The Top Fashion and Beauty Trends of 2026
2026 is just around the corner, and I’m here today to dive into some of the top trends emerging as we move into the new year . . .
Pinterest Predicts recently published their yearly trend report, and I’ve compiled a few of my favourties to talk about today. As we move into 2026, the focus largely hinges on colour, maximalism, the avant garde and different fabrics and textures, meaning we can expect a rise in experimental fashion entering the second half of the decade.
These trends are bold, expressive and exactly the breath of fresh air I think fashion needs at the moment. Designers are continuing to push boundaries as younger audiences particularly crave uniqe and outgoing pieces.
THE 80s POWER SUIT
The 80's are back, and a particular trend at the forefront of this revival is the 80's power suit. Characterised by it’s iconic shoulder pads and oversized sillhouette, the andordgyny of this look reflects the rising iedology of the modern business woman.
Initially popularised by designers like Yves Saint Laurent and Georgio Armani, the 80's power suit became the go-to attire for women entering the corporate world.
Now, with the ‘fetishisation of office wear’[1], catalyzed by the current state of the job market meaning it’s getting harder and harder for Gen Z and Millenials to find work, the 80s power suit is being donned once more. Corporate fashion has become a way in which the younger generations particularly can romanticise a 9-5.
[1] - https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/80s-power-suit-recession-indicato
THE CELESTIAL EDIT
The first half of the 2020s was all about the ‘clean girl aesthetic’, a sleek and refined contrast to the heavy glam popularised in the 2010s. Now, as we approach 2026, people are becoming increasingly experimental with beauty and fashion, one trend in particlar being this idea of the celestial. Cool tone shimmers and other-worldly inspiration are becoming more and more prevalent within makeup and fashion.
The sci-fi phenomena is nothing new, this growing new trend simply reflects its transcendence beyond a fictional genre into the way we express ourselves. As our fixation on the celestial contines, we can expect to see lots of opalescence, avant garde sillhouettes and the embarce of the concept of the ‘other’.
COOL BLUE
This icy blue is being dubbed the it color of 2026 by Pinterest Predicts. Sabrina Carpenter’s dress at the 2025 Grammys is a prime example of this colour becoming popularised.
Another popular subset within this trend is pairing cool blue with denim, a classy yet casual look that makes great use of monachromism.
Frosted makeup is something we can also expect to see as we approach 2026, with Pinterest reporting that searches for the term have gone up by 150%.[2]
[2] - https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/2026-fashion-trends-pinterest
LACE
We were all about lace tights in 2025, will 2026 be the year for full on lace fashion to take centre stage? Pintrest Predicts reported a 105% rise in the term ‘lace doily’, a trend only expected to grow in the coming year.
Playing with different textures and fabrics adds so much dimension to a look, and I think that the rise in lace fashion reflects the increased love for layering and maximalism we’re seeing at the moment. Even lace makeup and lace nails are set to grow in popularity, again, suggesting that as we leave the clean girl era, people are becoming more and more experimental with their makeup and fashion choices.
POETCORE
Now, when I first read about this trend, admittedly I was a little surprised. ‘Poetcore’ feels like such a nieche aesthetic but then when you think about it, I guess it really just reflects the romanticisation of academia and forms an offshoot of the dark and light academia aesthetics that have been prevelant for years.
As an Oxford graduate I’m fairly accustommed to seeing people who look a little like they’ve raided the closets of ex-alumni from the 19th century, though it’s interesting to see this kind of style becoming popularised more broadly.
Poetcore is characterised by preppy and vintage pieces like ties, blazers and satchels, and much like the 80s power suit trend reflects a growing love of androdgyny within womens fashion. Additionally with the rise in ‘BookTok’ over the past few years and the idea of reading becoming somewhat ‘performative’, it’s no wonder the poetcore aesthetic is having such a surge in popularity.
So, these are just a few the trends we should be looking out for as we head into 2026. I think that overall, this should be an exciting year for fashion as the industry continues to change and grow, and as fashion trends continue to come and go faster than ever before, the industry remains in a state of constant flux.
xoxo,
Scarlett