After a year of sartorial musical chairs at houses like Chanel, Dior, Loewe, and Balenciaga, the Spring/Summer 2026 fashion month is bound to look a little different. And that goes for the street style scene, too, according to New York-based stylist Dione Davis. “The change of the guards is making people really think about what they actually like, because we don’t actually know what’s coming [from these labels],” she tells TZR, adding that last season, she noticed that brands with new creative directors didn’t loan much product to attendees. As such, one of the expert’s street style predictions this season is an emphasis on personal style, rather than dressing head-to-toe in a specific designer.
“People used to dress to get photographed, but now, I think they’ll dress to feel inspired,” says Davis. And because of limitations on loans, the stylist believes celebrities will act as influencers this time around, outfitted in looks from designers’ current collection (aka, Fall/Winter 2025). “Everyone else will be shopping their closets for pieces they love from the brand,” she predicts. With a focus on individuality this season, Davis foresees accessorizing to be the name of the game. “Last year, the bag charm was such a hero,” she reflects. As for this fashion month? “I feel that there’s going to be a lot of interesting scarf styling,” she explains, mentioning the scarf-as-a-sarong look as one trend to watch out for.
Without further ado, scroll ahead to hear from more industry insiders about their Spring/Summer 2026 fashion month predictions.
Animal Print Galore
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Because animal print coats, dresses, and boots arrived in droves on the Fall/Winter 2025 runways at shows like Fendi, Khaite, and Saint Laurent, Olympia of Greece, a contributing editor at Moda Operandi, believes the trend will migrate to the streets. And she can’t get enough of the animal print craze herself. “I personally just bought Alaïa’s Infradito snake-effect leather thong sandals, and I have my eye on the zebra print boots from the Jimmy Choo and Connor Ives collab,” the fashion insider tells TZR. Style tip: If you’ve been leaning into leopard print the past year, shake things up by donning a cheetah or zebra patterned look.
A Little Sporty
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With the US Open in full swing, Linda Cui Zhang, the associate fashion director at Nordstrom, is envisioning sporty, preppy items to take center stage. “I hope to see colorful sport stripes, upturned layered collars, technical jackets, and grounding streamlined footwear like the Prada Collapse Sneaker, Tod’s Gommino Driver, and Bally Boat Shoe,” she explains. Zhang continues, pondering, “I’m interested to see how the influence of Michael Rider at Celine, Jonathan Anderson at Dior, and the dominant trend of Miu Miu manifest as a preppy sportswear sensibility in street style.”
Lingerie-Inspired Dressing
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Stylist and trendsetter Coco Schiffer took a look into her crystal ball, and apparently, everyone will be stepping out in their underpinnings. Yes, she expects lingerie-inspired dressing to be a major theme on the streets. “Particularly lace slip dresses and satin tops that feel both wearable and sexy,” Schiffer explains. But don’t overlook the power of a mesh bodysuit, either — the piece works just as well with a maxi skirt as it does with denim.
XXL Bags
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Sorry, micro bags — you have some competition this fashion month. With the comeback of many spacious 2000s designer bags, including the Chloé Paddington, Fendi Spy, and Celine Phantom, content creator Renata Jazdzyk (you may know her as @venswifestyle) declares it the season of the oversized tote. “I recently bought a vintage Chloé Paddington bag and it will be going with me to Milan Fashion Week,” she says. If a luxury carryall isn’t in your price range, snag a similar-looking tote at a wallet-friendly label like Banana Republic, J.Crew, or Zara.
Statement Hats
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Hats have been at the forefront of fashion this past year, and Davis doesn’t anticipate that changing in the coming months. “I think we will see a few more iterations of the pillbox, but in different fabrications,” she explains. Playful, quirky baseball caps and bucket hats will also come out to play, according to the pro.
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