Cameron’s interpretation of goth girl spring felt effortlessly cool with the help of Nour Hammour’s Thalia leather jacket. It’s a popular style that checks all the boxes of 2026’s most-desirable spring outerwear pieces: a customizable cinched waist (a move away from the boxy silhouettes of previous years), a funnel neck design that sits up tall when fully zipped, and a slightly cropped silhouette that lands just below the waist. It’s leather jackets like these that will outshine any trench coat this year.
I happen to love this color. I’m currently seated in a coffee shop in Santa Fe, typing on a laptop I pulled out of my beat-up Madewell leather tote. It’s burgundy — almost purple, but not quite — with a black stripe down the middle. I bought it years ago, seeking a work bag that would look more polished than my nylon backpack. After I splurged for this unremarkable thing, something funny happened: I began buying more pieces, from sweaters to boots to corduroys, in a similar hue. See, burgundy’s always available, because it’s almost (but again, not quite) a neutral tone, easy to match with the other colors that dominate my wardrobe: black, blue, brown, olive.
Whether it’s sky, powder, cobalt, or navy, a sea of blues is ready to wash over your wardrobe this fall, as modeled by European brands from Prada to Louis Vuitton to Saint Laurent on the runways. Brighter tones make for punchy statements, while deeper shades align with the timeless elegance of the quiet luxury aesthetic. From bold, structured pieces to flowing, ethereal designs, these shades of blue offer a versatile range of options.
If smaller shapes are your ideal bag mate, cute little crescent bags are all about those sleek curves, while cylinder bags — both horizontal and vertical — are the new minis that might not hold much but make a big statement. For a more spacious moment with throwback appeal, there’s the triumphant return of the bowling bags, serving up some serious retro charm and long, shoulder strap satchels that fit everything but the kitchen sink. And if you’re all about texture, this season’s plushest styles, ranging from faux furs and shearlings to knitted designs, are here to add a playful, tactile element to your look.
Jumbo scrunchies can embellish the simplest styling (see: white top and blue jeans) but are equally additive to bold looks, without requiring meaningful coordination. Like Allison Bornstein’s wrong-shoe theory, the power of this practical statement is that it looks great when mismatched to the rest of what you’re wearing, and makes for an outfit equation that’s far more interesting. This contrast has the power to elevate, without the prerequisite of meaningful effort. (For proof, see Mandy Lee’s look above, which saw the trend analyst pairing her delicate eyelet scrunchie with chunky rubber clogs, albeit from the Crocs x Simone Rocha collaboration.)
In the 1950s, we also saw the skinny scarf in patterned fabrics, shorter lengths, and more taut styling — perhaps looped around the neck twice, like a choker, with a bow to play up a colorful poodle skirt. Kostis mentions the skinny scarf’s symbolic references in the 1960s, when it was a nod to mod subculture, especially in splashy geometric prints, which could be interpreted as a rejection of conventional styles at that time. And even later, we saw it during the bohemian rocker move of the ’70s — a look implemented by Moss into the late ’90s — with the scarf nonchalantly thrown over a blouse, and a peek of lingerie, seemingly as an afterthought.
You might think that something thick yet sleeveless could only be called upon for some very specific in-between weather, but there are ways to make sure you’re getting the most out of your purchase. After all, being able to get creative with outfits means the pieces in our wardrobes get maximum wear, ensuring we’re not contributing to overconsumption. But sometimes we get stumped. And when the outfit block comes around, the only course of action to take is to look at our social feeds for the right inspiration to reignite the spark. This season vest styles are trending in more varieties than ever, from the cowboycore-approved denim waistcoat to the classic sweater vest.
One designer whose denim bags are seen more than most is, of course, Louis Vuitton. Its now-iconic denim bags (specifically, the Baggy) first debuted on the Spring/Summer 2005 runway in Paris, when Marc Jacobs was creative director at the House. The collection soon expanded to include other iconic styles that were regularly seen on the arms of Y2K celebrities like Mischa Barton and Paris Hilton — the Cabby, Neo Cabby, Pleaty, and limited-edition denim Speedy, and later, colored denim styles.
Upgraded hardware is the easiest way to update a basic piece. Whether it be on a classic shoulder bag, a leather belt, or a sandal, statement hardware will make shoppers do a double-take. For spring/summer 2024, Tory Burch featured “pierced” flats, while Ferragamo used molten buckles on their handbags and belts.
