Trust Me: These Are the 5 Anti-Trend Pieces That Are Still Stylish in 2026
Forgo fast-fading trends for classic, chic and minimalist pieces this season. Read on for my anti-trend edit.
It's true. With each new season comes an opening of the floodgates, when new trends, in vogue pieces and fleeting fashion movements jostle for our attention.
However, it is possible to take a step back and take stock of the classics, choosing to only invest in items which will serve you better in the long run. As someone who takes pride in curating a tightly edited capsule wardrobe, I find myself in this camp. Don't get me wrong, I still love checking out the latest in runway and street style trends, and I do like to dip my toe into some which I feel will modernise my looks authentically and slip into my closet with a natural ease. For 2026, pieces which feel decidedly anti-trend are where it's at for me, and I am doubling down on this sentiment this coming season.
From do-it-all coats to timeless knitwear, sleek tailoring, shirting and elegant jeans, I've formulated a chic and succinct wish list of 5 items I know will still be stylish in 2026 and beyond. Read on for my style file on the anti-trend pieces to know now, and where to get your hands on them.
The 5 Anti-Trend Items I Am Backing In 2026:
1. Waisted Blazers
Style Notes: Add a tailored touch to your look, for day or night, with a blazer that features a nipped-in silhouette. A waisted blazer is such a wardrobe workhorse and can be paired with simple black trousers, corduroys or even jeans to give an elegant, grown-up and sophisticated air to your look. Add loafers or kitten-heeled sling-backs plus a smart, leather shoulder bag to take the executive realness up a notch.
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This Aligne blazer is a best-seller for a reason.
This soft tone is spot on for spring dressing.
Team this with silver jewellery and wide-leg black trousers for a chic office day look.
Nothing says spring like this cinched butter yellow blazer.
Sharp, sleek and ideal for day to night looks.
2. V-Neck Knitwear
Style Notes: Arguably, this knitwear still is "trending" right now, but for good reason, and I predict it will stay popular for classic dressers for seasons to come. The V-neck jumper taps into the penchant for vintage-feel pieces and smart staples. The crew neck sweater will always reign supreme, but there's just something about a V-neck that just feels a little fresher for 2026. Whether you drape it over a white-t-shirt is up to you, but just know it will partner with classic jeans or tailored trousers expertly.
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A beige V-neck jumper is a wardrobe staple, mark my words.
Add a pop of red to your outfit, courtesy of Zara.
This cool blue tone is set to be big this year. Get ahead of the curve and wear it forever.
Nothing beats a chic piece of navy knitwear.
I swear by Rise & Fall cahsmere. It's super soft and cosy.
4. Car Coats
Style Notes: As we move away from the grip of winter into the delightfully bright days of spring, I predict a step change in our choice of outerwear. Some classic dressers will remain faithful to the humble trench coat, but I forecast a new swathe of minimalists reaching for car coats. Paired back in design, but still long in length and with a sharp, pointed collar, the car coat drapes over office looks and weekend attire just so fluidly, and has a great swish factor. Whether you pick a felted wool or a coated cotton iteration, either will add an air of elegance to your outerwear arsenal.
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This is one of the classic dressers. Whistles coats are beautifully constructed.
I love the warm, nutty tone to this car coat.
Chocolate brown will never date.
This is elegance in a coat.
This will add a premium feel to your daily 'fits.
5. Checked Shirts
Style Notes: I've seen an uptick of favourability in this item in fashion's innermost circles, and stylish influencers are finding new and exciting ways to wear it for 2026. The item in question is the checked shirt, and this year it's coming to the fore in blurred plaids, heritage-feel tartans and gingham-esque patterns. Less country bumpkin, and more off-duty model, the checked shirt is not only being worn on the body, of course, but around waists, layered with knitwear, and even tied across the shoulders, adding a softly textured detail to an otherwise simple look. Take cues from Monikh, who wears her checked shirt with similar cool blue-toned items and biscuit-hued car coat. Simple, but effective.
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This is such a good check! Team with blue jeans and ruched loafers this spring.
Monikh has this exact shirt. It's a beauty!
With Nothing Underneath shirts are elite, trust me.
I adore the oversized fit and feel to this Tommy Hilfiger shirt.
This nipped in RÓHE is a modern masterpiece.
5. Wide-Leg Jeans
Style Notes: Jeans trends are seemingly changing by the minute these days, with cuts such as stove-pipe, barrel-leg, cigarette, flared and baggy coming in and out of fashion dizzyingly quick. One trend which I know is due to stick around, not only now but for the foreseeable future, is the wide-leg jean. Proving to be super comfortable, easy to wear and apt for your off-duty ensembles, the wide-leg jean is an undisputed modern icon, particularly when in a classic shade of soft denim blue. Team yours with a simple white T-shirt, boat shoes and an Oxford shirt, just like Abisola Omole here, which is the ultimate spring look, if you ask me.
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AGOLDE jeans are a fashion editor's favourite.
These Abercrombie & Fitch jeans come in a great range of sizes, fits and lengths.
Reformation's Cary jeans are a badly kept inside secret.
Ergh! So good. The ultra wide-leg cut is just what I have been searching for.
The high-waist and light wash give these wide-leg jeans a vintage-quality.
