How we dress in a particular season is not only a reflection of our individuality and personalities, but also a commentary of the world we find ourselves in. Quiet luxury was more than just a boring beige aesthetic; it also reflected how people, when hit with the uncertainty of troubling economic times, turned away from logos and specialty items and started investing in pieces they could wear both to work and to a nice dinner. Sometimes, the impact of one trend can become tremendous, and as natural to us as breathing (like skinny jeans were to all of us just a couple of years ago).
As we head into Spring and warmer weather, BUST took a look at the upcoming trends, and is calling out the ones you should pay attention to!
Fine Straps
Tops or dresses, layered or on their own, with especially thin straps. These are just flattering and offer tons of styling options for various weather conditions or occasions. One strappy dress for example has a lot of potential – start in chilly spring over a T-shirt, turtleneck, or even a button-up shirt, and let it carry you into summer as a standalone garment when the temperatures rise. This season, McQueen presented their vision of corset-y, grungy-looking dresses and tops with a sultry boudoir vibe, while Anne Sofie Madsen suggested wearing a dressy, almost campy, metallic mini strap dress on top of a t-shirt to balance it out and achieve that effortless look. It’s hard not to like a strap dress. Everyone has had one at some point in their life. And there really is an option for everybody: stiff and comfortable with pockets for the active, flowy chiffon for those who want to feel a bit more romantic this spring, or even a gothic studded one for a touch of rebelliousness. Choose your fighter this spring!
Fluff
This might sound unexpected for the warmer season, but we’re not only talking about fur coats. This spring, designers experimented with different fuzzy textures in dresses, skirts, and even shoes. Paula Canovas Del Vas, for example, embellished one of her pieces with clusters of short, fine green jersey strings, giving it a moss-like appearance. And maybe that’s part of the idea? Cozy textures can feel grounding, like touching grass (because, let’s face it, we have less and less contact with real grass). Perhaps it’s also inspired by the comeback of fur, albeit without the cruelty. With real fur rapidly being banned at most fashion weeks (London, Copenhagen, and Berlin already have strong policies, and New York Fashion Week will go fur-free by September 2026), designers are offered plenty of creative opportunities with zero guilt. For us, big volumes act like a shield in uncertain times; it’s like taking back control, one cozy, fluffy piece at a time.
Rural Place
As a counter-culture to our digital world, we are seeking peace and daydreaming about escaping to places with limited cell phone reception and a return to simple, mundane tasks. We already see it as a trend in tourism – people are paying to go pick strawberries or spend a week on a remote goat farm. More and more young people, if they can afford it, are investing in a remote property instead of a tiny city apartment. In fashion, this translates to a rise in natural fabrics like linen, cotton, and hemp. Neutral, basic tones and a low color palette that avoid harmful dyes. Crafty, chunky laces reminiscent of something a grandma might have made decades ago are durable and pleasant to touch. Designers are becoming more conscious too, taking full control over the supply chain and dedicating their work to longevity and social responsibility. Many of them proudly support circular production. As more consumers become curious about how clothes are actually made, we’re hearing more talk about community – because, after all, it takes a village.
Extra Flare
We (involuntarily) get up early, hop on a bike or run to the bus, go to work, pick up lunch, plan an unexpected walk with matcha and after work, squeeze in a gossip session at the bar. Just like that, we’ve spent a full 14 hours outside our house and needless to say, most of us don’t compromise comfort for the sake of a flattering silhouette. Flare might be that specific kind of cut for our busy schedules – allowing free movement while easily transforming into something dressy. Baum und Pferdgarten takes a romantic, flowy flare and pairs it with a structured suede jacket, giving it a particularly contemporary look. Aiayu, meanwhile, envisions a safari-style, neutral sand-colored bell-shaped skirt that is both flattering and comfortable (let’s celebrate pockets in women’s clothing!). Other designers also have shorts and trousers on the agenda. Seems like there will be no tucking into boots this season.
