Try as I may, I'm not super experimental when it comes to fashion. I tend to go with what I know works for me—really well-fitting denim or trousers, a good white tee, and maybe a cool oversize blazer. If I'm feeling especially wild, I'll throw on track pants and a trendy pair of sunglasses, but generally, neutrals are my comfort zone. So it takes a pretty special look to convince me to venture outside of it. Our May cover shoot featured some of spring's most talked-about trends, styled in ways I absolutely fell in love with. So much so that this basics-obsessed editor started seriously considering how to wear them in real life. But here's the thing about trends: On a runway or in a perfectly styled photoshoot with an entire fashion team behind them, they look incredible. Translating that into everyday life is slightly trickier.
That's why I tapped fashion director Michaela Bushkin to break down how to actually wear two of the chicest trends from the shoot—matching sets and colormaxxing—without feeling like you're playing dress-up. And according to Bushkin, the secret is not overthinking it. "The great thing about these trends is that they're accessible and won't be out of style next year," she says. If you're trend-curious but not ready to fully commit, she recommends easing in with pieces that still feel wearable. Ahead, see the looks, and the Boden pieces Bushkin is using to re-create them.
According to Bushkin, "Colormaxxing is the trend to get behind this season. Let's have fun with fashion again!" Summer, she says, is the perfect time to lean into color because you don't have to coordinate as many layers. For her take on the trend, she pulled inspiration from our latest cover shoot and landed on one standout pairing: red and pink. "It makes me feel girly and sweet but here's the catch—the combo looks quite sophisticated if you accessorize correctly," she explains. To ground the look, she reached for a chocolate-brown leather bag and square-toe flip flops to align with the "casual yet polished" feel. And for anyone intimidated by all that color, Bushkin says wearability comes down to strategy. "Starting small by pairing just two colors together is an easy way to dip your toes into the trend. It's important not to go anywhere near rainbow territory."
If colormaxxing is all about stepping outside your comfort zone, matching sets are the opposite: they're easy, effortless, and somehow still incredibly chic. "A matching set requires the lowest styling effort but results in the highest impact. I can't get enough of them," says Bushkin. Taking cues from the crochet set featured in our May cover shoot, she re-created the vibe with another summer-favorite fabric: linen. "This set will be my go-to all summer for two reasons. First, it's very comfortable, wearable, and easy to style. Second, the pieces can easily be worn with other closet staples like denim and blazers." For Bushkin, the small details make a difference. "My favorite details of this outfit are the stripe pattern (it's basically a neutral) and the built-in belt. Could it get any easier?" Styled with a simple white tee and white Mary Jane flats, it feels very elevated but put-together. There's only one thing missing: "Someone needs to invite me to a seaside lunch in the Hamptons ASAP."
