As if like clockwork, winter’s blistering grip has relinquished and invited in spring’s blissful warmth, resulting in revitalised wardrobes that prioritise lightweight fabrics, ethereal silhouettes and dreamy prints.
This season, however, it appears that the biggest blouse trend of note doesn’t just meet all those requirements, but also delivers that dose of nostalgia we so often seek out, whilst providing an angelic counterpoint to the dependable jeans we tend to spend most of our time in.
Indeed, peasant tops are once again trending, offering a soft sensuality that feels completely fitting for the sun-drenched days that stretch ahead of us.
For the uninitiated, peasant tops refer to a style of blouse that features a slightly puffed cap sleeve, an elongated shape that billows down the body and intricate details like broderie anglaise eyelets, lace trims, whimsical ruffles or quaint pleats that give the top a hand-made, almost archival quality.
Just look at the lines that stretch through Portobello Markets on any given Saturday when the sky is a picturesque blue, or the fanfare surrounding archival boutiques like Rellik or Turner Vintage, which specialise in rare, almost antique pieces from the past century, as proof of our collective appetite for pieces that are intricate, thoughtful and effortlessly elegant
Of course, for adherents of the bohemian aesthetic, you’ll know that peasant blouses aren’t new by any means. First garnering popularity through the 20th Century, they first came to prominence in the ‘40s with Henri Mattise depicting several styles in his work before becoming a fixture in the balmy wardrobes of the European jet set like Jane Birkin in the ‘60s before finally showing up on the runway in Saint Laurent’s landmark “Haute Russian" collection in the ‘70s.
These days, you’re bound to find a peasant top within the work of designers who derive the most inspiration from these eras, from Chemena Kamali’s free-spirited and intrepidly feminine pieces for Chloé or Margaret and Katherine Kleveland’s work for their beloved brand Dôen, which the pair describe as holding a “reverence for coastal California of decades past".
However, when it comes to how they’re styled, not much has really changed. Allowing the fluidity and ease of the style to really shine, most wearers pair their peasant tops with sturdy denim bottoms, particularly light washes in straight-leg cuts. Emulating the spirit of the La Piscine star, they’re commonly complemented with her trademark basket bag, too.
Still, in a season defined by lightness and a renewal, there’s nothing more appealing than embracing a trend that allows a more delicate and tender side to show. In the words of Charli XCX—which were immortalised on her magnum opus party album brat and subsequent use in Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation of the literary classic Wuthering Heights—everything is romantic.
Shop the Peasant Top Trend:
There's not a spring spent in London without seeing this top.
This beautiful piece does all the heavy lifting for you. All you need to do is style it with raw-hem jeans, your favourite ballet flats and let your hair down.
Peasant blouses have become such a Parisian staple.
This style brings a dose of Los Angelino breeziness.
With off-the-shoulder elegance, this is the kind of thing you'll find dotted along ritzy haunts in Saint-Tropez and Saint Barthélemy.
With perfectly polished puffed sleeve vs and delicate pintucking around the elasticated neckline, you can easily dress this style up or down.
The Côte d'Azur is calling.
Designed by Australian-based brand Posse, this style is brimming a coastal coolness that delivers a holiday sensation, even when worn in the heart of the city.
Make like costumes from the French New Wave era of cinema and pair these styles with capri pants and clog heels.
Gaby Aghion-approved.