The Key Spring/Summer 2025 Fashion Trends To Know Now

Still, stasis is not an option; the world, and fashion, must proceed. There is work to be done. In a strangely apolitical season, Willy Chavarría’s América show told the story of the USA “through the voice of the immigrants, and the people who make this motherfucker run”, as the designer put it. And it stood out. If you think about it, utilitarian workers’ gear forms the basis of American style: jeans, t-shirts and tank tops, khakis. Fashion isn’t finished with barn-jacket beige and for spring the hue appeared in scouting and military-inspired looks. Olive drab, a hue known to army brats (not to be confused with Charli’s brats), expanded the palette.

Seemingly no collection was without some kind of slim and sleek tank silhouette; fashion’s Olympics-fuelled athletic fixation has not yet waned. At Christian Dior, tanks had a sporty aspect. We also saw sophisticated takes on sportiness like billowy polo dresses and windbreakers in materials from nylon to satin, to wear with sequinned dresses.

Circles and discs, symbols associated with femininity, were also abundant. The invitation to Jonathan Anderson’s spring show for Loewe was a ring, and on the runway the man who resurrected the structured pannier for spring/summer 2023, went further back in history to bring the bell-shaped hoop skirt back into rotation. His had a weightlessness the originals lacked. Panniers put in an appearance too, most notably on side-bolstered robe de style dresses popularised a century ago by Jeanne Lanvin. Also coming out from the shadows were bewitching looks. These ranged from the darkly mysterious (banshees were referenced at McQueen; Disney’s Wicked antiheroines made their presence known), to the romantic á la Stevie Nicks’s “Rhiannon” (who, as “a woman taken by the wind” is exceedingly on trend). Seduction is a kind of sorcery that designers played with via cone bras and transparent (tulle) veiling that was like a physical replication of a soft filter.

Softness and fluidity are not far apart, and into this especially feminine season, dandies made a dramatic entrance. At Saint Laurent the house founder was the muse. Sailors, Renaissance princes, Tudor kings, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and other storybook characters also came to life on the runways.

This analysis of the most directional spring 2025 fashion trends is based on a review of over 400 brands in the four fashion capitals (New York, London, Milan, and Paris) as well as Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Berlin, plus women’s looks presented during menswear. Read on for the key takeaways from the runways and the spring summer 2025 fashion trends to consider incorporating into your wardrobe.

U-turns: tank tops

As far as wardrobe staples go, tank tops have always been regarded as one of the greats and a reliable base layer for any outfit, all year round. And in recent seasons, this basic has received multiple high-fashion makeovers, with designers looking to push the tank beyond its humble origins. See: the tank top worn as a dress adorned with chainmail at Rabanne spring/summer 2025, the tank worn with belted wide-leg trousers at Willy Chavarria, the knitted sheer tank at 16Arlington, the tank-and-high-waisted skirt combination at Ralph Lauren and the tanks that were printed with “mother” across the chest and “fucker” in smaller font below at Stella McCartney. The neckline to champion for spring? Scooped styles reign supreme.

Bewitched: the seduction of dark romance

Gothic cues have been a permanent fixture on the spring runways for several seasons, further catalysed by big and small screen releases, including Wednesday, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Nosferatu. Dark romance was especially prevalent: naturally, the ever-dramatic Rick Owens presented many looks that would double up as costumes, while Alessandro Michele’s debut at Valentino featured mysterious floral prints throughout. Photo-worthy moments, meanwhile, arrived at Standing Ground in the form of a hooded velvet gown and Balenciaga dressed house muse Eliza Douglas in an angular-shouldered look. For more wearable options, look to Anthony Vaccarello, who provided flowing boho dresses worn beneath heavy leather jackets at Saint Laurent.

Leg it: skorts and skirts-over-pants

Wearing skirts over pants is a trend that’s been bubbling up for some time, but it came into full force at the spring shows. Skousers, skants and single-legged pants were interpreted every which way; from Matthieu Blazy’s sophisticated take, which was rendered in a rigid silhouette, to Johanna Parv’s practical version made from crunchy lightweight shell material, which was paired with a zipped top, headband and wraparound sunglasses for a high-low athleisure look. Hybrids were in abundance, but there were also separates that offered easy styling inspiration. After all, why pick one when you can have both?

Soft filter: tulle wraps

We’re well past the “naked dressing” phenomenon: where once a sheer look would shock a fashion crowd, it’s now something that’s to be expected from certain designers. Gossamer-thin tulle and organza fabrications prevailed once again for spring/summer 2025, as seen at Simone Rocha, Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini, Sportmax, Tom Ford and London’s resident sheer aficionado, Nensi Dojaka. These aren’t looks for everyday – or, for that matter, everyone – but Dries Van Noten presented an ensemble that would appeal to those less willing to fully embrace sheerness, with a mint tunic layered atop a double-breasted blazer.

