This is what you should be wearing this spring and summer

AS WE move into spring, we are enjoying longer days, temperatures are slowly starting to climb and we are eagerly starting to pack our bulky and often drab toned winter wear far away to make room for our beloved breezy outfits.

Excited to inject pops of colour back into our wardrobe, here are spring/summer’s trendiest colours that will brighten up our looks this season. Water colours

Washed out pale hues will gently transition your wardrobe from winter into summer. Think mint greens, baby pink, powder blue and lilacs. These tones lend themselves to feminine looks we’ll see trending this summer. Shades of blue

A cloudless summer sky is what inspires cool blue tones. Shades of blue bring a sense of calm in this turbulent time. While solids are safe, bold graphic prints and stripes and monotone florals offer a playful alternative. Bright blue is a soothing alternative to other bright colours like reds or pinks.

Orange

Orange is a colour not many can pull off, but it is a colour that will make you stand out from the crowd. It’s bold. It’s bright. It’s extravagant. Wearing this vibrant colour head to toe is show-stoppingly brave. Love the colour but not enough to be awash in it. It’s the perfect pop of colour to play off subdued earth tones like olivey greens or stone greys.

Highlighter brights

If you’re nostalgic for those crazy days of what some might consider cringe-worthy 90s fashion, then the highlighter brights, which is pretty much the same as neon colours, is making an eye-blinding come-back. These super bright colours are strictly accent colours and not to be worn from head to toe.

Uber feminine

Ultra-feminine styles are back with full-volume maxi-skirts and romantic ruffles. The look is over-the-top and

by no means demure. Grand puffed sleeved tops are a quick way to get this look. Soft florals, crisp whites and romantic pastels are all tones that will enhance this feel.

Retro revival

Take a step back into the retro archives for geometric and signature prints of the ’60s and ’70s. Classic polka dots were made popular in the ’50s and also have had their moments

over time. This summer, the playful print is back, from fine to bold.

The chequerboard

If you’ve seen the exquisitely directed series The Queen’s Gambit, you’ll understand why the chequerboard trend is a major come-back.

Moving away from the 90’s skate culture roots, (think classic Vans skater shoes) the print gets a punchy makeover this season to liven up youthful

wardrobes. This time it’s all about playful twists and pastel tones. Matching sets

While this trend gained popularity along with the lockdown stay-home lounge wear trend, it

has spilled over to casual day and evening wear. Matching sets generally means wearing a top and bottom in the same print or colour. Last season, tye-die on tye-die was hugely popular.

This season we will be happy to see the rear end of that trend. This season doesn’t only consider matching your colours, but try mixing it up with different textures. Matching floral prints talks to the ultra-feminine look. Sets can either be worn casual with sneakers or platform sandals or dressed up with heels and the perfect accessories.

The “Above the keyboard” trend

With more people working from home, online meetings, virtual seminars and conferences have become the norm. This has brought into focus what people are wearing above the waist. Here we are seeing more detail on the neckline, over-the-top sleeves and quirky T-shirts.

All these styles are available from StyleMode.co.za