After much fanfare, the spring 2026 shows are finally over. Now it’s up to us to parse through thousands of images and hundreds of reviews to decode their meaning. Did the great reset, as it’s been called, change fashion? Absolutely. But did fashion also stay the same? Absolutely. It’s not a riddle; it’s just the tension that lies at the heart of our current era, and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the accessories.
The trends for spring 2026 are not as clear-cut and cookie-cutter as they’ve been in seasons past, and the things everyone seems to agree on are either überpractical or delightfully odd; some ideas, like the bag-on-a-belt look, manage to deliver the best of both worlds. Maybe designers were just trying to create things that would make them happy? The meaning is there is no meaning; these are just shoes and bags and belts and hats (and don’t forget sunglasses) that can make your life easier, more beautiful, even fun. And maybe that’s enough!
A Bag on a Belt
This is not the fanny pack of the 1980s but rather a sophisticated, modern solution to the problem of wanting to have your hands free at the function—the function being whatever you want it to be: your kid’s recital, after-work drinks, a wild night out dancing. The teeny Hermès Kelly may be the house’s most genius take on the classic bag yet.
The New Flip-Flop
Until recently, flip-flops were just generic shoes— something to wear in the summer to the beach—that existed entirely removed from the fashion trend cycle. And then The Row made a pair with a red sole and a black thong and everyone lost their mind! Now designers have gone all in on the flip-flop, offering unique examples of the basic style. New York’s avant-gardist Melitta Baumeister gave her take on the trend with an elongated, pointy sole, and Pierpaolo Piccioli’s first order of business at Balenciaga was a groovy platform version in luscious velvet colors.
Sunglasses With a Li’l Something Extra
This season it’s not about an aviator or an oversized or even a cat eye. Instead choose styles that stand out on their own, with funky frames, shots of color, or unexpected lenses. These are not your basic shades, though we challenge you to wear Vaquera’s all-gold specs or Duran Lantink’s tubular sunglasses for Jean Paul Gaultier every day just as if they were.
A Bag That Actually Fits All Your Stuff
It makes sense that after seasons of bags so small you could carry them around on your wrist, the pendulum has swung the other way. Now designers are thinking about all the things women carry in their bags on a day-to-day basis. Wallet, makeup, book, phone, keys, change of clothes for the gym, pair of comfortable shoes for later, and a freakin’ laptop: It all fits in these oversized beauties.
A Small Pouch for Evening
When you’ve booked dinner with your girlfriends and you don’t really need much more than lipstick, your keys, your ID, and a credit card, then do as Mrs. Prada does and carry a tiny embellished fabric pouch that can daintily hang from your elbow.
Clogs and Wooden-Sole Clompers
At Bottega Veneta, Louise Trotter designed clogs varnished in shiny apple green or space-age silver, making them instantly desirable. But she wasn’t the only designer who went Dutch: Victoria Beckham gave her clogs a Western tinge, and at Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière covered his in delicate leather belts.
Put a Belt on It!
Designers are betting big on belts. It doesn’t matter if you wear yours cinched at the waist or low on the hips as long as the belt can be seen a mile away. Extra thick, extra long, in multiples—the point is to make a statement. (And kudos to Nadège Vanhée at Hermès for bringing the Carrie Bradshaw belt-on-a-bare-stomach look to the runway.)
Square-Toe Prep Shoes
Like Huey Lewis and the News sang in 1986, “It’s hip to be square.” If that song came out before you were born, don’t worry. The point is the geeky undertones of these square-toe oxfords and loafers are very, very cool.
A Bejeweled Skull Cap
Jewelry for your head! What’s not to love?
3D-Detail Shoes
Shoes came alive for spring, growing flowers, seashells, and full heads of fringe. Practical? That’s debatable. But swoon worthy? Most definitely.
Strange Socks
Styling tricks to take note of: a shoe protector worn as a sock at Dario Vitale’s new Versace; thin socks rolled down “donut style” at Marie Adam-Leenaerdt; “baggy” socks at Louis Vuitton; colorful ankle socks worn with clear shoes at Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez’s new Loewe; a delicate chiffon sock worn…on the outside at Rachel Scott’s new Proenza Schouler. Okay, that last one is not a proper sock, but it’s a sock in spirit! Other incredible leggy displays this season included fringed leg warmers at Alaïa and, from Loewe, two-tone tights worn with matching different-colored shoes.
And now three things that aren’t really trends, but we’ve been spending time pondering them anyway:
Hair Clips and Bobby Pins Go Bold
Instead of trying to get your hair accoutrements to blend in with the rest of your hair, go nuts and cover your head!
It’s a Belt, But It’s a Skirt, But It’s a Belt
Just a bit of frou for your hips.
Shoes That Don’t Go With Anything Actually Go With Everything
This is a life lesson from me to you.
