The 2026 Trend Report No One Asked For
- The Fashion Troll
- Dec 29, 2025
- 8 min read
Check back in with me next year and let's see what I got right and what was an epic fail.
2025 was a year of nostalgic fashions, bold colour stories, and a collective step away from minimalistic, quiet luxury domination. Looking ahead to 2026, the energy continues - but sharper. Redefined Y2K coded looks, bolder pattern combinations, and accessories doing the absolute most.
From chaotic layering to statement details, here are my eleven trend predictions for 2026, backed by science. And by science, I mean vibes.
DOTTED, NOT STIRRED
Polka dots aren't new - the scale is. In 2026, the dots get bigger, bolder, and less polite. Think oversized placements, overlapping patterns, and head-to-toe dotting that refuses to be cutesy.
I've always loved polka dots. They're a surprisingly minimal pattern to play with, usually rendered in neutral colours and stark contrasts (black and white). They are inherently Parisian - without the effort and overthinking that goes along with it.
The reason I think polka dots will persist into the new year is simple: fashion hasn't exhausted the pattern yet.
This year, dots stayed mostly polite - neutral palettes, predictable contrasts, familiar placements. But there's still so much more room to play.
I want to see oversized, almost comical dots. Low-contrast pairings where colours sit close together on the colour wheel - patterns that are barely discernable but still catch the eye. And most importantly (and the easiest to achieve), I want dots to migrate into accessories: tights, shoes, handbags. Not as the statement piece, but as texture, noticed after the second look.
Please enjoy my Venn Diagram of dotted trends :)
I will definitely be bringing this pattern back for another lap around the sun.
PLAID-Y DADDY
Maybe this started as a personal obsession - but it's not staying personal.
Plaid is one of those patterns that never really leaves, yet can be made to feel fresh every time it's reworked. I love seeing different plaids mixed and matched - it's chic, a little quirky and deeply cozy. Plaid evokes countryside living, crackling fires, and things you'd like to be wrapped up in. Comfort, but Old Money.
What makes plaid especially relevant for 2026 is its flexibility. It's a classic, yet endlessly adjustable. And while it's traditionally filed under Fall and Winter, tartan is far too chic to be banished to cold weather alone.
So how do we make this pattern work for Spring and Summer?
Low-Contrast Colour Stories
High-contrasts plaids reads darker and more aggressive, great for winter, but less ideal for warmer weather. The change comes from softening the palette. Think plaids whose colours live in the same colour family: pink on pink, beige on cream, blues layered together. It still gives cool girl, just a lighter more seasonal touch.
Lighter Fabrics
Plaid is usually rendered on heavy fabrics such as wool, which immediately anchors it to cooler months. Printing it on airy, fluid fabrics changes everything. Imagine plaid on linen, cotton or even silkier textures - suddenly the pattern feels breezy instead of bulky.
Playful Execution
This is where plaid stops behaving. Cropped silhouettes, unexpected proportions, mixed scales, layered patterns. When a classic pattern is re-imagined in different, creative ways, it slowly begins to separate from it's original identity, and in the case of plaid, it moves away from being too Wintery.
And yes - I'm including checkerboard into this trend as well. It's the ultra graphic, 2008 Vans cousin of plaid, and it's moving in the same direction: subtler patterns, less styling, more playing.
FLORALS FOR WINTER - GROUNDBREAKING
Dark florals feel underused. And yes, this is very much leaning into baroque, rococo, slightly-granny's-couch-cushion territory. Rich moody prints that feel dramatic rather than delicate.
Traditionally, florals are boxed into Spring: pastels, dainty motifs, polite energy. Dark florals flip that narrative. They're deeper, more seductive and slightly dangerous. Less damsel in distress and more villain seductress - and frankly, that's the only energy I'm interested in for 2026.
If you're pattern shy, then this is the safest entry point for pattern play. Plaid and polka dots demand confidence; dark florals simply suggest taste. They read timeless, slightly romantic, and always relevant.
The most contemporary way to wear it? Accessories. Shoes in particular. I've seen a lot of applique flowers on strappy sandals this year. Chic to buy new, but also easy to do to heels you already own. Slap on a pair of floral shoe clips and you're good to go.
NECK'S BIG THING
We saw the early adopters with this one in Spring 2025, but it never fully trickled into the mainstream. How do I know? Because it didn't adorn the neck of every girl on Queen West this summer.
I, tragically, did not participate until the end of the year.
I'm typically not a necklace girl. Why?
a) they're annoying. Always getting knotted in the back, and hard to use the tiny clasps with my obnoxiously long nails,
b) loud necklaces are hard to style, and
c) fine jewelry solves problem b), but I am spiritually allergic to the clean girl aesthetic.
My jewelry philosophy has always been: go big, or go home - but preferably go big and go somewhere with a dimly lit dining room and overpriced martinis. Dainty pieces? Couldn't be me.
I also could not find the exact piece I wanted, so obviously I decided to make it. Well...attempt to make it.
Here's what I asked for:
And here's what I got:
Spoiler: my necklace remains unfinished, but I did notice similar pieces on socials this summer and early fall. Think: the Elsa Peretti bean necklace, but scaled-up and fresh for 2026.
I vow to continue wearing chunky pendants all 2026 and I think this trend survives the Winter, and finally gets the attention it deserves.
BELOW THE KNEE BLING
Toe rings are having a quiet renaissance - but the dainty, thin bands? Cute, sure. Predictable...definitely.
For Summer 2026, I'm campaigning for chunky toe rings on every single little piggy.
It's an underrated way of showing off cool pieces you own and adding interest to otherwise minimal footwear. If we're going to insist on wearing barely-there sandals, let's at least give them a reason to live.
