I often turn to stylish fashion insiders to get their insights on what they have their eye on at the moment—from the runway trends that are catching their attention to the exact items landing in their shopping carts. Thinking ahead to spring, I reached out to some fashion people in Paris, NYC, and London (a few of my favorite cities for cool style) and asked them to share which 2021 trends their most excited about for the upcoming season.
From barely there “naked dresses” and corset tops to fresh ideas for styling denim and the bold colors they’ll be swapping in for neutrals, there’s no shortage of fashion inspiration to borrow from them in the coming months. While their takes on popular fashion trends ahead in 2021 were across the style spectrum, there was one common theme: a general sense of optimism for where fashion is headed.
The Trend: Old Classics. “To be honest, I am very keen to style and restyle my good old classics like trench coats, maxi men’s shirts, jeans always, not to forget my cap. Basically anything from Celine S/S 21.”
Pictured: Celine S/S 21
The Trend: Corsets. “If I could choose one trend for spring 2021, it would be the return of the corset. I’ve always been inspired by the Marie Antoinette era and seeing it making a comeback makes me so excited. As you know, I love mixing edgy and feminine so I would style it over a long black silk dress, or as seen on McQueen, over a chiffon skirt. For a more casual look, I would style it over a white or even a light blue striped long-sleeve button-down shirt that’s a bit oversize paired with straight-cut jeans, dainty jewelry, and some kitten heels.”
Pictured: Alexander McQueen S/S 21
The Trend: Contrast Piping. “I would say I am obsessed with a black with white outline. I think my first crush was the Paris Georgia heart singlet top seen on Kendall Jenner. I like the fact it is very chic but the sporty side makes it cooler. I can wear it with black pants or vintage jeans, for example. We will make some cool dresses for Musier like this. Stay tuned.”
Pictured: Paris Georgia
The Trend: Naked Dresses. “The best trend to come out of spring ’21, in my opinion, is what my team and I are calling the ‘naked dress.’ Whether it was liberal cutouts, an open back, strappy bodices, sheer fabrications, or even a combination of these. Several of my favorite brands experimented with seductive details in their dress silhouettes this season. Proenza offered a slinky and vibrant orange jersey maxi dress with long sleeves, but it was the ruched keyholes at the bodice that made it extra special. Christopher Esber should consider the naked dress his forte, and for his 10th-anniversary collection, gave us high-octane bikini-inspired options; and Cate Holstein of Khaite refreshed her signature bodycon viscose styles with the most flattering ruching. The trend is the antithesis of at-home dressing (see: sweatpants) and therefore inspires a sense of optimism as we look toward summertime.”
Pictured: Christopher Esber S/S 21
The Trend: Dressed-Up Jeans. “Jeans, jeans, jeans. It’s always about the jeans for me. For spring, the trend I loved most was seeing designers mix more formal pieces with denim: Valentino’s collaboration with Levi’s and the pairing of jeans with billowy blouses. Paco Rabanne’s layering of a leopard dress over jeans. I like sticking to classics when it comes to my wardrobe, so anything that revolves around my collection of jeans, I wholeheartedly welcome.”
Pictured: Valentino S/S 21
The Trend: Tiny Tie Details. “Since last spring, we saw a rise in risquér pieces featuring everything from cut-outs, g-strings, and lace-up elements. And while it may seem like the skin-baring trends have only dominated the runway thus far (and continue to), I’m going to admit that I’m all too hyped to adopt S/S 21’s simple skin-baring trend: tiny ties. I loved the tiny tie detail trend we saw at presentations like Acne Studios, Christopher Esber, and Sportmax. This trend is not only the easiest way to embrace a more sultry spring wardrobe without having to go for the more controversial G-string trend, but it can be styled with everything from jeans to skirts, making it one of spring’s hottest trends in every way.”
Pictured: ACNE Studios S/S 21
The Trend: Pink. “All I want to wear from here on out is pink, pink, and more pink! I’m done with winter’s somber colors, and I’m really over wearing super-practical clothes to either go on cold walks or to work from home. So, a daily jolt of fuchsia or even a more pale, baby pink in anything from a fluffy cardigan to a flouncy dress will make me happy in 2021.”
Pictured: Chanel S/S 21
The Trend: Yellow and Camel. “This is possibly my favorite color combo and can be reworked into a minimalist style quite easily. I’m really excited about this trend!”
