Spring-summer looks are all about playing it loose
Designers let their hair down with softer, more relaxed looks for both day and night, writes Gemma Soames
If fashion is a barometer for our current state of mind, then the mood on the street right now is rather relaxed. In quite the turnaround, years of body-con dresses, super high heels, the bling, glitz and glamour have given way to a looser, more relaxed silhouette this summer.
Leading the charge are the ladies - Phoebe Philo at Céline, Claire Waight Keller at Chloé and Stella McCartney, who are all avid proponents of the look. Long, loose trousers, along with billowing shifts and voluminous tops are new takes on both daywear and eveningwear in their collections.
Philo, who has been telling women that they don't have to do short and tight to be sexy each season, went a slightly glossier route at Céline. Long, loose and low satin trousers and skirts worn with simple silk camisoles oozed elegance. One look at them and you'll wonder why you would ever want to wear a bandage dress again.
The least surprising, however, is Chloé's take on the trend. It has long been known for a floaty kind of femininity. Keller's silhouettes for the label's spring-summer range featured cleverly designed separates. Bermuda shorts that fell from hip to knee, side-pleated trousers, and voluminous tops and sleeves all gave a slouchy look that was as feminine as it was relaxed.