Have you forgotten how to get dressed? I don’t mean chucking on the same knit and trackies you’ve been wearing for the past year. I mean like actually get dressed with purpose and consideration—a frock for drinks with mates at the pub, a cool pair of tailored trousers for a picnic in the park, a blazer for doing some Saturday shopping… There’s no doubt that while our love for fashion hasn’t waned, it’s been very centered on what we do inside our houses, so that means there’s been more of a focus on loose, comfortable and functional items. It’s not really been about getting dressed. Well, with spring coinciding with the easing of lockdown restrictions, it’s time to inject some fun into our outfits.
Thankfully, there are plenty of joyful colours that are trending for this spring/summer 2021 that are about to make this season’s outfits so good. All the runway collections for this season emphasised colour. For seasons upon seasons, we’ve been met with muted tones and less of a desire to showcase bright hues, but bold is back, and it’s all very exciting. When compiling this piece, I looked at, quite literally, hundreds of runway images and came to the conclusion that there are five major colours we’re all going to be looking to wear.
There’s the bright-pink trend we already told you about and a royal orange that’s ideal for faking a holiday vibe (even if you’re going nowhere), as well as a delightful scarlet and a green that is surprisingly addictive. There’s even a pale yellow to placate those who aren’t sold on the bold looks just yet. Keep scrolling to see our prediction for the coming season and have some fun wearing clothes again.
The green that’s emerged this season is hard to name. Some might call it neon, others lime. But there’s also a case to be made for emerald and seafoam. Whatever version of this colour you prefer, just know that it is everywhere. Other than pink, this is the one colour I seem to spot on influencers and all over the high street. My favourite runway collections to showcase this colour include Versace (more on the neon side), Brandon Maxwell and the queen of bright colours, Molly Goddard. Wear it in a skirt, a jacket, or a pair of trousers (don’t sleep on the Arket tailored pair) and accessories, such as the bags at Bottega Veneta.
Orange? For spring and summer? Yes, I know, groundbreaking. Hardly a total surprise. But this season truly needs an injection of joy, and this colour certainly does that. There are ACNE’s crinkled top, Christopher John Rogers’s sports-influenced dress and MSGM’s suiting to get inspiration from. However, I’ll probably stick to what I know and invest in an orange sundress.
In the middle of all the bright colours is the most muted of them all: the pale yellow. This is the ideal colour to pair with all the other bolder hues. While I don’t often wear this colour, I’m tempted by the variety of pretty summer dresses I’ve seen (hello, Erdem) as well as cardigans and tees.
We told you some time ago that bright pink is the colour of 2021. And so it should be. There’s nothing like re-entering the social world wearing something as traffic-stopping as this colour. Few collections missed out on including this hue. However you decide to wear it, there are plenty of options, but there’s an H&M co-ord that is so cool you’d be daft to miss it.
Red, or scarlet in this case, genuinely suits everyone. While I’d argue it’s not usually considered a spring/summer colour, as it’s more of a year-rounder, it’s being fully embraced for the coming warmer months. From Celine’s sports jackets to suiting at Emilia Wickstead, it seems that red can be worn on pretty much any item you choose.
Next up, the biggest spring/summer 2021 fashion trends to know.