Let's stop pretending foot jewelry has to be shy, and embrace chaotic and probably uncomfortable toe bling.
GOODBYE GOLD GIRLIES
I heard a saying this year: "You can always spot a millennial by their loyalty to gold jewelry." And honestly, I couldn't agree more.
Gold can be chic, absolutely, but let's be real. Most of us only wore because everyone else did too. I was deep in my gold era purely out of peer pressure.
Then, a few years ago, I pivoted back to silver...and it changed everything. My outfits made more sense. I suddenly felt styled rather than an algorithm byproduct.
Gold:
Silver:
Gold is warm-toned.
It looks nice and soft, but it almost feels too safe, too cutesy.
Silver is cool-toned.
It feels edgier.
I've never done an actual colour analysis, nor do I care too. I am, however, convinced that styled properly, silver looks good on everyone.
Why silver? Because the internet has already decided. Y2K-coded street style still dominates, and silver is baked into that aesthetic on a molecular level. It's so deeply associated with cool girls in my psyche that I can no longer conceptualize a reality where gold outranks it. We all want to look like cool girls - even when we pretend we don't.
So based on my extremely scientific calculations, silver reigns supreme.
CINCHED FOR THE GODS
Wide chunky belts had me in a chokehold in middle school - then randomly, they became tacky. But now? they're back. And somehow the chicest thing since...well.....chunky belts in 2010.
Fashion cycles are hilarious like that. One day you're cringing at the memory of wearing hot pink capri leggings with a silver Urban Planet waist belt to grade 7 French class, and the next thing you know, every Parisian with a heartbeat is out here belting their capris like it's couture.
Lately, I've been obsessed with belting everything. Dresses, blazers, sweaters - if it's on my body, I will belt it. Unfortunately, I only own about 3 good belts, so excuse the fact that you'll be seeing the same ones in every single outfit in the foreseeable future.
In 2026, I think belts are finally getting their renaissance, and we'll see them in many ways:
Low Hip Belts: The Y2K revival that isn't leaving.
Corset-style belts: For when you want to cosplay as an hourglass.
Layering multiple belts: Because one is rarely ever enough.
The belt era is here - whether we're ready to dig out our old belts or not.
PURR-FECTLY ELEVATED
You truly cannot go wrong with a pair of kitten heels.
I know - this isn't a trend so much as a long-standing truth, but kitten heels are continuing their reign into the new year.
I almost always feel like a pair of heels will complete any going outfit, but when push comes to shove, I HATEEEEE being uncomfortable in my shoes and walking down the street like a confused tarantula.
Enter: the kitten heel.
They hike up height without compromising comfort.
They lengthen legs without the arch-ache.
They're casually chic, endlessly wearable, and the elevated essential we all pretend we discovered a few years ago.
DEMURE SLUTINESS
This is one I'm manifesting.
I want us to return to pre-covid party girl era - the one where getting dressed felt like an Olympic sport and no one apologized for showing skin.
Outfits were intentional (lots of looks and free drinks).
Effort was visible (strappy heels on snowy streets).
And when "going out" actually meant something (No sleep! Bus, club, 'nother club, 'nother club, plane, next place).
The vibe includes:
chic cropped tops
low-rise pants
midriff showing
skinny jeans (yes, again)
silhouettes that emphasize butts and boobs
real going-out dresses
lace-up heels
I'm officially bored of going out outfits that consist of jeans and a black top. Yes, it's chic. Yes, it's easy. And yes - I'm done with it. Somewhere around 2021, we collectively started dressing more conservatively. Sourdough baking and trad-wife content flooded our feeds, and our wardrobes unconsciously followed suit. No more, I say. For the love of Fun, bring back party-girl attire.
How to not overdo it:
Impossible. After years of conservative dressing, restraint feels unnecessary. Give me everything, all at once with a side of vodka soda.
Demure sluttiness is about reintroducing "slutty" details into our rotation - but with intention. A little skin, a little structure. Balance, amirite?
2025 flirted with the idea. 2026 commits.
SHEER GENIUS
I see sheer fabrics moving into the mainstream in 2026 - and not just in bridal contexts. Erase bridal from your mind, please.
Exploring different fabrics is one of the easiest ways to add interest to your outfit. It doesn't need to be groundbreaking or theatrical to work. Sheer elements add dimension without heaviness - simple, chic, and quietly effective. This trend isn't about transparency for shock value. It's about texture, layering, and contrast.
Fabrics to Watch
Organza
Lace
Tulle
Mesh
Unexpected (but Correct) Ways to Wear Them
lace socks
mesh gloves
organza jackets or blazers layered over everyday basics
Worn this way, sheer becomes an accent rather than the main event. Far more wearbale than people expect.
Y2K...Hooray?
This trend has been circling for the past two years, and I don't see it disappearing anytime soon.
I'm hoping this trend evolves past it's current moment. I want to see less kitschy, head-to-toe Y2K costumes ever conceived - and more selective, vintage-led outfits. With a meteoric rise of thrifting and consignment, early 2000's pieces have become genuinely sought after, and not to mention accessible.
I have a complicated relationship with this one. On one hand, I've spent the last few months shopping almost exclusively at thrift stores, vintages shops, or consignment. On the other hand, I find it deeply annoying when thrifting becomes someone's entire personality. And wardrobe, for that matter. There's a fine line between intentional nostalgia and looking like you fell into your grandma's donation bin.
The key is balancing the old with the new. A vintage piece grounding something modern and contemporary. Y2K works best when it's edited, not copied.
And now, the Irish exit of article conclusions.
Le End!
Thanks for coming to my Tat Talk.
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