And when it comes to fashion, there was no bigger style icon in 2023 than “the girl,” a somewhat stereotypical concept that we’ve all been programmed with since birth, complete with lots of pink and ultra-femme styles, from the runways and red carpets to social media feeds. There’s Margot Robbie’s entire Barbie press run, which included custom-made outfits that featured pumps, glamorous hats, bandage dresses, and lots of pink, all inspired by vintage Barbie looks. There’s the return of the headband as the It accessory of the year, endorsed by celebrities like Olivia Rodrigo and Jennifer Lawrence. And, of course, the Eras Tour, in which friendship bracelets became a communal experience and Girl-icon Taylor Swift revisited nearly 20 years of her career by dressing up as her past selves.
Last September, during New York Fashion Week, New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck closed the Adeam fashion show with a surprise performance. Her fouettés followed a lineup of asymmetrical leg warmers, tulle-decorated skirts, and soft pastels, a collection that the brand’s designer Hanako Maeda says was inspired by “the idea of ballet as a performance art and as a sport.”
“The collection combines the romanticism and couture-like craftsmanship that you see in ballet costumes with a more modern, sporty mood,” she explains to Refinery29. “I also added a touch of rock ‘n’ roll edge with the accessories.”
As a former dancer, I know all too well the fantasy side of ballet — Christmas season Nutcracker performances, frothy tulle skirts, pastel-hued pointe shoes, etc. — which has long served as inspiration for fashion. Designers, ranging from Claire McCardell in the 1930s to John Galliano in the late ’90s, have included ballet elements in their collections. In more recent years, names like Maeda, Esteban Cortázar, Raf Simons, Christopher John Rogers, and Wes Gordon have created costumes for ballet companies like the New York City Ballet. Meanwhile, products like Jacquemus’ ballet slides and Miu Miu’s satin bow ballerina flats have become some of the most popular items of 2023, according to Lyst.
The most recent collection to come out of the recent balletcore craze, Reformation x New York City Ballet is inspired by Jewels, a show choreographed by the ballet company’s founder George Balanchine, and includes pieces suited for ballerinas, as well as guests looking to attend a ballet performance. “We leaned into classic ballet-inspired elements that emulate traditional practice attire, including bodysuits, wrap sweaters, silk skirts, leg warmers, and, of course, ballet flats,” says Lauren Caris Cohan, Reformation’s chief creative officer. The campaign — shot at New York City’s Lincoln Center, where the company performs — features models sporting leotards and sweaters, paired with leather jackets, looking like they’ve just come out of rehearsal and are ready to loosen up their ballet buns.
The latter is interesting to note because, while there have been plenty of literal ballet uniform interpretations in the past, what’s different about the recent display of balletcore — a trend that’s dominated fashion for the past two years and only continues to grow — is the rebellious side that has been reimagining the ballet fashion stereotypes.
On TikTok, the balletcore hashtag has over one billion views, with creators wearing everything from ballet flats and leg warmers with jeans to outfits inspired by films like Black Swan and Center Stage that employed fashion as a tool to express opposition to ballet’s rigid standards. On the runways, designers like Givenchy, Simone Rocha, and Christian Siriano have reimagined the ultra-feminine dance staples into darker, edgier pieces. Siriano, for example, reworked ballet-style pink ribbons on club-ready mini dresses and added ballet tights underneath wide-leg trousers for his spring 2024 collection.
“I think there’s this desire for people to want to tap into the fantasy of ballet,” says Caroline Reznik, a Milan-based fashion designer, who quit her career as a ballet dancer at the Australian Ballet to work in fashion. “But they also see the off-duty ballet dancer as being something that can be adapted into their own wardrobe because of the functionality that comes with it.”
Reznik’s work takes from her own desire for creative and personal expression outside her ballet studio. “The way that I explore dance archetypes in my work is kind of that rebellion that I grew up with,” she says. “I was always longing to go against the grain because there are so many standards that were once in place to be recognized at the company.” In turn, Reznik, who has dressed artists like Doja Cat and Rosalía, shies away from the typical balletcore styles and silhouettes, while still employing some of its defining elements, like tulle and bodycon knits. For resort 2024, she featured a tulle skirt with a studded leather harness, as well as a cut-out leather bodysuit with beaded fringe details. “I always had this fire in me that was like, ‘I want to do the opposite, but still be like within this realm,’” she says.
That rebellious spirit is also something that Maeda wanted to celebrate in the Adeam’s spring/summer 2024 collection. She used materials like floral organza and pastel-colored tulle as nods to ballet costumes but included tailored suiting, punk-inspired mini skirts, and sheer opera gloves to contrast the stage-ready details. This juxtaposition is also inspired by Maeda’s own views of ballet’s traditional ideals. “I think ballet culture has progressed in a way that feels more empowering, and I also feel that there is more fluidity in the standards of beauty,” she says. “The athletic prowess that you see in ballet movements is very powerful and inspiring.”
As more brands jump on the balletcore trend, which character will you embody: principal dancer or ballet dissident? It’s up to you.
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