8 Major Spring Trends Instagram's Best Dressed Are Already Wearing

I can't quite believe it, but we've nearly reached spring, and with the new year well underway, there's a whole new set of trends to get excited about. Personally, I find it very hard to ignore the excitement of longer, brighter days and easy, breezy outfits. Whilst we're not quite on the home stretch just yet, the good news is that you don't have to wait until it's above 30 degrees outside to start wearing said trends. In fact, we've already spotted nods to this year's predicted hits on Instagram, styled in ways that make them feel really wearable for the here and now.

But let's take it back a step and talk about the trends, as the spring/summer 2024 runways told a tale of opposing halves. On the one hand, designers like Erdem, Acne Studios and Versace adopted a no-holds-barred approach to romance, adorning garments with frills, lace and embellishments and fashioning coquettish silhouettes from cinched waists and pencil skirts. But alongside the fun-filled collections, labels like The Row, Hermès and Bottega Veneta focused on wardrobe fundamentals like tailored trousers, oversized shirts and trench coats. 

If we've learned anything, it's that we don't have to pick a side. Even the most minimalist dressers have a magpie streak, and those with a dramatic fashion sense still need the basics to build their looks around. Needless to say, it's all very exciting, but imagining runway looks working in "real life" can be a challenge. So, I've collated some examples of how influencers are already styling 2024's leading trends. Did I mention we're excited?

1. OFF-THE-SHOULDER TOPS 

Style Notes: You heard it here first: the Bardot is back. And whilst there wasn't much call for this neckline during autumn and winter, it's about to be everywhere during the warmer months, especially when worn with midi skirts, wide-leg trousers and tailored shorts (more on those later). 

SHOP OFF-THE-SHOULDER TOPS:

2. GREY JEANS

Style Notes: Like it or loathe it, grey denim is back by popular demand, and it's had a chic upgrade. For those who had never considered this polarising wash, it turns out that it's actually the perfect option for spring. Lighter than heavy black and just as versatile as blue (you can hold fire on your white jeans for another few months), grey has risen in popularity after luxury denim brands like Agolde, Citizens of Humanity and Mother are backing the colour in a big way for 2024. 

SHOP GREY DENIM:

3. SHORTS

Style Notes: The best thing about getting dressed for spring and summer is the effortlessness of it all, and there's nothing more nonchalant and easy breezy than a pair of shorts. On the runways, Bally showed micro shorts with boxy blazers and Chanel (naturally) paired black shorts with tweed, but if you're wondering how to make shorts work for now, when it's still relatively cold outside, take notes from We Are Twinset and add opaque tights and boots until the sun comes out. 

SHOP SHORTS:

4. ALL WHITE

Style Notes: Seen on the runways in collections from Proenza Schouler, Christopher Esber, Schiaparelli and more, fresh white is the ultimate in polished luxury and the grown-up alternative to spring 2024's other major colour trend—baby blue. Wear it in the form of dresses and tights now and strip back the layers for summer. Nothing looks better with a tan.

SHOP WHITE:

5. MIDI SKIRTS

Style Notes: As soon as the pencil skirt trend started gaining traction in December, our attention was diverted away from the maxi and back to the midi. Whilst the runways go back and forth between the virtues of the mini vs. the maxi, street style favours the easy midi—a length that steps up to meet any dress code. From satin slips to cargo skirts (the natural evolution of the cargo trouser), expect to see much more of the calf-grazing length over the next 12 months. 

SHOP MIDI SKIRTS:

6. CIGARETTE PANTS

Style Notes: As much attention as skirts are getting, we're also seeing slimmer trousers squeeze their way into the spotlight. As jean trends get baggier, tailored trousers are getting slimmer, and we predict that mini flares and perfectly-cut, straight-leg trousers will work their way in amongst the puddle pants that are everywhere in stores right now. 

SHOP CIGARETTE PANTS:

7. SLINGBACKS

Style Notes: One word to describe '80s power dressing? Opulent. Channel the cast of Dynasty in the It shoe of the past year—the slingback—and wear with everything from the aforementioned midi skirt to loose-leg jeans. Any trend that continues to be this popular so long after its runway debut has the stamina to go the distance, and we're happy to invest in any piece that we can comfortably wear all year round. 

SHOP SLINGBACKS:

8. BANDEAU DRESSES

Style Notes: Hiding your arms is so passé. Seriously though, after summer 2023 brought back bandeau tops as part of the Y2K revival, it was only a matter of time before it would be extended to the bandeau dress too, and this confidence-boosting, ultra-slimline style is the pinnacle of modern minimalism. In the meantime, throw a blazer on top to keep the cold at bay.

SHOP STRAPLESS DRESSES:

This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Next Up: The Only Spring/Summer 2024 Fashion Trends I'm Bothered About