Spring/Summer 2017 Fashion Trends: The 7 Looks You Need to Know

You'll find that spring/summer 2017's fashion trends have stylists, buyers, editors and anyone else who is interested super-duper, spin-around-your-closet excited. Why? Well, it's an inherently upbeat season. From the many no-holds-barred interpretations on the 1980s (think lamé, jumbo frills, shoulders, bling and legs) to the most saturated colour palette we've seen in a decade (fuschia, scarlet, heliotrope, hazmat, more fuschia!), joy is oozing from every stitch and every seam. Even stripes and florals—those two trusty pillars of the summer print lineup—are back with more bite, more verve and more tempting iterations to make you think again and look twice.

The spirit of the '80s continues via the runway's adoption of the more literal aesthetic codes as well as the decade's DIY culture—this is a season where YOU make the rules. Want to be a punk princess in one of the hundreds of see-through, peekaboo dresses designers have dreamt up in clouds of tulle and embroidery? Then you can—every day of the week. Fancy the idea of wearing whatever, whenever and however you imagine it in that moment? Then the radical mix 'n' match styling seen at some of the most influential fashion houses on the block will give you the confidence to do so. Céline's Phoebe Philo even went so far as to send her models out in mismatched shoes. Who knew?

So if you've ever thought that warm-weather trends were predictable as hell (yes, we all yawn when nautical rears its seafaring head), then this is going to change your outlook forever more. Keep reading to see our edit of the seven most important Spring/Summer 2017 fashion trends that will shape your wardrobe into a very happy place…

From Left to Right: Balenciaga, Roland Mouret, Max Mara, Emilia Wickstead, 3.1 Phillip Lim

Style Notes: At the S/S 17 shows, you will have seen more fashion editors wearing sunglasses indoors than ever before. Well, when you look at this rainbow of runway exits, can you blame them?

Pink—and lots of it—played a very bold part of the Paris Fashion Week schedule, with the likes of Balenciaga, Céline and Valentino all employing the most shocking shades of this pretty hue for demure dresses. Without frills, prints or girlish detailing, the power of pink was clear to see.

But if that isn't your vibe, take your pick from the multicolour closet of S/S 17. From Kermit green to sunshine yellow, there's only one rule: Wear LOTS of it.

Check out what colours to wear together this season with our handy guide!

From Left to Right: Moschino, Isabel Marant, Rodarte, Saint Laurent, Haider Ackermann

Style Notes: Did you not believe us last season? We predicted that the '80s trend was no passing one, and the proof was all over the S/S 17 catwalks. If Isabel Marant—our appointed queen of boho—has even stepped into the realm of high-shine fabrics and draped volume, you know this isn't a decade dip to be ignored.

The essence of the new '80s redux really lies in after-dark wares. You probably won't find much of the mood filtering into daywear, but when it comes to going out, there's much to play with, from silhouette-enhancing nipped waists fastened with giant belts to flirty hemlines balanced out by big shoulders. Crystal earrings and sky-high stilettos are key—and no one did them with more ferociousness than Saint Laurent's new creative director, Anthony Vaccarello.

See our guide to 1980s style to ace the look IRL—and swot up on the most iconic eighties looks of all time.

From Left to Right: Marques'Almeida, Chloé, Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten, Erdem

Style Notes: "Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking," recites every person who has watched The Devil Wears Prada ever. Well, actually, this time around, they really are. So rad in colouration, scale, fabrication and mood that designers thought it best to go full throttle in full blooms from head to toe—shoes included.

From double doses of Rococo-style jacquard florals with ruffles and raw hems at Marques'Almeida to subdued, blousy '70s bouquets at Chloé and neon carnations at Balenciaga, there is nothing standard about these arrangements. No ditsy prints here in this S/S 17 version of the fashion trend, thanks.

See our guide to wearing head-to-toe florals here.

From Left to Right: Gucci, Altuzarra, Miu Miu, Dolce Gabbana, Chanel

Style Notes: Inspired undoubtedly by Gucci opening the doors to an everyday kind of eccentricity, many designers are pushing forward with the concept of mix and match. If that sounds daunting, don't be afraid. There's something inherently wearable about the new wave of eclecticism, and you'll often find that individual pieces are entirely easy to wear on the regular. Take Dolce setting jeans against madcap combination of bejeweled accessories, trophy jacket and motif tee—a great going-out outfit.

How to approach this with ease? A strict colour palette will help, but otherwise, just think about accessorising to the max: See the way Miu Miu's blue coat is lifted into further gloriousness via a printed stole, tinted frames and lilac platforms?

Learn how to assemble mix and match outfits with our handy guide.

From Left to Right: Dior, Osman, Molly Goddard, Valentino, Rochas

Style Notes: The see-through dress ruled supreme in London. Well, in a city where the lines between party outfits and day-to-day looks are forever blurred, it makes sense. LFW wunderkind Molly Goddard led the pack with her confections of pastel-hued tulle and the trend continued well into Paris. We fantasised over the balletic ensembles under Maria Grazia Chiuri's debut Dior collection—Bella Hadid has been the first out and about wearing them, the lucky girl.

So how to wear this semi-opaque spring/summer 2017 fashion essential? Firstly, remember this is a million (pretty-punk) miles away from the A-list world's "naked dress" obsession. You don't want tight, and you don't the want modesty-saving embellishment, because you'll be layering it up. It's also dependent on how bravely you'll dare to bare. Keep it casual by flinging a gossamer-light sheer slip-of-a-thing over jeans and a tee, or go the full nine yards and style out with a flash of giant knickers. The latter is not a formula for work, but it is a fast track to feeling au courant, for sure.

Check out our edit of the best see-through dresses you can buy now.

From Left to Right: Loewe, Bottega Veneta, Jil Sander, Stella McCartney, Hermès

Style Notes: Just don't call it minimalistic. There's so much more to the catwalk's beautiful antithesis to all of the mix 'n' match madness we've already spoken out. This brand of purism comes armed with subtle details to make even the simplest item (take a cardigan, for example) seem like the most exciting thing you've ever seen.

From tactile fabrics (micro-pleats through to earthy, luxe, comfortable hessian) designers from J.W.Anderson to Stella McCartney have also played with volume, shape and a seriously practical spectrum of utilitarian colours that go with literally everything you own already. If your fashion approach has always been "less is more," join the gang.

Check out our edit on how to shop minimalist fashion pieces.

From Left to Right: Delpozo, Pringle of Scotland, Mulberry, Proenza Schouler, Mary Katrantzou

Style Notes: The graphic, blocky, mind-boggling start to the stripe parade for spring/summer 2017's fashion trend offering started early on, with almost every major designer in New York choosing this as their pattern du jour. Proenza Schouler's chopped-up, highly Instagrammable take will surely feature in a thousand and one fashion editorials for the coming season, while we predict a shopping riot for the collegiate stripes pumped out by Johnny Coca on the Mulberry runway during LFW.

If flower-print wearers seem dedicated, don't think there's any less of an obsession when it comes to these alternative lines—designers were set on also styling these from head to toe too. Of course, you're more than welcome to nod to the trend with a natty striped knit or a barcoded pair of heels, but we do like this full-steam-ahead attitude.

So there you have it, all of S/S 17's most important fashion trends. Which has probably put you in the mood for shopping—check out what to buy now.