to start saving your favourite pieces.The Spring/Summer ‘26 Trend Report: Six Ideas Worth Wearing
STYLE · THE TREND REPORT
The key trends for spring/summer 2026 are monochrome, artisanal craft, primary red, polka dots and ruffles, painterly florals and pyjama dressing. Each one works in a considered wardrobe, and none of them needs a runway to make sense. Choose one idea per outfit and let it lead.
Monochrome: how to wear black and white this summer
Black and white dominated the Paris and New York runways, and it is the easiest trend of the season to wear well. The secret is texture, so the eye has something to read up close.
Sita Murt's Straight Linen Pants in white bring contrast topstitching to a wide straight leg; wear them with a black knit tank and you have the look in two pieces. The same label's Radial Dress is a black knit maxi that reads as pinstripe from across the room. oneseason's Deia Dress scatters ivory roses across black cotton in fine all-over embroidery, monochrome with a romantic streak.
Shop the look: Sita Murt Straight Linen Pants in White, $349; Sita Murt Radial Dress, $549; oneseason Deia Dress, $230.
Artisanal craft: why handwork is the new luxury
This season, the most desirable thing a garment can show is the hand that made it. Embroidery, resist dyeing and beading moved from holiday wardrobes to the centre of the conversation.
Maison Hotel's Ganga Tunic carries chikankari, the centuries-old Lucknow tradition of fine white embroidery, across a soft blue cotton kaftan. The label's Kumo Dress is named for the shibori technique behind its cloud-like indigo print. FARM Rio's Artisanal Birds And Striped Leaves Maxi Dress finishes the thought with a hand-beaded bird at the shoulder.
Shop the look: Maison Hotel Ganga Tunic, $380; Maison Hotel Kumo Dress, $399; FARM Rio Artisanal Birds And Striped Leaves Maxi Dress, $690.
Primary red: the colour of the season
Primary colour brought the optimism, and red did the heavy lifting. Worn head to toe or as a single statement piece, it behaves like a neutral with ambition.
Splendid's Angie Palazzo Pant in rouge sits happily with navy, white and denim. ALÉMAIS's Kenny Mini Dress sets an antique floral in terracotta and cream against a 1970s fit-and-flare, with crochet trim along every seam. Lollys Laundry's SabineLL Short Dress is a tiered red folk floral with a parade of peacocks at the hem.
Shop the look: Splendid Angie Palazzo Pant in Rouge, $229; ALÉMAIS Kenny Mini Dress, $690; Lollys Laundry SabineLL Short Dress, $229.
Polka dots and ruffles: the Spanish revival
Flamenco references swept through the collections: polka dots, ruffles and tiered skirts with movement built in. The modern way to wear them is with a light hand and flat shoes.
Lollys Laundry's BlakeLL Midi Dress in Dot Print, black dots on cream, is the gentle introduction. The label's SamoLL Midi Dress adds frilled flutter sleeves and a ruffled tiered hem. For evening, RIXO's Adalind Chiffon Midi Dress brings a tiered ruffle skirt and a tied scarf neck to hand-painted hydrangeas on black.
Shop the look: Lollys Laundry BlakeLL Midi Dress in Dot Print, $259; Lollys Laundry SamoLL Midi Dress, $249; RIXO Adalind Chiffon Midi Dress, $649.
Painterly florals: how to wear florals in 2026
Florals for spring are never news, but this season they arrived hand-painted, loose and atmospheric rather than neat and repeated.
RIXO's Paige Silk Midi Dress carries hydrangeas painted in the RIXO studio, blush and sage on charcoal, bias-cut to move. zoe kratzmann's Sequence Dress renders its floral in soft blush and sage. oneseason's Rose Blanc Long Daisy Dress lets red and coral roses bleed across white cotton, more impressionist still life than print.
Shop the look: RIXO Paige Silk Midi Dress, $759; zoe kratzmann Sequence Dress, $369; oneseason Rose Blanc Long Daisy Dress, $210.
Pyjama dressing: lingerie and loungewear, worn out
The slip dress and the pyjama set have left the bedroom for good. Worn with intent, they are the most comfortable way to look effortlessly polished this summer.
ALÉMAIS's Otis Pant and Otis Shirt revive the 1920s beach pyjama in a baroque wave print on European linen. ROWIE's Annie Silk Midi Dress is a bias-cut olive silk slip with scalloped lace at the neck and hem. Lollys Laundry's ClariLL Midi Dress does the same in navy satin, best with bare legs and gold hoops.
Shop the look: ALÉMAIS Otis Pant, $360; ALÉMAIS Otis Shirt, $350; ROWIE Annie Silk Midi Dress, $379; Lollys Laundry ClariLL Midi Dress, $179.
Spring/summer 2026 trends: your questions answered
What are the biggest fashion trends for spring/summer 2026?
Monochrome, artisanal craft, primary colour, polka dots and ruffles, painterly florals and pyjama dressing led the season. Wide-leg tailoring and textured bags were close behind.
What colours are in for summer 2026?
Black and white led the runways, with primary red and sky blue for optimism. Chocolate and olive carried the season's leather and silk.
Are polka dots in style for 2026?
Yes. Polka dots returned with the season's Spanish influence; keep the rest of the outfit simple and the dots do the work.
How do you wear a trend without looking dated?
Choose one trend per outfit and wear it through a piece you would reach for anyway, such as a dress, a trouser or a shirt. Trends date fastest when worn all at once.
Unsure which trend is yours? Our stylists can help you choose. Speak with a Stylist, no appointment required, or try any style on at our Darlinghurst Showroom upon request. We buy in small runs and rarely restock, so the edit changes week to week.
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Related reading: How To Wear Wide-Leg Trousers, Five Ways · Dressing For: Spring Occasions · The Buyers' Wish List: Spring/Summer '26
