The Best Street Food Hotspots In London
London just claimed the title of world’s best food destination for 2026 in the TripAdvisor
I’ve been staring at runway shows, scrolling through fashion forecasts, and frankly, I’m delighted to report that 2026 is shaping up to be wonderfully unhinged.
Forget everything you thought you knew about quiet luxury. That ship has sailed, sunk, and been replaced by something far more entertaining.
Here are eight trends that’ll define 2026, complete with the people who’ll wear them and the cultural forces pushing them into your wardrobe whether you like it or not.
The Trend: Clashing prints, exaggerated shoulders, chaotic layering, and enough visual noise to give your eyes a proper workout.
Who’s Wearing It: Gen Z, primarily, wielding their $400 billion spending power like a fashion wrecking ball. They’ve decided that less is not more. Less is just less, and they’re not having it.
Why It’s Happening: After years of beige-on-beige stealth wealth cosplay, people want to be seen again. The 1980s power glam era is back with sculpted silhouettes and bold self-expression. This is fashion that tells your story, loudly, possibly whilst shouting. You’ll know a maximalist when you see one because you won’t be able to look away. They’re wearing five patterns simultaneously and somehow making it work. I’m calling it controlled chaos, and it’s brilliant.
The Trend: Waistlines are dropping faster than my motivation on a Monday morning. We’re talking loose, slinky silhouettes that sit somewhere around your hips, creating proportions that would make a 1920s flapper weep with joy.
Who’s Wearing It: Anyone who’s tired of high-waisted everything. Fashion editors. People who enjoy confusing their proportions. Matthieu Blazy enthusiasts.
Why It’s Happening: Matthieu Blazy’s debut collections have given us permission to rethink where our waists actually live. The drop waist creates this elongated, fluid silhouette that’s simultaneously elegant and slightly off-kilter. It’s the fashion equivalent of a double-take. Classic shirting continues its chokehold on the industry, but now it’s paired with these dropped waistlines that make you look like you’ve stepped out of a time machine set to “stylishly confused.” Skirt suits are carving out their space too, as seen at Versace and Dior, but with waistlines that have given up trying to find your natural waist.
The Trend: Lace everywhere. Lace maxi skirts. Lace stockings. Lace trims on satin. Lace pants that somehow don’t look like you’re auditioning for a period drama.
Who’s Wearing It: Romantics. Goths who’ve softened slightly. People who want texture without commitment. Anyone who enjoys the phrase “modern Victorian.”
Why It’s Happening: The fabric showed a +200% growth in runway visibility compared to last season, which is the fashion equivalent of a mic drop. Designers have figured out how to make lace feel contemporary rather than costume-y. Flowy lace pants are the standout piece because they manage to be both delicate and surprisingly practical. The key is pairing lace with unexpected pieces like chunky trainers or leather jackets. This stops you from looking like you’ve wandered off the set of a Jane Austen adaptation and into 2026 where you actually belong.
The Trend: Hemlines that can’t make up their mind. One side is having a mini moment whilst the other is contemplating maxi territory. Tops that look like someone started cutting and then got distracted.
Who’s Wearing It: People who like their fashion with a side of geometry. Anyone tired of symmetry. Those who enjoy explaining their outfit choices at parties.
Why It’s Happening: The bubble hem has officially been replaced, and I’m not crying about it. Asymmetrical hemlines bring an unexpected element of whimsy that’s hard to resist. A trend stays when it adapts to multiple style aesthetics, and asymmetry works whether you’re minimal, maximal, or somewhere in between. From skirts to tops, these uneven edges create movement and visual interest without trying too hard. You can dress them up, dress them down, or just wear them because they make getting dressed feel less like a chore and more like a creative decision.
The Trend: Sheer everything. Strategic coverage. Illusion panels. Dresses that make you question whether someone forgot to finish getting dressed or is a certified fashion genius.
Who’s Wearing It: Red carpet regulars. People with excellent undergarments. Those who’ve mastered the art of confident nonchalance. Celebrities preparing for the Met Gala.
