How To Wear Spring/Summer 2018 Trends

Dressing for the weather in Spring can be such a minefield.  The weather can be so hit or miss, it’s difficult to know what to wear.  Sandals, pumps, t-shirts or jackets.  Who knows.

The safest option is to cover all bases and go for layers.  That way you can add or remove them as necessary.  From how to layer in the daytime to what to wear at night, we have your style choices covered.  Lighter fabrics also usually give us a more undefined outline that can flatter all body types, and luckily, the soft, floaty silhouette is another big SS18 trend we have to look forward to.

Kaleidoscope Colours

As with the beginning of spring, we expect the weather to warm up, much like the colours of our clothes.  Seek out bright, bold and beautiful shades to make any outfit pop.

SS18 fashion shows were bursting with primary garments breezing up the catwalk, from the tomato red dresses of Preen to the canary yellow gowns of Balenciaga.  To replicate, colour yourself gorgeous by emboldening your look with a dynamic shade — think electric blue, acid green and tangerine orange.  Either splice your shades together in the form of striped tops and checked skirts or wear them in blocks — think cobalt tapered trousers with a scarlet shirt or mustard culottes with a turquoise cami.

Lilac is also going to dominate the spring colour palette, so make sure your wardrobe is infused with plenty of beautiful things in this shade.  Hayley recently wrote a wonderful post about wedding fashion this season.

Welcome Back The ’80s

This part makes me wish I’d hung on to my clothes from when I was younger!  Say hello to pouf skirts, power suits, ruched tops, and lashings of denim because SS18 is going back in time and dousing itself in ‘80s glamour.

To nail this trend, you want to create an outline of emphasised shoulders, nipped in waists and lean legs.  For spring days, chose high-waisted, light-wash jeans and square-shoulder blouses, and at night, go for a top-heavy, ruched-velvet dress enhanced with hoop earrings.  Prepare yourself for an incoming of parachute pants, turtleneck sweaters, waist belts, unapologetic prints, and puff sleeves.  If you’re looking for tips, take inspiration from Anthony Vaccarello’s collection at Paris Fashion Week SS18.

Vintage Flower Power

Prepare yourself to bathe in an ocean of florals this season. SS18 fashion shows a love for patterns powered by petals.  Although, SS18 will adopt a subtler, more vintage approach to florals.

Refer to the SS18 catwalks of Erdem and Dolce & Gabbana.  Note their use of soft pastels and intricate patterns, they nailed the spring-ready floral trend.  Opt for high-neck tops and traditional tea dresses — similar to Emilia Wickstead’s range — and go for time-honoured fabrics, like silk and brocade, to pinpoint the vintage floral look in time for blooming season.

Love The Layers

As we mentioned before, spring can be a tricky season when it comes to self-styling.  How do you dress for breezy, sunny and showery days?

The solution is layering.  By being a creative dresser and layering your staple wardrobe pieces, you open a world of untapped possibilities.  The finesse of layering is being able to mix and match fits and shades flawlessly.  Channel the colour-blocking trend we mentioned earlier and build a multi-layered outfit out of contrasting hues.  Why not try an ivory shirt under an emerald sweater finished with a fitted black blazer, boxy red mac and navy jeans, for example?

Next, think about the shape of your layered choices. Don’t stick to loose and billowy clothing, but similarly, don’t pull on fitted pieces with each layer.  To make layering an art in spring 2018, you need to contrast your fittings.  Try a bralet that hugs your body then pair with culottes, flares or wide-leg trousers.  Slip on a sheer wrap top over your bralet and top-off with a cropped silk, loose-fit kimono and tailored tuxedo jacket.  These pieces all work perfectly together, and you can add and remove as the day and evening elapse to suit the dress code and weather.  Some designers have even sent their models down the catwalk wearing voluminous tulle skirts over skinny-fit trousers, again showing that mixing outlines is key to this growing fashion trend.

Fabulous Fringing

Fringing is everywhere this season.  Swinging from hemlines.  Fringed clothing is just another weapon in the season’s arsenal of flawless spring-wear.  Ditch clean-cut handbags for fringed alternatives and enhance your evening dress code with long, flowing fringes that swing in sync with every step. More dancefloor-diva chic than festival-girl boho, SS18 fringes are made to enhance, not just accessorise.  Wear yours in a long, luxe fabric and remember, the greater the swing, the better.

Checkmate!

Don’t pack away your plaids and tartans at the start of the warmer weather.  Designers are now investing in versatile prints that we can wear and repurpose as the year goes on.  This is good news for checks!

Throughout SS18 fashion weeks across the world, the plaid pattern adorned almost every outfit scenario.  From the trenches of Burberry to the dresses of Fendi, checks came in all sizes and shades.  This means you should keep an open mind when it comes to selecting your ideal check colour for SS18.  For example, Loewe offered a stunning, dip-hem dress featuring baby pink and blue checks, while Alexander McQueen took a harsher line with bold red and contrasting white plaid patterns.

Dressed-up Athleisure

Check out Rihanna and Ariana Grande and you’ll see that athleisure is now an embedded trend in current women’s fashion. So, what will SS18 bring to the table?

This spring, it’s all about athletic-inspired clothing ­— in particular, the two-piece tracksuit.  However, don’t just throw it on with anything.  The mood is changing around sportswear and now and we’re being encouraged to think outside the box by fusing out athleisure gear with glamour-focused accessories.

Stilettos and sportswear strutted to the forefront of all SS18 fashion weeks.  Wear your joggers and cropped top with high heels and statement jewellery.  Go for sneakers or cute plimsolls and dress them up when the warm weather hits with a floral dress or checked skirt.  Striking the balance between casual urban and dressed-up chic is essential to nailing this in vogue look.

Spring Accessories

So now we’ve covered the clothing, what about accessories?  This SS18 is driving the trend for bumbags and belt bags.  Don’t believe it?  Check out Gucci and Balenciaga’s SS18 show.  To keep in line with the power of the ‘80s, opt for waist belts that pull you in for that iconic  Dynasty-esque silhouette and put the final stamp on the look with over-the-top earrings.

Chic and sleek umbrellas are essential during April showers, while cat-eye and tinted aviator sunglasses will be the style-of-choice as the sun gets more sociable in May. As for shoes, bring out the espadrilles and flatforms for daytime drinks, then get ready for sunny evenings with wedges and open-toe heels.

Revamp your wardrobe with these key SS18 trends and get ready for in vogue looks that will carry you flawlessly at every occasion.

Please note this was a collaborated post.  Thanks for reading.