The ICONS S/S26 Trend Report

Pull out your V-neck jumpers and slip on your loafers: we’re in for a preppy spring. Prada and Miu Miu set the tone, sending button-up silhouettes down the catwalk that packed plenty of collegiate appeal. While an outsized Oxford shirt and straight-legs jeans will look great at the weekend, the preppy look is a great way to refresh your smart wardrobe, too. Try a polo with your pencil skirt or a neat collared jacket in uniform blue.

We don’t need any excuse to wear our stripes – however, this season they’re all the more desirable, with designers doing vertical placements and monochrome colour palettes that look understated and elegant. Simple to replicate yourself, just layer a pair of striped trousers under a black blazer, or pull on your long striped dress.

This season isn’t short on fresh ideas for how to wear your denim. Jeans featured heavily on the catwalks, proving even the upper echelons of fashion aren't immune to their everyday ease. Our favourite styling suggestions came from Gabriela Hearst – who put wide-legs with classic biker jackets – and Givenchy, where a white shirt and drop earrings turned dark-wash jeans into a cocktail look.

If you thought leather was reserved for the cooler months, this season designers showcased how to extend its styling scope beyond classic winter staples. Think soft slouchy silhouettes in a fresh palette of colours that come ready to be worn with your spring loafers and tote. New to the trend? Take inspiration from Sportmax and invest in a pale neutral leather jacket – the perfect light layer.

Sometimes it’s the smallest outfit detail that makes the most impact – and this is certainly the case with this season’s silk scarves. Add one to your tailored trousers suit, spring blazer and lightweight knits for a quick and easy styling update. The important thing to note is how to tie yours; think equestrian-inspired neckerchief. Fold a large silk square into a triangle and knot behind you. Or twist a smaller scarf around your neck and tuck the ends into your collar.

This is your cue to pull your boyfriend blazer from out of the wardrobe and put it to work. The spring staple was championed at Bottega Veneta, Acne and Michael Kors, reinforcing its enduring appeal. The way to wear it now? Layered over a shirt and with smart trousers for work, or with trainers and a spring knit when off-duty.

From voluminous sleeves to statement collars and oversized cuts, blouses come big and statement-making this season. Consider them an easy updater for your existing spring wardrobe. For example, wide trousers are instantly refreshed by adding a funnel-neck blouse – this will work for jeans, too. Give your leather pencil skirt new legs with a modern spin on a classic pussy-bow. For evening, go sheer.

There will never be an W.ICONS trend report without a trench coat – it is simply the most timeless buy. This is the piece of outerwear that will see you through spring, be an essential layer on cooler summer evenings and last throughout autumn until big-coat weather takes hold. Sandy beige is a classic that pairs so easily with a summery palette.

The warmer seasons typically usher in an appetite for colour, and this year the spotlight is on saturated paint-box tones. Blue, red, purple, yellow, green – pick your favourite and run with it head to toe. Looking to energise your workwear? Make like Ralph Lauren and try bright tailoring. Replace jeans and jumpers with a coordinating top and trousers. Clean lines work best in bold hues, so make sure to keep other outfit elements simple.

With swamping winter layers packed away, now is a great moment to allow more delicate textures to come to the fore – and fringing is the detail to know. The mood is less cowboy, more flapper girl; look to Loewe’s shimmying skirt and Alaïa’s tassel-trimmed dresses. Playful but elegant, add just a hint to make the rest of your spring basics feel all the more interesting.

Stretching beyond the office, the appeal of the pencil skirt endures this season, with Hermès demonstrating how to wear yours with long riding boots and a knitted tank for coffee meetings and smart lunches. At Ferragamo it was all about styling it with a vampy going-out top for the evening. Of course, when the 9-5 does come calling, a pencil skirt is your ticket to springtime sleek – just add a cropped blazer and pumps.

The utilitarian-inspired aesthetic has cemented itself as a spring go-to, and with very good reason: the casual silhouettes, low-maintance fabrics and neutral palette make getting dressed as the weather warms up all the easier. Take it masculine with a pocketed all-in-one or add a feminine spin with a shirt dress – whatever suits your mood. Styling utility pieces with sleek leather accessories will keep your outfit looking polished.

The decree to adorn yourself in feathers come spring may sound a little outlandish at first, yet with such beautiful examples on the catwalk, it’s certainly something to try. Consider a little feathered jacket to zhuzh-up tailored trousers, à la Ulla Johnson. And for wedding guest season, what could be more elegant than a cocktail dress trimmed with plumes?

Having been under the spotlight last year and championed again for the coming season, woven bags are proving their sticking power. So, if you’re looking to expand your spring/summer bag collection, it’s a worthwhile style to consider. Woven leather has a summery feel without tipping over into full beachy, so it can just as easily be worn in the city as well as on holiday. Simply choose your favourite shape.