Your guide to 2016 Spring fashion

As the rejuvenating, fresh September air starts to blow in, whisking away the chill of winter, now’s the time to cast off the heavy coats that you’ve been struggling under for the last few months and celebrate the first coming of the warmer weather!

Spring fashion usually incorporates vibrant and positive colours and patterns featured on garments that highlight the natural, feminine shape – and this season is no different. The colour palettes this spring are not quite as forceful and full-blossomed as summer, where the sun and spirits are highest, and as such it still carries on just the slightest vestiges of winter in the pallette.

This year, you can expect a lot of pale whites and soft blues as backgrounds, but overlaid with a stunning array of floral and pastel colours and patterns to highlight the spring feeling of new life after the cold winter.

A pale background

Much of 2016’s spring fashion has been inspired by classic springtime nuances; hope in new life, rebirth, romance and floral blossoms. This year, designers have especially embraced the feel of the new spring blossom, with gorgeous florals set against pale, duller backgrounds emerging as a major trend.

The vast majority of designs that we’re going to be highlighting have a common theme; they’ve taken the traditional colours of winter – light, overcast sky blues, snowy whites, and dull washed out landscape colours – and blown them out of the park with a stunning array of bright and vivid imagery.

You might even see some darker shades emerging; blacks and earthy browns, but they too merely provide a backdrop to compliment the bright florals that overlay them.

Full length, feminine dresses are extremely common this season. For example, from Alexander McQueen’s 2016 Resort Collection one of our favourites is a pale, semi-transparent maxi dress; wispy, pale wintery tones give it a washed out yet ethereal background. But as winter is gone, above it starts crawling up new life; an array of yellow, green, blue, purple, deep red, and pink blossoms make their way up from the hem of the dress, symbolising the new growth that marks winter’s end.

Wrap it up!

When it comes to hair, the trend is to tie it up quickfast. The most popular hairstyles right now are seemingly effortless. This no-fuss, laid back hair trend is certain to be favourable among the time poor, as it only takes seconds to achieve a hairstyle that can give any look a stylish edge.

Not only do they look great, messy buns and top knots are one of the most manageable styles out there that can be styled uniquely to suit almost anyone. This trend allows you to have fun and get creative; it’s essentially bed hair made fashionable, so almost anything goes!

The best thing about this hair trend? How simple it is to achieve. As long as you have the length for it, even the top models are rocking styles that anybody can do in five minutes in front of a mirror. Nevermind the long trips to the salon, just a good cut and a few minutes work will have you looking runway ready.

For shorter haired women, or anybody whose fashion profile is opposed to their hair being tied up, you’re still going to be wanting to show as much face as possible this season. So ditch the bangs and enjoy that gorgeous spring sunshine on your face!

Pretty in pastel

If traditional spring florals aren’t your style, go pastel this spring. Expect to see a dessert inspired colour palette that boasts sugary-sweet pastels, with some shades looking almost good enough to eat!

Think mint greens, baby blues, pale peaches and pinks – these soft, subtle tones will showcase a feminine look through a gorgeous, understated, pastel palette.

With this trend the tip is to steer clear of bold prints and bright colours, whilst opting for paler shades that, while soft, are intriguing in their own right.

Return of the slip dress

The slip dress has made a major comeback since its dominance in the late 1990s. This trend is simplistic, nostalgic, and can easily be recreated with items that you probably already own. Layers are key here; pair a wispy, strappy slip dress with a simple white t-shirt underneath and you have yourself the perfect springtime outfit.

Floaty and paper-thin styles are in across the board with this trend. Light knits, flowing dresses, silky slip, and net lattice are all making an appearance, and the slip on style is what all of these have in common.

Another thing that all of these have in common is the stylistic idea of flow. They all swing in the breeze and flow comfortably around the body- a slip is the perfect dress for frolicking around on a gorgeous spring day!

If you’re going for a formal look, the slip dress is a great option that replaces the overly priced and overly embellished varieties that usually dominate the formalwear market. A slip dress will give you that sleek, minimalist look that is totally on trend this spring.

Backpacks are back!

We usually have so many essentials to carry around – with our smartphones, tablets, keys, and more – a standard handbag can end up weighing us down. So now is the time to let your inner child rejoice; because backpacks are back in style!

Traditionally, backpacks have been most appropriately paired with casual outfits, and usually made out of nylon or canvas fabrics. However this season the backpack trend has shown us a huge range of styles and fabrics – from edgy, urban-chic styles made from leather to more fun, experimental styles embellished with sequins, tassels and metallics.

Both practical and stylish, backpacks are the perfect accessory to accompany you anywhere. They are comfortable, versatile and a great addition that can match with any outfit.