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15 Key Trends For Spring Summer 2022 You Need to Know About (and Where to Shop Them Now)

Here comes the sun!

Last Updated on July 12, 2022

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. 

Chanel ss22
Imaxtree / Chanel

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

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Checks

Carolina Herrera SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree
Carolina Herrera SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree

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.

GANNI
check-pattern ruched midi dress

Check-pattern ruched midi dress, £260, Ganni – buy now

Olivia Rubin Women's Kris Skirt - Green Yellow Squares

Madeline Cardigan, now £105, Olivia Rubin at Coggles – buy now

Women’s Kris Skirt, now £95, Olivia Rubin at Coggles – buy now

checkerboard Skirt, £175, Rixo at Coggles


Skirt, £123, Rixo at Coggles – buy now

Skirt Suits

Woman wears Chanel skirt suit on Chanel spring summer 2022 catwalk
Chanel SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree

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 and Skirt Sister Jane

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 and skirt - Blazers & Jackets - MAJE

Ethnic trim tweed jacket, £199.50, MAJE – buy now

Ethnic trim tweed skirt, £137.40, MAJE – buy now

Cropped Blazer and Textured skort from Zara

Cropped blazer, £25.99, Zara – buy now

Textured skort, £9.99, Zara – buy now

Micro Minis

Cowan SS22
Christian Cowan SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree

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.

Miu Miu
Prince Of Wales check wool mini skirt

Prince Of Wales check wool mini skirt, £880, Miu Miu – buy now

Diesel
mini denim skirt

Mini denim skirt, £150, Diesel – buy now

Courrèges
Workwear mini skirt

Workwear mini skirt, £338, Courrèges – buy now

Liquid Metals

Woman wears metallic dress at Balenciaga SS22
Balenciaga SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree

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 Warehouse

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

Kurt Geiger London
Kensington leather shoulder bag

Kensington leather shoulder bag, £206, Kurt Geiger – buy now

Metallic leather sandals Mango

Metallic leather sandals, £79.99, Mango – buy now

Biker Girl

Model wears biker jacket and denim at Alexander McQueen SS22
Alexander McQueen SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree

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.

STAND STUDIO
Galilea faux-leather blazer

Galilea faux-leather blazer, now £212, Stand Studio – buy now

Miu Miu
chunky-sole boots

Chunky-sole boots, £1,190, Miu Miu – buy now

BILLIE OVERSIZED LEATHER BIKER JACKET

Leather Jacket, £399, AllSaints – buy now

Leather-effect straight trousers Mango

Leather-effect straight trousers, now £15.99, Mango – buy now

Stripes

model wears striped dress at JW anderson ss22
JW Anderson SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree

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

Straight striped jeans, £49.99, Mango – buy now

Striped poplin shirt, £59.95, Massimo Dutti – buy now

Striped poplin shirt, £59.95, Massimo Dutti – buy now

Satin Midi Slip Dress In Stripe, now £47.20, Warehouse – buy now

STAUD HAMPTON SWEATER | CHARTREUSE TWO TONE STRIPE

Hampton Sweater, £243, STAUD – buy now

The 00s

model wears cargo pants at tom ford ss22
Tom Ford SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree

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

UO Glitch Baby T-Shirt, £26, Urban Outfitters – buy now

Satin strass dress Mango

Satin strass dress, £99.99, Mango – buy now

Crocheted Halter Top & Other Stories

Crocheted Halter Top, £65, & Other Stories – buy now

Sportswear

model wears sportswear at lacoste ss22
Lacoste SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree

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 -Mango

Combined-design sweater, now £29.99, Mango – buy now

Organic Cotton Baseball Cap Pangaia

Organic Cotton Baseball Cap, £65, Pangaia – buy now

Software Isoli Elasticated Pants, Cotton, in colour Daphne - 1 - GANNI

Software isoli elasticated pants, £125, Ganni – buy now

Sheer Delights

model wears sheer dress ashish ss22
Ashish SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree

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 & Other Stories

Cut-Out Midi Dress, now £38, & Other Stories – buy now

Sheer circle top, £105, Olivia Darcy at Lone Design Club

Sheer circle top, £105, Olivia Darcy at Lone Design Club – buy now

sheer-design midi dress murmur

Sheer-design midi dress, £142, Murmur – buy now

Midriffs

model wears midriff bearing top at lanvin ss22
Lanvin SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree

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.

