Fashion’s love affair with beige has escalated. And while it was everywhere, we fell in love with the polished, head-to-toe looks. This is not so much about tonal dressing as wearing perfectly matching separates. An easy win for trench owners is to layer it over a similarly coloured dress (as seen at Max Mara). Or, given how well matching separates play with other basics, consider investing in a skirt and top combo, as per Emilia Wickstead. 

While a tailored jumpsuit has always had a place in stylish wardrobes, it’s hands-down the piece of the season. What we love about a one-piece is that it makes looking stylish so quick and easy. Our take: leave the loose-fit boilersuits for the kids, and look for smarter cuts that you almost wear like a suit. Just add heels or loafers and you’ve got the perfect spring office-to-out look.

Our obsession with daytime silk was shared by designers on the SS19 runways: it’s now one of the easiest ways to make everyday basics look more relevant. Our preferred take was seen at Alberta Ferretti, Loewe and Tom Ford, where minimal daytime essentials, like a simple shirt, skirt and no-frills dress, got the silk treatment. The key: this is not dressy silk. If you can see a frill, it’s not right. Instead, opt for minimal styles with a sheen.

After a long cold winter, we take great pleasure in stepping into florals. Our love affair is constant and, quite honestly, any florals you own will be on-point in the coming months. However, if we were being picky, the most relevant have a painterly feel to them. From Erdem’s prim, darkly accented offering, to flowing, gently clashing separates at Luisa Beccaria, and Preen’s dreamy watercolour pastels, embrace these pretty prints in the form of floaty summer dresses and feminine accessories, such as headbands and heels.

This season is not about borrowing from the boys. The tailoring is for us – and the vibe is relaxed. In part, this comes from the lightweight fabrics, and then in embracing head-to-toe colour. We loved Gabriela Hearst’s rich palette of pink suiting; likewise, the refined beige three-piece at Burberry and sleek navy suiting at Christian Dior. Our tip: wear block-colour tailoring as you would a t-shirt and jeans. Effortlessly.

This reimagined version of the 90s is one of our favourite yet, and proves that sometimes no-nonsense, no-frills design is one of the best ways to stand out. Think super-slick lines as seen at Tibi and 3.1 Phillip Lim, as well as a touch of athleisure and loads of monochrome and citrus (a look we loved at No.21). Side note: get your strappy sandals out of storage – now.

Shoulders are having a moment. The good news is that this universally flattering style works as well for casual summer days as it does for evening. Oscar de la Renta presented it in a billowing shirt we loved, while Valentino and Victoria Beckham taught us that when we drop the shoulder, we should drop hemlines too.

There was a crafty vibe on the SS19 catwalk, with everything from fisherman weaves to macramé and appliqué on show. However, our favourite take (and the one you’ll love forever) were the crochet dresses. Elaborate and patchworked, these are not delicate pieces – rather, they’re chunky and slightly 70s. If a head-to-toe look isn’t for you then a nod will do, by way of earrings, bags and shoes with crochet elements.   

Prints may have clashed with wild abandon all over the SS19 catwalks, but it was the head-to-toe global statements that caught our eye. There’s an element of escapism here, with fabrics that feel like they’ve come from far-flung, exotic places. But here’s the secret to finding bold pieces you’ll love forever: the more shouty the print, the more understated the cut. No one did it better than Valentino, whose dresses were both glamorous and minimal; tonal patchwork prints worked beautifully at Ulla Johnson; and we loved Michael Kors’ geometric prints in simple silhouettes.

In our book LWDs never really go out of style, so we were thrilled to see so many dreamy ones floating down the runways. It’s all very romantic, with gorgeous frills, ruffles, beading and eyelets, and wearable too: these pieces might look like statements, but they’re chameleons, easy to dress up (blazer and heels) or down (flats and hoops).

More proof that your trench is as classic as it is current, the ultimate spring coat was out again in force. The major difference: while last season we were wearing them open and relaxed, this spring an easy update is to wear yours buttoned and belted. There were a few interesting updates too: Burberry coats had cool chain-edging, while we also loved Tory Burch’s pared-back design and Max Mara’s elongated silhouette.

Our favourite style hack for SS19 is to add a logo belt… to everything. The ultimate high-low dressing, it’s such a clever way to elevate whatever you’re wearing. Placement matters too: buckle up dresses, blazers and floaty shirts right on the waist, as shown at Chanel, Christian Dior and Valentino.

The SS19 catwalks were awash with nostalgia when it came to handbags, so dig into the archives for retro shapes and 90s ‘It’ bags, like the reissued Fendi Baguette, which is back in a big way. Our favourite styles looked like they could have been borrowed from a (very well-dressed) grandmother: they’re sleek and polished, with hardware logos that shore up their instant-icon status.