Summer shopping is finally here, and several clear trends are already gaining popularity. Over the past year, we’ve seen the rise of maximalism and glamorous dressing—a shift away from the whole quiet luxury trend. Fashion has been feeling fun again, with more personality, opulence, color, statement-making, and individualism than in previous seasons. With vibrant Spring/Summer 2026 runway collections from designers like Valentino, it was evident the pendulum has clearly swung.
This summer, that continues: playful trends are everywhere. Examples of this are colorful shoes, woven bags, tankinis, swim shorts, bright totes, and beaded necklaces. While I’ll always love minimalism and neutrals, even my summer wish list goes beyond that this season: Gimaguas' Balleina Neopreno, Courrèges’ Holy Day Raphia Bag, Fruity Booty’s Reef Tankini, Peche’s The Boyshort, Alex Mill’s The Perfect Weekday Tote, and more.
Below, shop the summer 2026 trends.
Colorful Shoes
Assistant shopping editor Josephine Hadjiloucas recently wrote about ballet flat color trends, highlighting shades like aubergine, fuchsia, aquamarine, stone, animal print, and periwinkle. I’m personally eyeing the Gimaguas Bailarina Neopreno and Alex Mill Prince Street Ballet Flat pairs, but I also own the Camper Casi Myra Ballerina Flats in black, which are the most comfortable flats I’ve ever owned—and they also come in a bright pink version.
Woven Bags
Some of my favorite woven bags are Rixo x Dragon Diffusion’s Lucine Leather Bag, Lié Studio’s The Bianca Small Leather-Trimmed Raffia Tote, and my dream bag: Courrèges’ Holy Day Raphia Bag. Other designer brands, including Prada, Miu Miu, Saint Laurent, The Row, and Khaite, have also released their own woven bag versions.
Tankinis
The return of tankinis is one of the biggest swimwear trends of Summer 2026, and I’ve found cute ones from brands like Fruity Booty and Staud.
Swim Shorts
Swim shorts are another style trending right now. Contributing fashion editor Michelle Scanga even went so far as to call them the bikini trend everyone will be wearing this summer.
Bright Totes
Along with woven bags, bright totes are shaping up to be another major bag trend this summer—and I’ve already been seeing plenty of styles like Alex Mill’s monogrammed The Perfect Weekday Tote and BaubleBar’s Solid Custom Alpha Tote.
Beaded Jewelry
I was at a Don't Let Disco event recently, and the founder referred to one of her pieces as “art teacher jewelry,” which immediately stuck in my mind. Beaded necklaces are back, and Don't Let Disco is a perfect example. Other brands to know include Chan Luu, Completedworks , Gohar World, Jia Jia, Julietta, and Sophie Buhai.
Bug-Eye Sunglasses
The bug-eye sunglasses trend started gaining popularity in the winter, but it’s still going strong. From Khaite x Oliver Peoples’ sold-out 1967C frames to Vincent Boulevard’s Camille style, this silhouette isn’t going anywhere.
