I can’t believe it’s already time for another of my bi-annual trends posts. I keep wondering whether I should carry on with them, and each time I do, I hear someone say how much they enjoy and look forward to them, so here we are :). Today I’m reviewing Spring trends ’26 to inspire your sewing. Whether or not you dabble in adding trends to your wardrobe, I guarantee there’s something that piques your interest, even if it’s the smallest detail on a garment.
If you’re heading into Autumn and Winter in the Southern hemisphere, you might enjoy my previous trends post here
A Quick Overview
There was a lot of bright colour to be seen on many runways. I noticed some lovely asymmetry in Summer co-ords and scarf prints featured along with bold black and white. The tailoring was fabulous…something that I love to see. And it was nice to see sheer fabrics used in classy, tasteful ways rather than revealing everything underneath. All in all, I found plenty that appealed to me, hopefully you will too 🙂
The Pantone Colours for 2026
The Pantone Institute studies colour trends two or three years in advance and then announces colour groups for London and New York that each include a smaller selection of neutrals alongside the brighter offerings. Last season was all about the warm tones, but I notice that there’s a healthy dose of both warm and cool colours to suit various complexions, with a good mix of bright and muted shades. Yellows, oranges and light blues were plentiful on the runways alongside soft, muted, earthy-toned clothes, and I should mention that the colour of 2026 has been announced as Cloud Dancer. Cloud Dancer is an off-white and is said to evoke calmness and serenity, though apparently some critics have said it is too simplistic…
Here are the two main colour groups:
LONDON FASHION WEEK
NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
The Big List Of Trends To Look Out For
As usual, there are so many different trends, some micro trends, some are more standout ones that crop up again and again on the runways.
- Utility details (cargo pockets, epaulettes, pocket-laden trousers)
- Librarian Chic (‘A’ line skirts, pearls, twinsets, tweed)
- Tactile details and fabrics (boucle, fur, tweed, feathers)
- Laid back, loose silhouettes in luxurious fabrics
- Icy blue
- Off-white
- Animal prints with a difference and insect prints. (Fawn prints, butterfly and moth wings, etc)
- Scrunched/wrinkled textures in fabrics
- Vibrant brights such as yellow, green and orange
- Asymmetrical shapes
- Statement skirts
- Dramatic funnel necks
- Bold glamour
- Gold fabrics, jewellery and bags
- Poet-core. Lace, bows, tweed
- Unusual proportions and shapes within an outfit (think cropped trench coat, balloon pants, dropped waistlines, etc.)
- Print mixing and clashing
- Teal (yes, please!)
- 20s-inspired dropped waist dresses
- Polo shirts
- Dark denim
- Military jackets
- Drop waist skirts
- Elevated sporty looks
- Oversized suiting
- Dare I say it? Florals, hah!
- Black and white combos
- Lightweight coloured leather
- Sheer elements (not flashing flesh…more like adding feminine elements)
Trending Accessories
- Jewellery containing small or large colourful beads paired with pearls, diamonds or metals. Playful and fun
- Bows on shoes
- The humble brooch
- Posh flip-flops
- All kinds of maximalist jewellery
- Tiny bags on pendant-type lanyards
- Skinny or small tringle neck scarves
- Bags on waist belts
- Large sunglasses
- Basket weave textures in leather on bucket hats and bags
- Boho details on bags, shoes, and jewellery
- Lacy hosiery
Runway Inspirations
I browsed a lot of runway images on the ‘Women’s Wear Daily’ website (do pop over there yourself, you can tap on the Runway heading at the top of the webpage and browse by city and season) and put some collages together.
Safari-style jackets, unusual skirts, fabulous coats, scarf tops and skirts, and asymmetrical summer co-ords all caught my eye. Do you see anything you like the look of?
Some Sewing Patterns To Get You Started
I’ve picked out a few sewing patterns that emulate some of the features in the upcoming trends, though, as always, I bet you have a few patterns in your stash that could be adapted. You can add utility pockets to jackets or cut asymmetry into an existing skirt or top, and you can even combine patterns.
- The statement Sibel skirt by Vikisews 2. The Gwendoline coat with funnel neck collar by Vikisews
3. Asymmetric front Medina Trousers by Vikisews. 4. Vikisews Myrtle Jacket emulates the rounder sleeve silhouettes seen in some runway shows
5. Grasser 1266 Bubble Skirt 6. Grasser 1208 statement trench coat
7. Drape neck top Grasser 1235 8. Grasser 1309 drape front skirt
9. Grasser 1276 romantic poet blouse 10. Grasser 1248 sheer ruffled dress
11. Grasser 1270 panelled asymmetrical dress (I included the line drawing because it’s hard to see the seaming in the photo)
12. Vogue 2050 skirt with two variations 13. Vogue 2064 panelled dress that has the look of a dropped waist style
14. Butterick 6977 drop-waisted dress 15. Butterick 7059 utility pocket jacket
16. McCalls 8479 short cargo skirt (you could easily lengthen this) 17. McCalls 8150 tiered skirt
18. Burdastyle safari skirt 02/ 2011 19. Burdastyle utility jacket 02/2011
20. Cargo pocket shift dress Burdastyle 02/2011 21. Funnel neck coat Burdastyle 09/2010
I was surprised at how easy it was to find sewing pattern ideas. There are plenty of great coats and skirt options, as well as many utility designs to choose from. I feel like you could choose any plain Chanel-esque jacket pattern and add military detailing on with braiding and buttons, too, like the Joanna Ortiz jacket in the last row of runway photos. And what about that Vikisews funnel-neck coat?… sublime!
Well, if you made it this far through this photo-heavy post, thank you for sticking with it! It’s always a bit of a marathon job to put together, yet it always leaves me feeling very inspired. Do any colours, design features, or sewing patterns take your fancy? Let me know in the comments what you think. And as always, thanks for reading.
See you soon!
