Fashion

What will you be wearing next year? Six style updates from the spring 2020 shows

One month, four cities, countless shows, here are the easy-to-wear trends to try

A model walks the runway for Staud during New York Fashion Week. Photograph: JP Yim/Getty Images.

Corina Gaffey
Fri Oct 4 2019 - 06:00

Time goes fast in the fashion world, and while we haven’t even dug out our cosy coats or dusted down our boots to brave the colder temperatures, the fashion industry have already thought ahead to spring.

Since the beginning of September, the biannual fashion circus rolled into the cities of Paris, London, Milan and New York, with heritage brands, contemporary labels and emerging talent all giving guests a glimpse of what to expect for the impending warm-weather season. A sunny-sense of optimism and ease permeated the collections, with designers showcasing familiar trends that are traditionally characterised for spring, including sunshine hues, pastels and florals.

But there were other twists in silhouette, colour and shape, with undemanding trends that can be easily adopted into any wardrobe.

To help you get ahead, here’s our overarching outfit updates you need to know, straight from the runway.

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1. Dial it down

Serving up some real-life, accessible outfit inspiration, luxury designer houses including Celine, Balenciaga and Brandon Maxwell set the tone for louche, laid-back comfort-dressing. Denim was ubiquitous. This wardrobe staple is not usually a regular on the catwalks but jeans were seen teamed with either slouchy blazers or counter-balancing the informality with elevated blouses.

2. Easy colour clashing

No surprise for spring, designers leaned towards spring-like pastel sorbet colours, with tangerine emerging as the optimistic shade of choice. But while we saw monochromatic combinations at Tibi and Sies Marjan, other designs adopted a more the merrier approach, combining two or more shades together, doing the hard work for you.

3. Trench dressing

Trench coats in a spectrum of stand-out shades flooded the runways of all the major cities. The classic topper came in every hue of the rainbow from fire engine silky embossed styles at Sies Marjan to sherbet yellow at Lanvin. Coming a close second, another practical layer of choice was the poncho - stylishly slipped over pleated dresses at Roksanda.

A model walks the runway for Sies Marjan during New York Fashion Week. Photograph: JP Yim/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows.

4. Exaggerated sleeves

Come next spring expect a further evolution of the statement sleeve with puffy-sleeved shirts and dresses getting bigger and bolder in the form of ruffles, volume and bold shades. But statements don’t stop there for spring, as well as show-stopping sleeves, simple silhouetted pieces get the extra-treatment with sweet accoutrements and texture treatments of pleats, feathers, and bows.

5. Knit wits

Basic but not boring, cosy knits’ fate as a must-have spring item was suggested at shows including Tibi and Prada. Spun into the spotlight, they came slinky or see-through and paired elegantly with warm-weather leather in sweet pastel shades. Keeping to the knitted theme, the crafty side of designers was showcased with chic crochet dresses and separates weaved through the collections of Stella McCartney and Kate Spade.

6. Sheer delight

Just as popular on the runway as off, shirts in gauzy, organza fabrics were spotted on the catwalks as well as a slew of streetstyle stars meaning you can start adopting this trend right away. More wearable than previous sheer iterations, the blouse balances business and party especially layered underneath shocking pink short suits at Valentino.