Get sporty: upping the game on athleisure staples

The sporty mood imbued by various football cups, the Olympics, World Championships and, of course, Vogue World’s athletic-centred extravaganza in Paris, has trickled into designers’ collections. For spring, consider the block-coloured track jackets seen at Miu Miu, GCDS and Tolu Coker, or the nods to “balletcore” at Ferragamo and Simone Rocha. As ever, Wales Bonner nailed sporty fashion once again through her ongoing collaboration with Adidas Originals, which was effortlessly styled with her mainline pieces for spring/summer 2025.

Teen spirit: plaid for spring

2025’s take on grunge? Plaid, but make it elegant. See: The Row’s square-neck checked maxi dress, complete with black bows on the shoulders. Elsewhere, the print was explored via everything from flannel shirts (that evoked Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, who was renowned for his love of checks) to ruffled skirts and outerwear. Matthieu Blazy – who sent a fresh-faced Kate Moss in trompe l’oeil leather “jeans,” a white tank top and a checked shirt, worn nonchalantly undone, down his spring/summer 2023 runway – explored the pattern once again for spring/summer 2025, as a thick coat-come-shirt.

Scout’s honour: utility gear in khaki and olive

Fashion is made all the better when there’s an element of functionality – be it a cleverly-placed pocket or closures, like poppers and buttons, that are as stylish as they are practical. Options to consider for the new season are Sacai’s cargo trousers, the desert hues explored at Isabel Marant, or the funnel-neck jackets seen at Gucci and Mugler. There were also looks that boasted scout-ish charm: Fashion East’s Olly Shinder took the brief literally and added a preppy hat and neckerchief to one of his looks.

Continuous loop: spiral silhouettes

The spiral was at the heart of Pieter Mulier’s Alaïa collection, explored via brushed-shearling chubbies and micro-pleated dresses that snapped onto the body – made using similar techniques to jewellery manufacturing – all of which echoed the infrastructure of the Guggenheim, where his show was held. Atlein, Luar, Peter Do and Tibi were other brands that looked to spiralled silhouettes, as well as Ludovic De Saint Sernin, who nodded to Alaïa’s iconic zipper dress with an unravelling, eyelet-trimmed dress that had tiered bands suspended by invisible threads.

Fine and dandy: masculine archetypes

“My last men’s show in March had been all about tailoring, but based on flou; I wanted this one to be the opposite – more strict,” Anthony Vaccarello told Vogue of his spring offering. The result? A coterie of suited models – including Bella Hadid – that set the tone for his collection. And for Vaccarello, it was about the full picture: “It’s not about when I would do a tuxedo for a woman which was worn naked underneath. The suits come with shirts, ties. You’re dressed. It’s about control, and power, in a way.” See also: Willy Chavarria, Nicholas Daley and Ann Demeulemeester, to name but a few.

Tomato, tomato: fruity red for spring

There was a colour trend for everyone at the shows – and the boldest dressers should road-test the fiery tomato hues that cut through the neutrals this season. Vibrancy was realised every which way, across ready-to-wear and accessories, at brands including Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta – the latter of which made a red, leather-clad Biggest Word Book Ever!, in collaboration with Richard Scarry. Miuccia Prada also took her Miu Miu bow in a tomato-hued ensemble.

Bells and whistles: adornments aplenty

Minimalism, be damned! Adornments were rife in the spring collections, with carabiner clips, feathers, sequins and crystals splayed across ready-to-wear and accessories. Chopova Lowena won in this department, with jangling embellishments taking centre stage at the brand’s upbeat showcase; suspended from skirts, sewn onto denim and meandering models’ hairstyles. Whether you buy something pre-embellished or take a turn in DIY upcycling, “more is more” is one of the key memos for spring.

Make it rain: the ascent of the waterproof

Fear not of spring showers, for the collections offered plenty in the weather-wear category. And even if it isn’t forecast to rain, waterproofs can make a stylish layer. Among the brands that made a case for the chic shell jacket, was Prada, where a waterproof in fisherman yellow was worn with otherworldly visors, and Ferragamo, which featured an elegant longline black version.

Into the fold: the pleated skirt

Irons at the ready! Pleats of many kinds, from scholarly pressed pleats to zig-zagging folds and micro knife pleats, grounded preppy looks at the spring shows. Miu Miu debuted various colourful midis in leather; McQueen featured a frayed-edge mini; a uniform-grey style was suspended from a clipped belt at Prada, while Bottega Veneta showed a pinstriped version. This is a staple that’ll last all year round.