Many people seem to prefer layering up, but spring summer is by far my favourite season for fashion (and everything else). This year’s trends explain why.
After nearly two years of WFH casual dressing, loungewear and making what’s up top count, we’re all in need of a little change.
READ MORE: Farfetch’s Huge Summer Sale is Now On – These Are the 21 Pieces to Snap Up Before It’s Too Late
For spring summer, designers everywhere have put a new spin on old favourites, splashed colour all over their catwalks, designed outfits everyone wants to wear and created collections that project a brighter year ahead.
Vibrant hues, flashes of skin, sheer fabrics and cool sportswear dominated the SS22 catwalks, breathing new life into the world of fashion.
From biker girls to Hollywood starlets, gym class heroes to feminine skirt suits, there’s something to inspire everyone this season.
Without further ado, let’s delve into the trends for spring summer 2022 (and where you can shop them now).
READ MORE: 24 Phenomenal Designer Handbags For Less Than £500
Wear Next may receive a small commission if you click a link from one of our articles onto a retail website and make a purchase.
What are the key trends for spring summer 2022?
Checks
It’s hip to be square in vision distorting checks for the new season. From checkerboard to pop colour creations, it’s time to go off grid and mix up your checks.
This retro graphic can be worn for all occasions. Step back into the office with an impact in a power suit, take it back to the 90s in a monochrome crop top and add some flare to the midi skirt in green, one of the key colours of the season.
Check-pattern ruched midi dress, £260, Ganni – buy now
Madeline Cardigan, now £105, Olivia Rubin at Coggles – buy now
Women’s Kris Skirt, now £95, Olivia Rubin at Coggles – buy now
Skirt, £123, Rixo at Coggles – buy now
Skirt Suits
Feminine and girly, cute yet cool, the skirt suit makes a welcome return from the 90s with a version for everyone.
Chanel’s classic tweed skirt suits came in an array of exciting new colours, shapes and sizes, while Dior made going back to the office an exciting prospect with smart cool girl versions.
This playful twinset is a must in everyone’s wardrobe this season.
Katarina tweed jacket, now £129, Dream Sister Jane – buy now
Katarina tweed mini skirt, now £59, Dream Sister Jane – buy now
Ethnic trim tweed jacket, £199.50, MAJE – buy now
Ethnic trim tweed skirt, £137.40, MAJE – buy now
Cropped blazer, £25.99, Zara – buy now
Textured skort, £9.99, Zara – buy now
Micro Minis
It’s legs on show this season as designers decided it was time to get our pins out from under our desks and back out into the world.
Look to Prada for chic colours, Missoni for metallic minis and Miu Miu for the ultimate micro, so short even the pockets hang below the hemline.
Prince Of Wales check wool mini skirt, £880, Miu Miu – buy now
Mini denim skirt, £150, Diesel – buy now
Workwear mini skirt, £338, Courrèges – buy now
Liquid Metals
It’s time to shine in this season’s eye blinding light reflecting trend.
Silver fluid fabrics moved effortlessly down the catwalks of Fendi and Lanvin, sequins shimmered and sparkled for Valentino and Burberry, while Gucci and Balenciaga stole the show with layers and layers of foil fabrics and voluminous shapes.
If you’re wondering how to embrace it this season, opt for dazzling accessories for a wearable take on the trend.
Metallic Plisse Volume Sleeve Maxi Dress, now £88, Warehouse – buy now
READ MORE: Spring is Finally Here – These Dresses Will Freshen Up Your Wardrobe Instantly
Kensington leather shoulder bag, £206, Kurt Geiger – buy now
Metallic leather sandals, £79.99, Mango – buy now
Biker Girl
The OG of leather jacket is back with a whole lot of bad girl energy for 2022.
More biker gang than rock ‘n’ roll chick, this year’s look has toughened up with layers of leather from Alice and Olivia, covered in studs and spikes a la Richard Quinn.
Alexander McQueen mixed leather with denim covered in multiple zips and buckles, while Miu Miu embraced vintage with worn down distressed leather.
