Fashion Editors Agree: These Dated Trends Won't Make It to Spring 2026
Our fashion editors have revealed the trends falling out of favour for spring 2026—and what they'll be wearing instead.
I spend a lot of time talking to other fashion editors, and when the same opinions start coming up in different conversations, I pay attention. Recently, there’s been a noticeable consensus forming around certain trends—specifically, which ones are quietly losing momentum. This isn’t about calling anything “bad,” but about recognising when something has run its course.
As someone who loves clothes but hates feeling stuck in a specific era, I find these conversations genuinely helpful. They sharpen my instincts and make me more thoughtful about what I’m buying now versus what I’ll still want to wear in a few years. These are the trends editors agree are unlikely to make it to spring 2026—and why it might be time to let them go.
Fashion Editors Agree: These Dated Trends Won't Make It to Spring 2026
1. Buying: Silky Button-Downs
Pausing: Longline Structured Vests
Style Notes: "I hate to say it because I own many of them, but I'm afraid the longline structured vest trend may have peaked. I don't think they're so trendy that they should be banished from your wardrobe, but a fresher option for 2026 is a silky button-down shirt that's a bit fitted and preferably in a non-neutral colour." - Allyson Payer, senior editor.
Shop the Trend:
Wear with jeans, skirts and linen trousers alike.
Black will go with everything.
Such an expensive-looking hue.
2. Buying: Interesting Colour Combinations
Pausing: A Closet Full of Beige
Style Notes: "Especially since the quiet luxury movement came about, I have felt like winter meant that colour would be swept out of our wardrobes, and there's no choice but to wear different shades of beige. While I love my neutrals, over the years, this has begun to make winter fashion less exciting for me. But this year, even the most minimalist people I know are stepping out in interesting colour combinations. Be it a red-and-white striped shirt with a yellow jacket or the wild combination of purple and green, everyone is finding a way to be a daredevil, and I couldn't be happier." - Sierra Mayhew, fashion editor.
Shop the Trend:
Reformation's Clara cardigan comes editor-approved.
So fun!
Mesh shoes are a big trend for 2026.
3. Buying: Menswear-Coded Ties
Pausing: Boring Accessories
Style Notes: "I’m such an accessories girl, so I feel like I’ve been trying to find different ways to add a little something extra to the chest and torso area. Ties have been an exciting addition that really rounds out a look. More ties in 2026, please." - ChiChi Offer, associate shopping editor.
Shop the Trend:
Polka dots are back again for spring 2026.
The nova check is instantly recognisable.
This has such a preppy feel to it.
4. Buying: Stovepipe Jeans
Pausing: Barrel-Leg Jeans
Style Notes: "Barrel-leg jeans had a nice long run, but this spring they will be taking a back seat as slim-fitting jeans will shine. The focus will be on silhouettes like slim-straight, cigarette, and stovepipe cuts. The key is a fit that neatly follows the leg from thigh to ankle. Close, but not so tight as to fall into the skinny-jean category." - Nikki Chwatt, associate fashion editor.
Shop the Trend:
I've heard nothing but good thing's about Agolde's denim.
This white pair feels fresh for the upcoming warmer weather.
These come in sizes UK 4 - 26.
5. Buying: Fringe
Pausing: Lace Trims
Style Notes: "I do think we'll continue to see lace-trimmed tops, skirts, and dresses trickle into spring, but far less than we did in the fall and winter of 2025. Though this vintage-inspired look feels timeless and especially fitting for spring, even garnering fans like Zoë Kravitz and Dakota Fanning, I fear this trend (specifically in the midi skirt and asymmetrical top realm) hit its peak in the colder months. I've been personally steering myself away from purchasing any new lace-trimmed pieces right now—as my forecasting third eye is tingling and telling me it'll be (dare I say) cheugy in the next few months—but I think fringe is a great substitute for anyone looking for a bit of textural flair without investing too much in this soon-to-be dated micro-trend." - Alyssa Brascia, associate beauty editor.
Shop the Trend:
Everyone will think this is designer.
I want the matching skirt as well.
I'd style mine exactly like this.
6. Buying: Modern Glamour
Pausing: Quiet Luxury
Style Notes: "After years dominated by quiet luxury, glamorous dressing is making a comeback, and fashion feels playful again. For instance, the bug-eye sunglasses at Balenciaga, Valentino’s spring 2026 ready-to-wear collection, silk dresses, and kitten-heel pumps. Looking ahead, Caro Editions’ fall 2026 show in Copenhagen feels like the perfect reference point." - Audry Hiaoui, associate shopping editor.
Shop the Trend:
These are sure to earn you many a compliment.
No notes.
Just look at the silhouette!
7. Buying: Fawn Print
Pausing: Polka Dots
Style Notes: "In spring 2026, I'm moving away from the polka-dot print that dominated our feeds last year and embracing the spots in a new form: fawn print. While straight-up polka dots feel too on-the-nose, the softer colour palette of this faux-fur print feels like the correct progression." - Josephine Hadjiloucas, assistant shopping editor
Shop the Trend:
This will pair so well with all of the neutrals you own.
I'd style this with a classic white tank and chocolate brown kitten heels.
Shoes are an easy way to incorporate trending prints into your outfits.
