On the Spring 2024 runways in New York, London, Milan and Paris, designers played around with classic elements, giving them new life through unexpected pairings, dramatic proportions and fresh, casual styling. It’s turning out to be a particularly wearable season, with playful mini hems, relaxed short suiting, and lots of ’90s nostalgia leading the way. As collections start to hit store shelves and show up on our favorite e-comm sites, it’s becoming clear that quiet luxury is very much here to stay—but for those craving pops of color and glitz, there’s also plenty of fabulously glamorous evening wear to choose from. The colors are sophisticated and wearable, the silhouettes and fun, and we can’t wait for warmer weather so we can start wearing it all. Scroll through to see all the top trends of the season and the in-demand pieces to shop now.
Market Editor: Tori López
1960s Mini Hems
We’re no strangers to the mini hem, but this season’s best dresses and skirts are not only mini, they all share a similar ’60s silhouette reminiscent of the 1967 classic Valley of the Dolls. On the runways, we particularly loved the boxy shape at Marni, the luxe gold hues at Miu Miu, the barely-there length at Michael Kors and the long sleeved sheer versions at Missoni.
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’90s Nostalgia
The ’90s were arguably the chicest decade, and we hope its resurgence is here to stay. Marni nailed the aesthetic with a high ribbed turtleneck and low-slung maxi skirt, Bally with the long tank and cord pendant necklace, and Ferragamo with the layered, color blocked dress. For everyday wear, we’re loving Saint Laurent’s sophisticated take on low rise trousers and Prada’s 1995 Re-Edition co*cktail dresses.
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Business Casual
The suiting trend we saw a lot this season was on the shorter side. Mostly the shorts were a Bermuda length, like at Loewe, Chanel, and Dries van Noten. But mini hems also made an appearance at Gucci and Prada. Keep things office appropriate with a demure color palette and sophisticated textures.
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Butter Belle
She’s soft, she’s delicate, she’s as smooth as can be. Butter-hued dresses at Loewe, Bally, and Proenza Schouler, and the matching sets at Louis Vuitton, Del Core and Jil Sander dominated the runway, providing us with a perfectly mellow dose of sunshine. It’s the perfect spring hue—more interesting than white-on-white, it creates the effect of a perfectly warm glow.
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Denim Dandy
While denim is a fashion constant, it’s at its best when used in unepected ways. Junya Watanabe’s tiered stitching made for a unique denim dress silhouette, Chanel and Valentino had full denim sets which was atypical for the brands, and Schiaparelli, who is known for more dramatic occasion pieces, showcased denim cargos—a style we all have our eyes on. Right now, we’re eyeing cropped and cinched-waist jackets for chilly days and sculptural jeans with the right amount of drama.
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Film Noir
A couple of our favorite shows of the season were Prada and Maison Margiela. At Prada, the dark, 1950s-inspired rhinestone encrusted dresses felt both polished and undone at the same time. John Galliano’s Margiela collection had a similarly eerie mood: The models walked dramatically in eccentric hourglass dresses and a sheer evening gown. At Dior, the collection was mostly all black clothing, like this off-the-shoulder cinched waist dress. Just-stocked pieces from the likes of Margiela and Chloé prove that the LBD is the perfect canvas for experimentation.
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Knit Knit Hooray
Cardigans and fair isle knits are the most prominent knitwear trend this season. We loved the painstakingly intricate pieces at Bottega, the matching fair isle sets at Molly Goddard and the playful cardis at JW Anderson that looked like they were missing arm holes. Bode and Loro Piana are offering traditional takes on the trend in luxe, vivid colors, while Khaite and the Row have put their minimalist spin on things.
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On the Fringe
If Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada, Matthieu Blazy, and Sarah Burton are all telling us that fringe is back in style, well, you better believe it’s true! We loved Prada’s intentionality with the added skirt piece, Alexander McQueen and Gucci’s subtlety with the fringe dangling only at the very end of the garments, and Burberry’s full send from head to toe. Why not try a leather Bottega pencil skirt for a night out, or a Taller Marmo for whenever you need to make a major statement?
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Playing with Proportions
At Loewe and Rick Owens, the bottoms were extremely high waisted. At Burberry, the brand’s classic trench coats were updated with a low slung waist. We also saw lots of supersized accents, like the Peter Pan collars at Comme des Garçons and the buttons at Vivienne Westwood. Although this feels like a trend made specifically for the runway, JW Anderson, Balenciaga and Loewe’s current offerings make the case for having fun with shape and size on the daily.
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Sporty Chic
When we think of sporty attire, we usually think tracksuits, jerseys, and sneakers. All quintessential athletic elements, but as the runways continue to evolve into a more elevated space, how does this affect sportswear? Right now, it’s all about pairing classic sportswear looks with more festive or tailored pieces for just the right amount of contrast. We felt this was best seen with the use of skirts at Louis Vuitton and Gucci, the addition of blazers at Miu Miu and Wales Bonner, and the satin pants paired with a windbreaker at The Row.
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Traveling Wardrobe
Inspired by a woman packing and checking into a hotel, much of the Louis Vuitton collection consisted of mixed silk shirting and pajama-inspired pants. At Balenciaga, we saw hotel inspired bathrobes, and at The Row, terry cloth towels around the model’s necks. And of course, your classic runway swimwear at Chanel, Bottega Veneta, and Duran Lantink. Even if we have nowhere to go, there’s always an opportunity to add a bit of resort energy to your life.
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Tumble Dry
Inspired by the worn-in look of our favorite Prada coat, we noticed that many other brands had a similar “tumble dry” feel as well. Look 1 at JW Anderson looks as if it is still hanging on the clothesline, Duran Lantink went intentionally shrunken, PH5 has you wearing your whole hamper, and Y/Project looks like it is still crumpled up on the floor of your bedroom—in the best, most appealing sense. The more down-to-earth version of this trend is showing up in the form of acid washed jeans, stone washed cargos and perfectly faded hoodies.
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Out of this World
This season has a little bit of The Jetsons energy, with futuristic feels popping up on runways everywhere. One look at Courreges was Judy Jetson in the flesh, Prada’s clothing was not only futuristic in structure but the show venue was cold and sterile, and Sportmax, shown in a clinical setting, was set to contrast the tension between the natural and the synthetic. This aesthetic works particularly well when it comes to dramatic party looks.
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