This spring, in the world of fashion, as elsewhere, everything is a little bit up in the air. This time last year, we were just beginning to understand that we were facing a global pandemic. Isn’t that remarkable? Not so long ago, but it feels like another world altogether. Will we refer to our lives in terms of PP (Pre Pandemic)and AP (After Pandemic) going forward?

This will be a much studied and discussed time in fashion history for years to come, but right now, we can only predict what people may want to be wearing as we hopefully re-emerge from our collective COVID-19 experience around the world.

Will we be able to safely travel? Will we be able to go out to dinner and dine indoors comfortably? Will we be able to attend events this summer? Graduation? Weddings? What will the Fourth of July look like and so on? None of these questions can be answered today.

That being said, as the vaccine process ramps up, hopefully we will be able to come out of our forced social isolation, but it will be into a new world. Emphasis on sustainability and giving back will be important for brands going forward.

There are many ethical questions to be answered, such as, “Is constant ‘Newness’ important?”, the need for which brought on the fast fashion industry, which we know now has been a major pollutant. You can listen to our podcast with fashion historian, Caroline Milbank here, to hear more about this.

Ethical questions aside, fashion is a much needed escape for us, especially these days! As we emerge, The Style That Binds Us team predicts that people will want more color in their lives, they will want to mix “Fashion” with comfort, but will be very, very tired of their worn out sweats.

“I wanted to create a world and a universe that felt very glamorous and done up, but also quite stripped and quite pure,” Daniel Lee, creative director of Bottega Venetta and the fashion insider’s designer of the moment, said, “I’m always interested in this idea, of how you can feel done up and elegant at the same time as feeling comfortable.” Sounds perfect to us!

*We’ve included a shoppable selection of items throughout and at the bottom of this article featuring Spring 2021 trends in case you’d like to add something (or multiple things) to your wardrobe!

Here are the trends we believe will resonate with the Style Squad for Spring/Summer 21:

Colors To Look For:

• Neutrals mixed with whites, black, & earth tones
• Beautiful, soothing but rich pastels
• Bold joyful hues, think hot pink!

Style Trends:

ATTENTION TO THE SHOULDER

“Bold shoulders have been around for a while…and at this point they’re pretty much a wardrobe staple.”
Christian Siriano

Alison reminds us that the shoulder is the last area to age! Cut-outs, one-shoulder, and off-the-shoulder styles are an ageless, timeless look.

DENIM

Over-sized, faded, distressed, moving away from skinny, cut-offs, or retro 70’s style flare

“Get outta here, skinny jeans! This season it’s all about baggy denim.”
-Etro

KNITS

Tops, lightweight sweaters, tanks and bralettes in beautiful, natural fabrics that feel luxurious next to the skin.

SHOWING MORE SKIN

From cutouts to micro mini skirts, skin-baring styles continue to be big

“From cutouts in sweaters to dresses, showing a little skin will definitely help you cool down in the heat this spring.”
-Gabriela Hearst

FLORALS

We are all searching for inspiration and joy these days, and spring florals feel very hopeful and light.

From Harpers Bazaar- “The bolder, the brighter, and the more impactful seems to be the only way forward for spring. Designers certainly aren’t here for wilting daisies; instead, they’re bringing the floral motifs in sunny yellows, on neon tulip dresses, and on gala-worthy ball gowns in shades of pink so incandescent you’ll need shades to look straight at them”, (did they say “Ball gowns?!).

ATTENTION TO THE WAIST

Whether it’s a belt or a tie, showing off your waist is definitely a look for spring.

After reading this Trends report, we recommend shopping your closet, as well as the stores, to follow any of these trends that resonate with you. Also, is important to remember that not all trends are for you, even if you love the look! Alison will not be wearing micro minis or bralettes for example, but these trends would be perfect for Delia.

SUSTAINABILITY

Brands will be leaning into incorporating sustainability practices more and more.

GIVING BACK

Brands are realizing that giving back in some way adds value and customer loyalty, as well as inspiration to the designers themselves

Which trends resonate with you? We’d love to know! We predict that soon we will be more free to celebrate, to play, and experience spring in all its joyful splendor. That’s our hope for all of us. If we can visualize it, it will happen!

Stay tuned for more Trend reports on Spring beauty, jewelry and shoes coming soon!