Vintage Bohemian
One of the most interesting trends on the list shows a nostalgia that feels surprisingly new to our generation. Not nostalgia for the opulent or bohemian style of the 70s, but a nostalgia rooted in our emotional attachment to our own old clothes, the treasures we find at second-hand stores, or pieces we gifted to younger cousins. Vintage bohemian is grounded in DIY culture where we don’t aspire to perfection anymore. Many pieces look as if they were just sewn together, layered in ways we hadn’t thought of before. Here, more power goes to the styling than the garments themselves, as the trend manifests in mixing and matching, balancing light and heavy, and combining different patterns. Designers are giving a nod to the vintage finds we’ve all accumulated over the years, especially since thrifting became so popular. Cecilie Bahnsen creates a ruffled white dress and disrupts the innocent look with silver inserts, styling it with Asics sneakers for a contrasting look. Meanwhile, Rotate offers a chic option with a skirt tail sweeping the floor, paired with a brown, 80s-inspired chunky jacket that looks like it belonged to a mom when she was a student.
Humorous Maximalism
Meme culture and brain rot are terms so specific to our digital era as we are constantly online. In uncertain times, designers show a desire to escape the gloom using humor and kitsch unapologetically. Here, the more chaotic, the better. The outfits on the runway are as overstimulating as our social media feeds. After quiet luxury, it seems fashion is embracing loud styles again. There is no such thing as too much, and no two colors that don’t match. We see a revival of witty phrases on t-shirts and absurd-but-silly patterns, like cats with ribbons in their mouths on neon fuchsia taffeta pants in Caro Editions’ collection. Marimekko offers a slightly toned-down version (if we can even call it that), suggesting a striped yellow masculine button-up shirt paired with a fruit-patterned skirt and striking blue socks. For some, this might feel like never-ending optimism; for others, it’s a way to criticize the state we all find ourselves in.
Dystopia
From humor to darkness, some designers chose to reflect both futuristic aspirations and panic, highlighting our disconnect from our humanity. We see many otherworldly figures on the runway, as if they just landed from another planet. Designs capture this futuristic feeling using hi-tech materials, unorthodox textures, and unique fabrics, while a dark color palette creates an unsettling atmosphere. Rick Owens was one of the pioneers of this aesthetic, but it’s clear that more designers are adopting this philosophy in response to current world events. Han Kjøbenhavn envisions androgynous figures that are rigid, with designs resembling sculptures that barely move. Henrik Vibskov offers a slightly more down-to-earth vision, fully applicable to everyday routines, yet still embedded with impeccable, unusual pattern cutting that creates surreal shapes. Maybe this will be our uniform for the apocalypse?
Stonewashed Denim
Denim never goes out of style. Do you remember a time when jeans were truly outdated? Maybe a specific cut, yes, but jeans themselves – never. This season, it’s more about denim than jeans (the fabric versus the garment made from it). Since its invention, we’ve been experimenting with what’s possible with denim, and this season we’re circling back to stonewashed looks. Maybe it’s tied to the worn, faded aesthetic that’s everywhere right now– the broken-in vibe feels just right. Washed denim this season comes in all shapes and forms, everything from evening dresses to your classic jean jacket. Fine Chaos created a contemporary, street-style look with strong acid-wash jorts (long jean shorts) paired with an oversized top, giving a baggy, extremely comfortable overall effect. Gestuz, on the other hand, suggests a softer, very light blue matching two-piece set of jeans and jacket, worn with high heels to give it an elegant touch. Stonewashed, acid-washed, baggy or sleek – denim always gets us.
Show Your Socks
Not a new trend, but this season it feels simplified. We’ve left behind dressy lace ankle socks and bright, patterned knee socks, and instead are embracing the humblest of them all – transparent nylon knee socks. Most designers choose neutral colors like black, white, or nude. Of course, there are more opaque versions, but still none are overly decorative. Filippa K picked dark grey ribbed socks that everyone’s dad probably had at some point, letting them slouch around the ankle. These socks are paired with elegant black heels and a silk long skirt with a side slit, turning a humble accessory into an elevated cocktail look. Cecilie Bahnsen, meanwhile, chose thin, transparent white knee socks that somehow give a badass vibe to a dolly-puffy silhouette. It’s good news for those who tend to get blisters from less-than-comfy high heels.
All Images courtesy of James Cochrane
