You could be forgiven for thinking that the spring/summer 2021 collections – and the subsequent raft of spring/summer 2021 trends – were something of a damp squib. Certainly, thanks to the ongoing pandemic, it was a season like no other.
As for the biggest spring/summer 2021 trends? The new working-from-home routine certainly had an effect on what designers turned out. How else to explain the mood for bralettes and midriff flossing?
Away from the underwear-as-outerwear impulse came comfort:
wide-leg trousers made for bold strides;
floaty, sheer maxi dresses promised easy glamour;
and ladylike ensembles pimped with a touch of sportswear felt suitably modern
Think prim pleated skirts with hoodies, as seen at Prada, tea dresses with cagoules, as seen at Celine, and pencil skirts with bomber jackets, as seen at Max Mara.
Monochrome Magic
In a world with no simple answers or even straightforward questions, designers showed a predilection for black and white – most often, together.
The New-Look Bralette
Brace yourselves for spring’s most stomach-clenching trend (after, sigh, midriff flossing).
Do The Floss
Another trial disguised as a trend: midriff flossing. Loosely translating as a series of crisscrossing cords and wraparound details resembling dental floss (hence the name) that can emerge from skirts, from the aforementioned bralette, as well as souping up the middle region of a maxi dress, resistance is futile.
Take The Floor
Breathe out! Here’s one trend that has come to save those of us trapped in micro-apartments without so much as a resistance band for company: floaty maxi dresses.
Wide Strides
Skinny jeans and cigarette pant lovers: hear us out. Baggy trousers may not have the streamlining effect of your favoured slim-line silhouettes.