Galilea faux-leather blazer, now £212, Stand Studio – buy now
Chunky-sole boots, £1,190, Miu Miu – buy now
Leather Jacket, £399, AllSaints – buy now
Leather-effect straight trousers, now £15.99, Mango – buy now
Stripes
From monochrome to colourful, blurred to cut up, breton to check chair, straight up and down, or all over the place, stripes are a constant on the catwalk yet never fail to grab our attention.
This year saw a mixed bag of stripes. JW Anderson, Etro and Alaia added tassels, bringing texture and movement to the trend.
Balmain took the Breton to a whole new level and Fendi draped models with colourful, elegant branded statement stripes.
Straight striped jeans, £49.99, Mango – buy now
Striped poplin shirt, £59.95, Massimo Dutti – buy now
Satin Midi Slip Dress In Stripe, now £47.20, Warehouse – buy now
Hampton Sweater, £243, STAUD – buy now
The 00s
Get ready to lower your denim rise, bare your midriff, throw on a few butterflies and dig out your cargo pants, as Y2K has bounced back with all the nostalgia, fun, energy and belly button flare it had the first time around.
Dolce & Gabbana announced their key influence with slogan t-shirts, chokers and micro skirts, MSGM returned to the double denim favourite teamed with flip flops and midriff and Tom Ford brought back the high shine cargo pants we never thought would be seen again.
READ MORE: How You’ll Be Wearing Leggings in 2022
UO Glitch Baby T-Shirt, £26, Urban Outfitters – buy now
Satin strass dress, £99.99, Mango – buy now
Crocheted Halter Top, £65, & Other Stories – buy now
Sportswear
Sportswear went old school for spring summer 2022, turning PE geeks into gym class heroes.
Colours were muted with trims of neon, while fabrics were practical with cool edgy cuts you wouldn’t want to break a sweat in.
Knee high socks and slides, anoraks and hoodies, buttoned up polo necks and safety specs featured, all topped off with a visor for extra measure.
Combined-design sweater, now £29.99, Mango – buy now
Organic Cotton Baseball Cap, £65, Pangaia – buy now
Software isoli elasticated pants, £125, Ganni – buy now
Sheer Delights
The barely there fabric that’s bringing sexy back was a big hit for what will hopefully be a scorcher of a season ahead.
The delicate slip dresses that flowed over equally see through lingerie from Dsquared may be a little risqué for some, but fear not. There were some fun styling options to pull this transparent trend off.
For those who may veer towards modesty, Ashish’s floral sheer dresses over brightly coloured tights may be more appealing, or Dior’s ability to layer sheer fabrics in just the right places and covering all the right areas feel a little more wearable.
Cut-Out Midi Dress, now £38, & Other Stories – buy now
Sheer circle top, £105, Olivia Darcy at Lone Design Club – buy now
Sheer-design midi dress, £142, Murmur – buy now
Midriffs
Quite possibly the most daunting trend of them all is the rise of the midriff.
Designers delightfully put so many on show this season that it feels like a conspiracy to get us to bare all when it comes to our fashion choices this summer.
Another 90’s/00’s-inspired trend, the midriff has taken centre stage by lowering our waistlines and hiking up our crop tops.
Lanvin played around with proportions by adding low rise puffball skirts and wide legged trousers teamed with graphic crop tops, Zimmerman transformed tailoring with belly button flashing suiting and Etro went full retro with scarf like tops and drawstring slouchy bottoms in bubblegum pink.
Low rise flared jeans, £42, River Island – buy now
Flare Low Jeans, £24.99, H&M – buy now
Floral Bead Crop Top, £95, & Other Stories – buy now
Mono Colour
It’s a bright and beautiful time to get colourful, as designers celebrated the new season with an array of bold stunning juicy colours that instantly lift your energy.
This easy one-stop styling option is the quickest way to update your wardrobe with minimal fashion experience.
Try Bottega’s stylish all over colour palette and match your accessories in similar shades. Take tailoring to another level and opt for head to toe suiting in vibrant orange spotted at the Boss spring summer 2022 show.
If the bolder approach feels a little daunting, look to Max Mara and try sorbet shades for a more subtle way to wear this trend.
Darleen Dress, now £104, ROTATE Birger Christensen – buy now
Suit blazer, now £48, ASOS – buy now
Trousers, now £30, ASOS – buy now
Satin shirt dress, £69.99, Mango – buy now
Tie-Dye
Not just for beach babes (although there was plenty of inspiration for this year’s summer holiday), this DIY colour trend was a favourite on the catwalks adding exciting new colour ways to a season that certainly wants to stand out.
