By Prudence Wade
It’s time to banish jumpers to the back of your wardrobe, because a new season is upon us. As we edge closer towards spring/summer 2020, we can finally start wearing some of the trends we saw on the catwalks last September.
This is the best time of year to be a bit more experimental with your fashion choices too, as warmer weather means you don’t have to worry so much about dressing practically. And if you do want to try something new this season, there were plenty of wearable trends dominating the runways to take inspiration from.
Romantic white dresses
Even if your plans for the next few months aren’t set in stone, one thing is certain: at some point you’ll go to a summer party. Thankfully, high fashion designers have come to the rescue, and on the SS catwalks, everyone was making their own version of the perfect tea dress.
From Alexander McQueen and Erdem to Louis Vuitton and Chloe, this season it’s all about a long, whimsical white dress. This can be dressed up with sparkles – as we saw at Burberry – or a pure, white frock is perfect for a daytime event with flat sandals. The key is to keep the dress midi or maxi, all-white, and with floaty elements for that romantic edge.
Trench coats
As much as we might want it to be blazing sunshine all the time, summer is still a little way off, and spring can be unpredictable. The high fashion solution to this transition period? Trench coats.
You really can’t go wrong with a classic trench – it’s chic, elegant, and perfect for in-between weather. Either go for a classic staple, or take inspiration from the runway and give your trench a subtle twist, whether that’s with bejewelled detailing or interesting colours. We’re particularly taken by the mustard coat on the Alexa Chung runway and the oversized version at Balenciaga.
Crisp shirts
This season, the catwalks were full of classic designs and tailoring. This could be a response to the climate crisis, as people are increasingly shunning fast fashion for staples which won’t go out of style.
Crisp shirts in block colours like blue or white were all over the runways of Dior, Versace and Etro, either styled as the main event or part of a layered outfit. It’s the kind of look we often see on the Duchess of Sussex, and the key to this trend is to keep things simple and effortless.
Raffia
Sustainable materials were front and centre at SS20. In a recent Go Ask Anna video for Vogue, editor Anna Wintour said of this season: “We’re seeing a lot of linen and raffia, fabrics that are very organic and natural.”
Many designers have chosen to use raffia in their accessories – just take a look at the bags at Celine and Stella McCartney – while others like Simone Rocha and Dior went a step further and used the material in whole outfits. Bonus: it’s an easy one to incorporate into your everyday look, as it more or less matches everything.
Bermuda shorts
Finding the perfect pair of shorts can be tricky – it seems like there’s no happy medium between booty shorts and something your dad would wear. Luckily, high fashion has come up with a cool new option: Bermuda shorts – but done stylishly, of course!
The runways of Chloe, The Row, Bottega Veneta and Alberta Ferretti all featured tailored shorts which fell just above the knee – often in interesting colours or leather-look fabrics, which brings in another popular trend of the season.
Coloured leather
This leads us neatly onto another major trend of SS20: coloured leather. The best thing about this look – seen at Louis Vuitton, Prada, Givenchy, Kate Spade and beyond – is you can really make what you want of it.
Bold colours are encouraged, as are gentler pastels – this is a trend you could have some fun with. But just remember – the fashion crowd now gravitates towards faux leather, and invest in something you’ll love for years to come.
Underwear as outerwear
This is one of the more risque looks we saw time and time again on the catwalk, but it’s actually more wearable than you might think. Designers at Givenchy, Lanvin and Mugler seemed to be taking inspiration from pop stars like Dua Lipa, shunning tops for bralettes.
This isn’t the only way the underwear as outerwear trend manifested however – the trend can also be seen in silk camis and barely-there slip dresses being sported as slinky outfits. It’s basically a Nineties-inspired way to dress a bit more sexily, but how far you take it is totally up to you.
