Bold, bright colours, floral prints, and formal over comfy – spring fashion predictions
- Optimism will define fashion shopping this spring, with customers looking for bold colours and floral prints that make them feel excited to go out
- Formal dresses, feel-good slogans and statement jewellery will make a comeback as we put comfy sweatpants away, reflecting the hope of a return to normal life
After a year of nesting in pastel-coloured loungewear, shoppers are opting for styles with floral prints, feel-good slogans and statement jewellery to jazz up working-from-home outfits as optimism makes a comeback in spring collections, designers and retailers said.
While neutral, comfortable clothing remains more popular than in a normal spring, United States retailers from Neiman Marcus to Walmart and Macy’s reported growing sales of bright, optimistic colours, flowy fabrics or dresses for the first time since the start of the pandemic as shoppers prepared for a return to normal life.
“We’re seeing a return to occasion dresses and even bras with wires,” Marie Ivanoff-Smith, fashion director at department store Nordstrom, said. “As it gets warmer and more people go outside, we thought people would really want to showcase optimism and joy with prints and vibrant colours.”
So far, photos of ditsy floral prints are up 31 per cent in Europe and 16 per cent in the US from last year, according to Heuritech, a data firm analysing millions of pictures a day on social media and catwalks.
Colours seen in catwalks for spring and summer 2021 collections were vibrant pinks and bold blues – “an energising source of inspiration to help carry us through”, the company said in a February report.
While vibrant colours and floral motifs are typical of spring styles, the difference this year is that fashion lines also include nude T-shirts and what Walmart’s head of fashion editorial, Alison Hilzer, calls “slouchy cardigans”.