulders, nipped-in waistlines and exaggerated hips, galvanised the trend, he adds. “Once we saw that, it confirmed the silhouette would filter through.”
Heuritech has noted more fitted silhouettes rising even beyond suiting. We’re moving away from oversized silhouettes across items, Tordhag says, with the appearance of fitted jackets set to grow 7 per cent, and fitted tank tops and fitted blouses both expected to grow 13 per cent.
Consumers are also looking for pieces that will elevate a plain outfit, Cupido says. “We can expect twists in shirting, playing with colour details or sleeves, button details, or even playing with fastenings so you can adjust the shirt to suit whatever silhouette you’re choosing for any particular day. Tailoring is an expensive buy. It’s something you invest in. It’s not something you can always buy every season, but these great pieces, like a shirt that you can then tailor in a very easy way.”
Icy tones and dusty pastels
SS25 saw butter yellow go viral, with the number of new styles stocked by retailers up 47 per cent year-on-year, according to EDITED data. Now, icy tones are on the rise, with cool blue hues holding particular commercial potential, trend forecasters agree. Icy blue will be a key colour of the season, WGSN’s Cupido says. And the shade was already prominent in Venice, from Emily Blunt in Schiaparelli to Alexa Chung’s Miu Miu silk bra. Other shades of blue will be trending, too, per Heuritech, which predicts a rise in the appearance of ultramarine, cerulean and baby blue.
Purple will be another key colour as we shift to maximalism, Tordhag says, with expected growth across hues like plum, merlot and sangria.
Dusted pastels and tinted pastels, in shades of green and pink, will also be key colours, not just across occasionwear but also on more utilitarian styles, Cupido says. “We saw it play [out] in the collections in Milan and Paris, notably at Sacai and White Mountaineering. We thought it was a really great way to update utility-led stories into something that’s not as purely functional.”
This injection of colour is interesting, after several seasons dominated by earthy, neutral tones (notably mocha mousse). While brown will endure through SS26, it’s stopped growing, says Tordhag, based on Heuritech data. That’s not to say it will disappear. “There are still quite a lot of earthy shades coming through, but they’re quite sun-baked for the season,” adds Cupido. “They work really well with the sort of dusted pastels, these sun-baked, rustic shades.”
As we shift to more maximalist palettes and accents, which are perhaps riskier than neutrals and simple tailoring, brands can rest assured that these trends won’t be a flash in the pan. “For quite a long period, we were heading from this core to that core. And it seemed like every few weeks, there was a new one popping up that we were all trying to figure out. And I think for us at WGSN, we took a step back,” Cupido says. “We realised outside of the micro-trends, the bigger macro trends are still there. They’re still evolving at the pace they once were.”
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