What’s hot and what’s not in 2016: Fashion trends

Our resident fashion expert Lisa Darwin discusses what’s hot and what will be hotter in Spring/Summer 2016.

Bad news for Bond: the bicep-crushingly tight suits that have given 007 his sartorial advantage since Daniel Craig took on the role have had their day. After a decade of extreme tailoring, a moment of relaxed style has appeared on the horizon.

Which isn’t to say all-out roominess will be tolerated: on the contrary, silhouettes remain taut and a good fit is still crucial.

The recent purge of all pleats is being reversed and the fully chested double-breasted jacket is once again a regular sight, in line with the maturation of the menswear market, if that could be said of a uniform that goes back 300 years.

This is nowhere more apparent than in London, which this month will see Tom Ford host his first ever men’s catwalk show.

As for colour, the old rule that every man should own at least one navy blue suit has been joined by the diktat that this year one should invest in an identical number in grey.

Other key colours for this season are quite muted, seeing nude, tan, beige, and khaki in the spotlight.

In terms of style, sportswear is being redefined and repurposed for a new leisure class. The term coined for this upscaling is “sports luxe”, but expect a new word to enter the lexicon: “athleisure”, blurring the line between a traditional weekend wardrobe and a growing range of novelties, up to and including the sneaker-slipper, an athletic slant on eveningwear; its answer to the dress pump.

Once again the return of the tireless preppy look is driven by the influx of cruise collections for men (long live Ralph Lauren) materialised in pop-collared polo shirts worn beneath old-school Harrington jackets and teamed with chinos or slightly frayed denim and the ultimate preppy symbol found in brands like Hackett, Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors the penny loafer, now back in a variety of striking styles including bright blue hues and patent leather.

One for the ladies: It looks like catwalk designers and high street brands are seeking their style inspiration for Spring/Summer 2016 by looking back through the decades.

We departed from the 1970’s influence in 2015, moving towards the 1980’s and 1990’s in terms of style, but the ‘70’s aren’t going to disappear completely, so you don’t have to put away your cherished flares just yet,!

We can expect to carry forward our focus on key statement pieces with a little adjusting here and there, colour plays an influential role on the catwalks, this being driven by the hair industry, with fashion designers taking their lead from global brands such as L’Oréal and Wella.

Pastels lead the way this season and this is a trend that is already starting to take over. Winter was typically about more somber colors, but we have seen a lot of pastel pieces in the shops, such as River Island, Ted Baker and Reiss.

Furthermore, Pantone did name Serenity (pale blue) and Rose Quartz (muted pink) as the two Colors of the Year for 2016.

Remember a few seasons back when it was all about strong shoulders? SS/16 is all about sleeve detail and the lower arm. Look for tops with eye-catching sleeve details like pleats, flared sleeves, gathers or even cutouts.

A plain white shirt is a classic wardrobe piece, however the latest versions are anything but basic. The latest white shirts have interesting details from pleats to asymmetric necklines. Don’t worry, they’re just as versatile as a basic shirt.

Fashion loves looking at different decades for inspiration. The 1900′s are usually the most popular eras to be referenced, but the Victorian era is getting some attention this year.

The Spring 2016 Fashion shows featured a number of Victorian details including ruffles, high necklines and lace touches. Expect blouses to be huge this year.

Moving away from tight, restrictive figure hugging dresses and skirts to a more relaxed and floaty style in SS/16, complemented by petite floral patterns and feminine detail featured throughout.

The new take on platform show is the “flatform” The chunky “ugly” shoe trend from last year will continue. Expect to see lots of thick-soled shoes pounding the pavement. Flat miles will also be on trend taking a break from sky-high heels, shame!

Spring/Summer 2016 looks to be bright and cheery with modern fresh approach on the classic statement pieces to a reinvention on last season’s pieces. Fashion is moving through the decades once again so it’s a great excuse to not throw anything out, just recycle!