Every season, we cherry-pick the catwalk for styles we believe have longevity. We’re on the lookout for trends that’ll make your existing wardrobe look more relevant, which could be as simple as synching belts on the waist or wearing your trench belted, not open. In a way, you could call this an anti-trend report – we’re confident you’ll be able to re-spin all of these styles for seasons to come. For SS19, some takeaways: the 90s are still going strong, prepare to wear logo belts and simple silk pieces on repeat, and if you don’t own anything beige, there’s a strong argument for addressing that situation as soon as possible.
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.
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Max Mara
£420
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Saint Laurent
£685
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Sea
£395
Emilia Wickstead
Max Mara
Nº21
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.
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COS
£89
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Topshop
£59
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Sea
£380
Emilia Wickstead
Gabriela Hearst
Zimmermann
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.
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COS
£150
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Topshop
£35
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Worme
£480
Alberta Ferretti
Loewe
Tom Ford
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.
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Preen by Thornton Bregazzi
£650
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Benoît Missolin
£110
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Zimmermann
£595
Luisa Beccaria
Preen
Erdem
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.
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Theory
£850
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LOW CLASSIC
£600
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Acne Studios
£910
Burberry
Christian Dior
Gabriela Hearst
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.
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Prada
£830
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Theory
£315
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Prada
£545
Tibi
3.1 Phillip Lim
Nº21
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.
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ALEXACHUNG
£678
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Ulla Johnson
£665
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Theory
£290
Oscar de la Renta
Valentino
Victoria Beckham
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.
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LoveShackFancy
£368
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Ulla Johnson
£330
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Mango
£35.99
Self Portrait
Ulla Johnson
Vivetta
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.
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Joseph
£195
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Sophie Anderson
£280
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Apiece Apart
£495
Michael Kors
Ulla Johnson
Valentino
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).
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Zimmermann
£1150
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Vanessa Bruno
£745
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Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini
£635
Preen
Ulla Johnson
Zimmermann
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.
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Whistles
£179
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Joseph
£845
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COS
£135
Burberry
Max Mara
Tom Ford
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.
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Saint Laurent
£345
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Gucci
£445
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Chloé
£355
Chanel
Christian Dior
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.
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Fendi
£240
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Saint Laurent
£1280
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Chloé
£1245
Burberry
Chloé
Fendi
Shop the PAGE
Saint Laurent
Shopping Leather Tote£685
Topshop
Denim Button Boiler Suit£59
Preen by Thornton Bregazzi
Louise Ruched Floral-Print Dress£650
Benoît Missolin
Luce Floral-Print Bow Headband£110
LOW CLASSIC
Oversized Wool Blazer and Pants£600
Acne Studios
Double-Breasted Cotton Blazer and Trousers£910
Ulla Johnson
Amoy Off-the-Shoulder Embroidered Taffeta Top£665
LoveShackFancy
Drew Crocheted Lace and Embroidered Voile Midi Skirt£368
Ulla Johnson
Lia Crocheted Cotton Tote£330
Joseph
Clive Cotton Print Skirt£195
Sophie Anderson
Mia Woven-Raffia Cross-Body Bag£280
Apiece Apart
Gracia Floral-Print Silk Dress£495
Zimmermann
Wayfarer Crochet-Lace Maxi Dress£1,150
Vanessa Bruno
Leia Lace-Trimmed Appliquéd Maxi Dress£745
Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini
Ruffled Laser-Cut Cotton-Poplin Mini Dress£635
Whistles
Imra Balloon Sleeve Trench Coat£179
Saint Laurent
Embellished Textured-Leather Belt£345
Saint Laurent
Le 61 Logo Leather Cross-Body Bag£1,280You might also LIKE
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