It’s February, and just as you’re done cleaning up the sale racks at Zara, come the runway trends for Spring/Summer 2019—some of which can now be had from your favorite high-street brands.
For the new season, clashing prints make way for fall-winter’s animal print mania. And whether you’re into muted tones or loud colors, XXL bags or minuscule purses, there’s something for every taste and sensibility in the new collections.
Let’s ease you in on some that you’ll find in stores.
All about the beige
While the neutral hue always gets such a bad rap—basic, dull, boring—this season’s beige gets a lot of love from designers. It got so much affection, in fact, that Burberry (under Riccardo Tisci), Tom Ford, Salvatore Ferragamo and Dior, among others, are espousing looks of head-to-toe beige.
Color me mad
Suiting will be huge, and new-season suiting is predominantly in Skittles and M&M hues—from Chanel to Tod’s, Escada and Gucci. (Neon is also back!) Notably, the predominant tailoring silhouette for blazers is oversized, still a nod to the 1980s. Also, consider a skirt or shorts suit, just to change things up a bit.
Prints, please
If you’re of the school that’s averse to solid colors, you’re in luck as Balenciaga, Proenza Schouler, Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors all went wild over clashing prints. Tie-dyes are in, too.
Shorts story
Shorts are huge for the summer—both biker and Bermuda. The cycling shorts trend of the ’90s is finally getting a serious comeback (from Chanel to Fendi), nearly a year after Kim Kardashian began making a case for them—and not for the gym. The just-above-the-knee Bermuda, once derisively called “Mom shorts,” is another option. They were seen from Boss to Prada.
Utilitarian rules
Designers from Celine to Hermès are pushing utility-style boiler suits or overalls, the trend switching from past seasons’ sleek and sexy jumpsuit styles. You can dress up these one-piece lookers in heels or booties, or go low-key and casual with the season’s barely-there thong slides or your trusty sneakers. Layer with a tee or turtleneck, or style with a belt while you’re at it.
Go big, or go home
If you’re not big fans of the prevailing micro, coin-purse-size bag trend that started last season, behold the massive totes of spring: from Gucci to Dior, Balenciaga, Jacquemus and Bottega Veneta. But there are plenty of smaller, midsize options for those days when you don’t have to bring your toilet and the kitchen sink.
Fanny side
However, if you’re feeling a bit of whimsy, you can finally give in to the belt bag trend you’ve been resisting. All the haute houses have styles for the season: Chanel, Burberry, Fendi, Ferragamo, Givenchy… Wear it around your waist or across your chest.
Feather light
Practicality may be the byword in footwear these days, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fancy. Slides and mules, even some heeled sandals, are trimmed with plumes and marabou feathers for spring, from Valentino to Dries Van Noten and Giambattista Valli. Other styles to go for: square toes, platforms, barely-there slides, pimped-out pumps, kitten heels and lug-soled flat sandals.
She sells seashells…
The beach comes to the girl for summer’s jewelry trend, as conches and seashells adorn earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Tortoiseshell is also a big trend in earrings. Variations of the classic hoop style are also not going away.
Band leader
Royal watchers took note when the Duchess of Cambridge began wearing headbands last year, first at the christening of Prince Louis. For spring, headbands were seen at Prada to Dior and Simone Rocha. Barrettes and hair clips are also making a comeback.