By now everyone should own at least one trench, whether it’s from Marks & Spencer or Burberry. It’s a spring failsafe and one we pull over pretty much anything come April. This season it has been a big catwalk focus, with the likes of Valentino and Gabriela Hearst adding it to anything from shorts to chiffon tops. Our top tips would be go tonal – wear with with khaki, beige, camel and tan shades – and add a feminine touch with delicate chiffon.

In the past pink and red might have been considered a fashion faux pas – but no more. Designers such as Isa Arfen and Roksanda have seen the striking elegance in combining these two shades. The great thing about this trend is that it’s more about styling and therefore there’s no need to invest in something you might not wear once the season is over. Try adding a rich red belt to a bright pink dress, or a fuchsia-pink blouse to a tomato-red suit. The bolder and brighter you go, the more striking the contrast and the more statement the look.

We all have a wrap skirt lurking in our wardrobe, so this is the time to make it a hero piece. It is ideal for summer in the city,  as it can be both office-appropriate and casual. It shows just the right amount of leg to be chic, cool and a little bit risqué. For an urban edge, add a crisp white top tucked in or a belted blazer over the top and always add a heel to elongate those calves.

Chiffon has had a shift in the last few years – from bridesmaid and black tie to our daytime best friend. This season the likes of Emilia Wickstead and Preen have pushed the boat out that little bit further and have gone super-sheer. Now we’re not recommending turning up at lunch with everything on display (unless the exhibitionist in you so wishes), but instead use this sheer chiffon to layer with. Wear under or over knitwear, jeans, leather leggings or in the warmer months over a silk slip and your favourite sandals. 

This is a trend that never really goes anywhere (and is as revolutionary as florals in summer). However this year khaki and beige utility pieces are definitely the front-runners. Beige is great on very pale pink-toned skin or very dark – anything in between and you risk looking either washed-out or naked. Khaki is easier and the more forgiving out of the two shades to wear. Take a leaf out of Tibi’s book and modernise your classic khaki pieces with pops of jade green. Or freshen up beige with bright white, as seen at Loewe.

These are an evolution of last year’s scarf dresses, and just as wearable and timeless. The patchwork of prints from the likes of Altuzarra, Anna Sui and Valentino shouldn’t all go together, but somehow they do. It’s the perfect hippy everyday piece that you can pull out and wear on holiday, from the beach to bar, or for a more informal wedding. They tread that fine line between dressy and casual that is so tricky to find and will get you out of a million what-to-wear binds. Although they are very ‘now’, it’s such a mirco trend that we don’t feel they will date. 

The Pantone colour of the year, lavender really grabbed designers’ attention, with almost everyone giving a nod to the powerful 70s hue. We would venture to say it’s a bit Marmite. You are either a lavender lady already or you hate it – there is no real in-between. The good thing is if you love nothing more than this sorbet purple shade, you are in total luck – wear it head to toe, adding lavender jumpers to skirts, silk tops to trousers. But if you’re not a fan, keep your head down and it too shall pass. 

In our book, nothing says summer quite like a little white dress – it’s a daytime staple that we never fail to pack for any holiday. This season the LWD has gone a little ethereal and dreamlike – think The Virgin Suicides or Beguiled. It’s whimsical, pretty and very girly – from Simone Rocha’s bold cut-out lace to Ulla Johnson’s silk chiffon number with feminine ruffled sleeves. Our tip to keep it from looking too period drama is to keep hair and make-up simple and wear with white lace-up flats or feather mules.

Fringing is something of a volatile fashion trend, it is either highly fashionable or drastically falls out of favour. Our advice is go for a piece with fringing that you love almost regardless of it. It is just a bonus detail. That way, when fringing is as unfashionable as the clog (watch this space), you will still happily wear it, especially something like this dreamy suede Céline tunic. However if the thought of investing heavily in something that dates so dramatically is too risky, then perhaps a bag or shoe might be a better option. The thing to remember is that the harder it falls the harder it will come back. 

Like fringing, feathers is also a trend that seems to come and go. This season everyone from Céline to Saint Laurent have hailed the feather piece a SS18 essential. If you were to invest we would say go for an evening option, as feathers are always great for black tie. Add a feathered skirt to sequins or chiffon, or in No. 21’s case, to a printed bomber. Just remember feathers add bulk, so keep them to the thinnest part of your figure and use to create balance.

Dark denim never went away, but it’s certainly taken a back seat to vintage washes in recent seasons. But if the runways of Max Mara, Tibi, Tom Ford, Fendi, and Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini are anything to go by, you will be hunting out your old inky indigos come spring. One of our favourite things about dark denim is that it transitions seamlessly from the office to a night out, to off-duty days. It’s also universally flattering and more forgiving than faded washes. This season’s top tip is to wear it head to toe!

This trend definitely hails from the current 90s nostalgia. There is more than a whiff of Cher Horowitz about it. However we don’t feel that it should therefore be dismissed as a flash-in-the-pan trend. Heritage checks have a long history in fashion and are something designers return to time and time again. Burberry built a business out of it, after all. Although there is lots of pretty sorbet gingham around, we suggest going for a stronger check in either black and white or red and white – it will be more versatile and something you can wear both summer and winter. 

‘Florals,’ we hear you sigh, ‘how ground-breaking.’ Yes this summer, like most summers before it, there are bouquets of floral prints to choose from. However the ones we are most excited by are bold blooms of the wallpaper-print variety. The kind that, when you buy a doer-upper, you’re not sure whether to keep the cool 70s wallpaper or not. They won’t date, because they have already gone in and out of fashion several times. The faded prints are easier to wear and less in your face, but if you are keen go fearlessly bold and psychedelic. 

Slip dresses still have mileage, judging from the spring catwalks. Christopher Kane went full 90s with a vintage lace-trim slip, while Miu Miu added a bit of clever layering. We’re not going to sugar-coat it: this trend is for the waiflike, who can layer, wear without a bra and not worry about unsightly clinging. It’s no surprise it’s Kate Moss’s dress shape of choice and when it’s done well there is nothing cooler. Wear with strappy sandals and socks layered over t-shirts or tops for a bit of nostalgic grunge.