Why It’s Happening: The Met Gala Costume Institute exhibition theme is set as Costume Art, exploring fashion’s relationship to the human form. The naked dress will hit its apex, culminating on one of the biggest red carpets of the year. This is fashion celebrating the body rather than hiding it, using sheer fabrics and strategic design to create something that’s simultaneously revealing and remarkably sophisticated. The naked dress in 2026 is less about shock value and more about artistry. Think less “forgot my clothes” and more “carefully orchestrated masterpiece.”
The Trend: Polka dots, but make them statement-sized. We’re talking dots so large they’re practically circles with ambition. Photogenic prints that look like contemporary art escaped the gallery.
Who’s Wearing It: Art lovers. People who want to be spotted from across the street. Anyone who thinks regular polka dots are too subtle. Instagram enthusiasts who appreciate a good backdrop.
Why It’s Happening: Large polka dots are expected to grow by +147% in the fourth quarter and +43% over the year, driven by links with contemporary art and visibility at events like Art Basel Paris. These aren’t your vintage polka dots. These are bold, oversized, and deliberately artistic. The print photographs beautifully, which matters in our visual culture. You can wear a simple silhouette and let the print do the talking. It’s maximum impact with minimum effort, which is essentially the fashion dream. The dots create movement and energy without requiring you to think too hard about your outfit.
The Trend: Sustainable practices integrated so thoroughly into fashion that mentioning them becomes redundant. Eco-friendly materials, ethical production, and circular fashion models as standard operating procedure.
Who’s Wearing It: Everyone, ideally. Conscious consumers. Brands that want to survive. People who’ve realised the planet is quite important actually.
Why It’s Happening: By 2026, sustainability becomes a standard expectation rather than a unique selling point. This shift encourages all fashion brands to integrate sustainable practices into their DNA. You won’t see “eco-friendly” plastered across marketing materials because it’ll be assumed. The fashion industry is slowly realising that sustainability isn’t a trend to capitalise on but a necessity to embrace. This means better materials, transparent supply chains, and designs built to last beyond a single season. The revolution is quiet but significant. Fashion is growing up.
The Trend: Wearing what you actually like instead of what TikTok told you to buy three weeks ago. Curated wardrobes. Intentional choices. Fashion as self-expression rather than algorithmic obedience.
Who’s Wearing It: People tired of chasing viral moments. Those who’ve realised their wardrobe doesn’t need to be a greatest hits compilation of internet trends. Anyone who wants their style to last longer than a news cycle.
Why It’s Happening: We’re taking the first steps into a new era that moves on from oversized ultra-minimalism and viral microtrends. Personal style as the trend is slowly pushing the definition of a “fashion person” away from a wardrobe full of the latest and greatest to a mindful state. Going into 2026, exclusivity (essentially gatekeeping, but make it fashion) becomes more important than it has been in recent years. This isn’t about being exclusive for snobbery’s sake. This is about developing a personal aesthetic that feels authentic rather than borrowed. You’ll know your style works when you stop checking what everyone else is wearing.
Fashion in 2026 is pulling in opposite directions simultaneously, which is either chaotic or brilliant depending on your perspective.
You’ve got maximalism screaming for attention whilst personal style advocates for quiet confidence. You’ve got naked dresses celebrating the body whilst drop waists obscure natural proportions. You’ve got oversized polka dots making bold statements whilst sustainable fashion works quietly in the background.
The common thread is authenticity.
Whether you’re wearing five patterns at once or a carefully curated capsule wardrobe, 2026 fashion rewards genuine self-expression over algorithmic compliance. The trends exist, but you get to choose which ones speak to you.
Personally, I’m here for the chaos. I’m here for the lace pants paired with chunky boots. I’m here for the asymmetrical hemlines that make getting dressed feel like a creative act. I’m here for the maximalists who’ve decided that life’s too short for beige.
2026 is giving us permission to have fun with fashion again, and I’m not about to waste it.
See you on the other side of this gloriously ridiculous fashion year.
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