BLUE LOW RISE FLARED JEANS River Island

Low rise flared jeans, £42, River Island – buy now

Flare Low Jeans H&M

Flare Low Jeans, £24.99, H&M – buy now

Floral Bead Crop Top & other Stories

Floral Bead Crop Top, £95, & Other Stories – buy now

Mono Colour

model wears mono colour at richard malone ss22
Richard Malone SS22

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.

ROTATE Birger Christensen Women's Darleen Dress

Darleen Dress, now £104, ROTATE Birger Christensen – buy now

ASOS DESIGN pop boy suit blazer in bright orange

Suit blazer, now £48, ASOS – buy now

Trousers, now £30, ASOS – buy now

Satin shirt dress Mango

Satin shirt dress, £69.99, Mango – buy now

Tie-Dye

model wears tie dye dress at jason wu ss22
Jason Wu SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree

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

Ba&Sh
Isolde tie-dye print dress

Isolde tie-dye print dress, now £216, Ba&Sh – buy now

Topshop extreme cut out side occasion midi dress in turquoise tie dye

Dress, now £48, Topshop – buy now

Aries
tie-dye mini dress

Tie-dye mini dress, now £91, Aries – buy now

Blazers

model wears lemon yellow blazer and trousers at jil sander ss22
Jil Sander SS22 / courtesy of Imaxtree

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.

OVERSIZED-FIT BLAZER Cos

Blazer, £125, Cos – buy now

Oversized structured blazer Mango

Oversized structured blazer, now £69.99, Mango – buy now

Oversized jacket H&M

Oversized jacket, £34.99, H&M – buy now

Feathers

model wears feathers at david koma SS22
David Koma SS22

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

HIGH-HEEL SANDALS WITH FEATHERS Zara

Sandals with feathers, £79.99, Zara – buy now

Atu Body Couture
feather-embellished mini-skirt

Feather-embellished mini-skirt, £338, Atu Body Couture – buy now

ASOS EDITION ditsy floral sequin crop top & mini skirt with feather hem

Ditsy floral sequin crop top & mini skirt with feather hem, from £43.50, ASOS EDITION – buy now

Styland
feather-trim sheer blouse

Feather-trim sheer blouse, £215, Styland – buy now

FEATHER-TRIMMED JACQUARD JACKET | Andreeva | CULT MIA

Feather-trimmed jacket, £280, Cult Mia – buy now

Cut it out

Burberry SS22
Burberry SS22 / Imaxtree

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 Reformation

Alexei Dress, £180, Reformation – buy now

Halle Cobalt Blue Cutout Knit Top Kitri

Halle Cobalt Blue Cutout Knit Top, now £70, Kitri – buy now

EXCLUSIVE
OSÉREE
Exclusive to Mytheresa – Lumière knotted maxi dress

Lumière knotted maxi dress, £280, Oséree – buy now

READ MORE: 13 Pairs of Designer Sunglasses You Can Buy For Under £200

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.

chroma editorial by morgane maurice
Morgane Maurice

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

Olivia Bossert photography
Olivia Bossert

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 Weekday

Stella Printed Tank Top, £3, Weekday – buy now

Fiorucci
Angels logo-patch bucket hat

Angels logo-patch bucket hat, £55, Fiorucci – buy now

TIE-DYE PRINT SHIRT Zara

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 Rixo

Long Sleeve Knit Dress, £234, Rixo – buy now

HOUSE OF SUNNY
Moesha patchwork woven waistcoat

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.

Fiorucci
logo-print checked dress

Logo-print checked dress, £233, Fiorucci – buy now

GLORIA CRINKLE RUFFLE DRESS

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

Lorna Blue Striped Alpaca Blend Zip Collar Sweater, £95, Kitri – buy now

Cut-out back striped dress Mango

Cut-out back striped dress, £39.99, Mango – buy now

Babette Soft Serve Stripe Mini Dress

Babette Soft Serve Stripe Mini Dress, £210, Olivia Rubin – buy now