Learning about the fashion trends of 2026 can help your clothing, jewelry, or accessories brand stay current while embracing your unique brand identity.
A look at fall 2026 runway collections—punctuated by bold reds and pinks, dramatic trains, botanical details, and cascading ruffles—makes it clear that fashion is embracing maximalism. “I love that things feel theatrical again,” says James DeMolet, vice president of brand and creative at Betsey Johnson. Across categories, fashion trends are leaning toward statement-making clothing and accessories that feel expressive, personal, or rooted in a sense of history.
Understanding these shifts can help brands decide which products to stock, promote, or reinterpret for the season ahead. In this guide, James discusses key 2026 fashion trends to watch, across silhouettes, patterns, and colors, along with tips on how ecommerce brands can respond.
Top fashion trends: 2026 highlights
Here are the latest trends in key fashion categories:
Prints and patterns
Although bold patterns like polka dots and animal prints are currently in style, James also calls out prints that feel intimate or personal. “Washed-out florals, a kind of vintage wallpaper feeling,” he explains. “Things that are light and sweet and delicate.” Think lace and silk dresses with dainty patterns.
James ties this trend to the continued growth in resale and vintage shopping. “It’s caught on so much that now designers have to give you pieces that feel lived-in and storied,” he says, citing the intentionally stained cuffs and wrinkled, discolored fabrics seen in Prada’s fall/winter 2026 menswear collection.
“There's one type of consumer that enjoys shopping for those [vintage] pieces and hunting for the beautifully distressed items or textiles,” James says. “It's like a video game for them.” But he notes that it is smart of designers to create products with the same aesthetics for shoppers who want the look without searching resale shops or vintage marketplaces.
Silhouettes
When it comes to the shapes and silhouettes, bigger is better. In addition to voluminous skirts, James points to a pair of Dior cargo shorts that have captivated him. “I thought it was brilliant to see a cargo short reinterpreted in that way.”
He also calls out structured jackets with pronounced shoulders and cropped pieces. “Cropped button-downs and blazers, that kind of exaggerated silhouette,” he says. “Overall, playing with proportions and theatricality and moving away from austere minimalism. I love it.”
Colors
Rather than one specific color trend, expect bold color combinations to dominate outfits across every season this year. James specifically references Dario Vitale’s spring/summer 2026 Versace collection, which combines bright purples, blues, and reds with more neutral tones like black, white, and brown. “He mixed these Crayola colors with the shiny gold that feels so Versace. I thought it was so brilliant,” says James.
For ecommerce brands, this shift could make it easier to merchandise colorful products together without having to worry about clashing.
Accessories
“I love a bag that looks like something else,” James says. Though this trend is not new—Judith Leiber has been selling novelty clutch bags for decades, and Olympia Le Tan debuted book-shaped clutches in 2009—it’s certainly having a moment.
“At Betsey, we had a bag go viral that’s in the shape of an oven,” he says. “It has nothing to do with what’s happening in culture or fashion. It’s just this emotional connection.” James says he’s seeing more novelty and exaggerated accessories on runways, where they function less as practical items and more as conversation pieces.
Footwear
The 2026 trend of maximalism can be found below the ankle, too. “I’ve been seeing shoes with feathers, pearls, florals,” James says. “But the concept of ‘more is more’ can also be done in ways that are practical. A pearl or floral detail on the foot doesn’t have to ruin the line of the leg. It’s still conscious of the silhouette of the leg, or where the dress will hit.”
Tips for selling trending clothing
- Search for inspiration outside of your algorithm
- Highlight what makes you unique
- Reinvent what you already sell
Here’s some advice from James and industry experts on how ecommerce brands can approach 2026 fashion trends:
Search for inspiration outside of your algorithm
Fashion inspiration can come from many sources: runway videos on YouTube, magazines, social media, and street style from around the world. James likes to consult a variety of sources, including the internet, but emphasizes the importance of exploring outside of your algorithm.
He makes a conscious effort to engage with social media in a way that surfaces content that would appeal to Betsey Johnson’s customers, and uses the “interested” and “not interested” features on his feeds to help curate his viewing experience. “So that way, my explore page looks like a reflection of the things that the customers are also inspired by,” he says. “Otherwise, it’s just your own personal taste, and everyone has their own idea of what’s trending. Sometimes you have to ask, ‘Is this actually a trend, or is it just what the algorithm is feeding me?’”
Highlight what makes you unique
In a fashion era defined by individuality and emotional connection, James says clothing brands should lean into marketing and highlighting their unique stories and brand identity.
“There are enough staples currently available—don’t give us those,” he says. “A lack of originality or identity is the biggest mistake.” James concedes that there might be limitations to scaling in a very narrow category, but suggests that such brands can “explore collaborations and apply your very specific niche concept to larger brands that are interested in your access to specific customers.”
A SWOT analysis can help you understand and refine your positioning in the market and figure out your differentiators.
Reinvent what you already sell
Pia Mance, founder of Heaven Mayhem, recommends applying trends to products you already sell rather than reinventing the wheel. “What any smart business owner should do is look at their best sellers and reinvent them,” she says on an episode of the Shopify Masters podcast.
“Everyone loves us for these specific earrings, but how can we offer different variations of those?” Pia says. “So we are really going deep into offering different variations and developing those design styles to make a new category.” This may include introducing new materials, shapes, colors, or details that still connect to your product’s existing identity.
Ricardo Larroudé, cofounder of footwear brand Larroudé, shares with Shopify that a significant portion of the company’s revenue “comes from things that are repetitive in some way, such as silhouette or color.”
“Being vertically integrated allows you to take advantage of that so much more,” he says. “If you have a shoe like the Samba, for example, you just keep doing Sambas in different colors, and in colors that are in vogue right now.”
Fashion trends 2026 FAQ
What fashion is trending in 2026?
When looking at fashion trends, 2026 is about bold color combinations, embellished footwear, novelty bags shaped like everyday objects, and worn-in, vintage-inspired clothing that tells a story. Many of these trends reflect a broader shift toward personal expression and statement-making style.
What is the new look for 2026?
Quiet luxury has given way to maximalism, individuality, and personal expression through statement-making clothing and accessories.
How should small businesses apply 2026 fashion trends?
Because 2026 is all about individuality, small businesses should lean into their strengths for the season ahead and adapt trends to align with their existing identity, products, and customer base.
