5 Trends in the Fashion Industry to Watch this Summer

With 2026 at its midway point, many emerging trends are emerging in the fashion industry.

With the year starting off with a focus on 2016 nostalgia, it is no surprise that nostalgic trends such as capris and vintage accessories are among the fashion trends to look out for in the upcoming season. The latest trends, such as capris and fun shoes, are making their way across runways and into celebrity streetwear.

We have already seen an uptick in these trends, and I am excited to see how they carry over into the upcoming Spring/Summer season.

While the nostalgic feel has influenced fashion industry trends thus far, we have also seen consumers value self-expression and embrace a world of color and fun accessories.

From fun shoes to printed denim to fringe, consumers are finding ways to mix the nostalgic aesthetic with modern-day trends. In this article, I'll discuss these industry trends, including how they gained traction and the best ways to style them.

Capris

Capri pants are one of the hottest fashion trends this season. The sleek and versatile pants have already been creating buzz online for quite some time. Celebrities such as Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, and Paige Desorbo have already stepped out in capris this season, creating even more buzz around the timeless style.

Take a look at the celebrity outfits and see more ways to style capri pants. Capri pants are a 90s staple that never went out of style. Their versatility allows you to match them to your personal style. Whether you're wearing them to yoga class, a night out, or brunch with the girls, capris are effortlessly chic and a definite staple for the upcoming season.

Fun Shoes

The next trend in the fashion industry to take over in 2026 is fun shoes. In April of this year, Chanel, one of the industry leaders in setting fashion trends, showcased their 2027 resort collection.

In this collection, the piece that caught most people's attention was their freaky new shoes. These shoes left models practically barefoot, with a heel covering but no sole. While these shoes are impractical, they do point to some of the trends in the fashion industry that we will be seeing this spring and summer season.

This summer, expect to see a lot of fun summer shoes such as flip-flop wedges and colorful jelly shoes. I expect to see a lot of fun colors and accessories such as colorful beads, laces, and bows. The current TikTok trend has fashion influencers like Halley Kate showing off their fun shoe collections. Which fun shoe are you definitely adding to your collection this season?

Printed Denim

The next emerging trend for spring and summer 2026 is printed denim. Just like the fun shoe trend, expect to see denim with fun pops of color, cool prints, and even beaded accessories.

It seems as though the word of the season lately has been "whimsy". If you're looking to add a little more whimsy into your fashion, floral printed jeans are the way to go.

My favorite fun denim from this year was the beaded Derive Af Burden jeans that fashion influencer Brigette Pheloung (@acquired.style) wore to Coachella. If you prefer less color and more neutral clothing, you can always buy denim with silver studs or shop from the other 2026 denim trends in the fashion industry.

Vintage Accessories

From the 2016 photo dumps to Sarah Pidgeon bringing us the old money aesthetic in Love Story as Carolyn Basette, nostalgia has come in full force in 2026. It is no surprise that these current trends are affecting fashion retail and consumer behavior. One trend in the fashion industry that really taps into this nostalgic, quiet luxury feel is vintage accessories.

One of the most obvious trends in the fashion industry I've seen in this category is the rising popularity of vintage-inspired hair accessories. From headbands to claw clips to gold hair ties, vintage hair accessories have been all the rage. These hair clips are a subtle way to lean into this trend.

One of my favorite ways to lean into this trend is fun vintage sunglasses. Gen Z consumers are really into the 2000's oversized sunglass trend. Lastly, another way to step into this trend in a more timeless manner is with vintage jewelry, such as the Gucci bezel watch, which also went viral among younger consumers on social platforms.

In fact, in the past three months there has been a 150% increase in popularity of "gucci watches", according to Google and Pinterest search behavior.

Fringe

The last trend in the fashion industry we've seen is an increase in fringe designs from fashion brands. Think fringe on anything from your clothes, your jewelry, your bags, or your shoes. While fringe has always been around, the latest industry trend started gaining traction during the Spring 2026 Fashion Week.

If you are more of a maximalist, you can go for a fringe maxi dress or fringe bags to make any of your wardrobe choices more fun. Balmain has a great fringe dress featured in its Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear collection.

Brands like STAUD have more cost-effective fringe bags that automatically add self-expression to any outfit. If you're a minimalist, I suggest grabbing a pair of fringe earrings and adding them to a sleek, neutral outfit for daily life.

It's clear that the 2026 consumer loves mixing chic nostalgia with whimsy and self-expression. Capri's serve as your versatile staple that make any outfit instantly trendy and chic.

Pair your capris with a fun flip flop and vintage accessories for a truly on-trend outfit. Printed denim serves as your easiest way to feel whimsical and fun while fringe is the perfect accessory to any outfit.

Whether you are a minimalist or a maximalist, there are so many different ways to mix these trends into your daily wardrobe. However, its not the trends that make you stylish.

It's the way you pair your pieces and the story you are trying to tell. While there are always going to be social and fashion trends that impact how we dress and whats trending, the real fashion comes from stepping into your own style and using these pieces to express yourself.

🪽 Written by Kailee Hiller