Splashed across evening gowns, layered over hoodies and flowing skirts by Marques Almeida and adorned across day to night dresses at the Jason Wu show, this year’s version of tie-dye certainly made a splash.
READ MORE: You’re Going to See These Colours Everywhere in 2022
Isolde tie-dye print dress, now £216, Ba&Sh – buy now
Dress, now £48, Topshop – buy now
Tie-dye mini dress, now £91, Aries – buy now
Blazers
A wardrobe staple of any fashion girl, the blazer has been around for a while but this season it really means business. Sleeves are longer, shoulders bigger, shapes bolder and sizes baggier. This year, the blazer is BIG!
This throw-over-everything styling hero has always saved the day when making an impression for both smart and casual situations, yet the trick this year is to make it the biggest thing you own.
Blazer, £125, Cos – buy now
Oversized structured blazer, now £69.99, Mango – buy now
Oversized jacket, £34.99, H&M – buy now
Feathers
It’s time to ruffle some feathers in this season’s softest trend. From trimmings to all over plumage, this fabulous feather fashion friend is no soft touch.
Valentino added eye popping colours, Moschino made them the finishing touch to eccentric outfits while Gucci swept the floor with them.
Whichever way you choose to wear them be sure to prune and preen your feathery friends for a truly fluffy finish.
READ MORE: 11 Feather Trimmed Tops We Can’t Get Enough Of
Sandals with feathers, £79.99, Zara – buy now
Feather-embellished mini-skirt, £338, Atu Body Couture – buy now
Ditsy floral sequin crop top & mini skirt with feather hem, from £43.50, ASOS EDITION – buy now
Feather-trim sheer blouse, £215, Styland – buy now
Feather-trimmed jacket, £280, Cult Mia – buy now
Cut it out
Cut outs were huge in AW21 and this season, they’re back and more daring than ever.
Follow Burberry’s suit and embrace the look from head-to-toe, or opt for a more subtle approach like Proenza Schouler.
Either way you choose to go, it’s a chic look that anyone can pull off.
Alexei Dress, £180, Reformation – buy now
Halle Cobalt Blue Cutout Knit Top, now £70, Kitri – buy now
Lumière knotted maxi dress, £280, Oséree – buy now
READ MORE: 13 Pairs of Designer Sunglasses You Can Buy For Under £200
Which colours are trending for spring summer 2022?
This season’s colours are as bold as they come.
Forget muted tones; bright oranges, grass green and hot pink will be everywhere this summer.
Read our full report of the colour trends for SS22.
Which prints are trending for SS22?
If you love prints, you’re in for a treat – but there really is something for everyone this year.
Whether you prefer to keep things classic with stripes or are happy to embrace the boldest patterns of them all, you’ll find something to suit your style.
READ MORE: The Only Prints That Matter in 2022
Tie Dye
As mentioned, tie dye is set to be one of this year’s most popular prints.
Opt for a subtle approach with one tie dye piece, or wear it from head-to-toe for a bold look.
Stella Printed Tank Top, £3, Weekday – buy now
Angels logo-patch bucket hat, £55, Fiorucci – buy now
Tie-dye Shirt, £29.99, Zara – buy now
Waves
Have you noticed waves absolutely everywhere?
When you can’t get to the beach, wear the waves instead.
Long Sleeve Knit Dress, £234, Rixo – buy now
Moesha patchwork woven waistcoat, £100, House of Sunny at Selfridges – buy now
Checks
Checkerboard, micro checks, tartan – whatever way you choose to go, you’ll be bang on trend.
Logo-print checked dress, £233, Fiorucci – buy now
Gloria Dress, £70, Damson Madder – buy now
Stripes
Classic yet modern, stripes will never date. Make yours bold and colourful by embracing contrasting colours.
Lorna Blue Striped Alpaca Blend Zip Collar Sweater, £95, Kitri – buy now
Cut-out back striped dress, £39.99, Mango – buy now
Babette Soft Serve Stripe Mini Dress, £210, Olivia Rubin – buy now
