Paris Fashion Week: The top 7 trends at the Spring 2016 shows

Nighties

The boudoir dress has been going strong since 2013, but this season’s take is fairly sexless (save for Saint Laurent’s sexy version). It’s light, airy and innocent, like something a Victorian child would wear for bedtime. At Dior and Alexander McQueen, the look was floor-length, pastel and transparent. At Vetements, it was purposefully awkward in fit. Wendy from Peter Pan is Spring’s style icon.

Vetements Spring 2016

Alexander McQueen Spring 2016

Lightness

Let’s call this the “companion trend.” After all, you can’t have sexless nighties without white, off-white and light pastels. This palette (or absence of one) was everywhere from Céline to Hérmes.

Celine Spring 2016

Moncler Gamme Rouge Spring 2016

Neck play

Neckbands, chokers and thin scarves are trending on the streets, and Spring’s adaptation takes it one step further. Both Nina Ricci and Balenciaga showed thin, feathered scarves wrapped around the neck. Meanwhile Dior invented next season’s It accessory: the scarf/bejeweled collar combo.

Nina Ricci Spring 2016

Balenciaga Spring 2016

Transparency

Whether completely see-through (see: saran wrap pants at Loewe, reconstructed jeans at Off White) or worn as ruffled layers overtop patterned schoolgirl uniforms at Miu Miu, it’s a big season for the “hide and show” effect.

Loewe Spring 2016

Sacai Spring 2016

Stella McCartney Spring 2016

Jaw-dropping platforms

With their wild mixed prints, cacophonous colour mixes and heavy soles, Miu Miu’s Spring boots were enough to start a new genre of footwear. Lucky for us, we can file it under “jaw-dropping,” a folder that also includes Chanel’s light up sandals and Dries Van Noten’s brocade ‘40s style stunners.

Chanel Spring 2016

Dries Van Noten Spring 2016

Moto jackets

Well, they’ve never not been trending, but Louis Vuitton’s patched, spray-painted and logo-heavy leather bombers are next level. They made a pretty good case at Vetements, Masha Ma and Each x Other, too.

Louis Vuitton Spring 2016

Each x Other Spring 2016

Ruffles and bows

Girly frills have been trending since NYFW, which you could spot virtually everywhere in Paris, from the Sydney-based Ellery to Rochas.

Ellery Spring 2016

Rochas Spring 2016