Spring/Summer 2018 Fashion Trends: The Key Looks You Need to Know
The spring/summer 2018 fashion trends are nothing if not bright, bold and really quite beautiful. In fact, it was a show season full of actual fashion moments, and that's not hyperbole. I'm talking about the type that had even the coolest fashion critics reaching for their Google Pixel 2 cameraphones. And the one catwalk that really set the tone, impressed everyone and just so happens to tick off almost every S/S 18 trend under the sun was, of course, Versace.
This was the kind of collection that deserves to be attached to the word iconic, and that makes sense once you know that the whole glamorous affair was a tribute to Gianni Versace at the 20-year mark of his untimely death. His bold vision and original supermodels came back to the fore once more, thanks to his sister, Donatella Versace's, creative direction. Jaws dropped to the floor. Shopping lists were supercharged. Stylists and A-lists will have to fight it out for samples to wear before the collection lands in stores next year. And we all remembered a time when supermodels really were quite super—just look at Naomi, Eva, Carla, Cindy and Claudia resplendent in gold chainmail, below.
This Milanese moment was three weeks into a month-long catwalk circuit, and it neatly tied up a few notions we'd been jotting down: Colour is key (whether bold or pastel), the '80s won't quit, and if you're going to do power dressing in our current times, you don't have to be all shoulders and stilettos—but the option is most definitely there.
Shifting gears from the street's athleisure boom, there's a prettier, softer mood in the air, and girls who like to dress up will be thrilled. Minimalists and tomboys have plenty to choose from too: Next year is trouser suit and flat-shoe heaven. Keep reading to discover S/S 18's fashion trends, from colours to prints and key pieces to new details.
1980s by Day
L-R: Y Project, Off-White, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini
Designers have eschewed all other eras to focus very clearly on the 1980s. The silhouettes are all in place (think nipped waists, strong shoulders, long, lean legs), and the muses are ones you'll instantly be able to imagine: Diana, Princess of Wales, continues to influence high-fashion places, with Off-White's Virgil Abloh citing the late style icon as his inspiration for his spring collection.
1980s by Night
L-R: Emanuel Ungaro, Saint Laurent, Halpern
There are two quite distinct '80s camps this time around, and it may well be that the more casual looks of the decade appeal to you more than the delightfully OTT eveningwear options from the likes of Saint Laurent. Just a plain pair of mom jeans wedged into white ankles boots and worn with a loose-fit top tucked in will suffice for spring.
And then there are certain spring items that not only act as the glue that holds all other, more transient trends together, but they are also investment pieces set to last a lifetime. Here are the more classic items that cropped up the most…
Trench Coats
L-R: Balenciaga, Céline, Bottega Veneta
Whether deconstructed and warped into something quite unusual (see Balenciaga's where the front is a trench while the back splits into a denim overcoat) or adhering to tradition, there was a trench coat on almost every important runway we could think of. To be worn with everything from bikinis to boardroom attire.
Shop our edit of the best trench coats here.
Sneakers
L-R: Louis Vutton, Lacoste, Prada
It was Nicholas Ghesquière's futuristic thick-soled trainers for Louis Vuitton that really got the crowds going during the tail end of Paris Fashion Week. However, many geeky sneaks existed in other influential places: Expect to see girls emulating the socks-and-velcro of Prada any day now.
See the 5 best pairs of classic trainers you'll ever own.
Trouser Suits
L-R: Rejina Pyo, Dior, Chloé
If there's one thing worth spending some money on, it's a perfectly tailored suit. These days you can find the style to match your personal taste because the concept is a now-constant fixture on the runways. Whether you want to make a statement (Chloé's horse-motif velvet suit is going to be a street style hit—mark our words) or opt for something more subtle, there are 1001 versions out there. And the best part is, they won't date.
Check out our guide to wearing a trouser suit.
Bum Bags and Belt Bags
L-R: Balenciaga, Gucci, Faustine Steinmetz
There's a real gamut of bag trends for S/S 18, but if one stands head and shoulders (and waist?) above the rest, it is the bum bag, or belt bag, should you want to sound more sophisticated. So many iterations exist, from the sporty pouches you'll see girls wearing crossbody through to luxe leather options courtesy of, who else, Gucci.
Shop the coolest belt bags and bumbags.
Pencil Skirts
L-R: Rochas, Hermés, Tod's
Should the past few years of leggings and track pants have destroyed your feminine fashion soul, rejoice in the pencil-skirt comeback. This time around they are longer-lined and therefore more flattering. They will replace your full-skirted midis for the time-being but are always worth keeping for the future. Net-a-Porter have predicted this silhouette will be a big seller for them in 2018—you heard it here first.
Get more info on how to wear a pencil skirt here.
Waist Belts
L-R: Sonia Rykiel, Veronique Leroy, Nina Ricci
It doesn't matter what kind of belt, just know that a waist belt is integral to the season's bigger shapes and volumes. Belt jackets, sling a chain-belt over a slinky dress, fasten a man's shirt… use it, daily, without fail.
Check out the many ways to wear a belt.
These aren't so much microtrends as small-but-important shifts we've noticed filtering through many of the most significant designer collections. If you aren't ready to commit to a retro get-up or don't fancy the below brights, tap into these subtler looks and ideas below.
Shoulders Are Everything
L-R: Marques'Almeida, Lemaire, Isabel Marant
Call it a backlash to this year's omnipresent off-the-shoulder looks, or just a calmer continuation of the 1980s trend we charted above, but BIG, BIG, BIG shoulders and sleeves are everywhere for spring. Most commonly rendered in soft blouses and shirts so that you can easily counterbalance the dramatic proportions with a miniskirt, like at Isabel Marant, or feel just fine 'n' breezy wearing a billowing outfit head-to-toe.
