This summer things are looking very different to recent years… events are back on, holidays are getting booked and festival season is kicking off! Whatever your plans are for this summer we have you covered with all the top trends you will see over the coming months.
Festival Season
From left: Missoni, Euro, MSGM, Givenchy, Blumarine. All from Spring/Summer ‘22 collections.
The return of the Millenium bug! One thing you can always be sure of in fashion is the “20 year rule”. Every 20 years, the same trends will start too re-emerge, taking on a new spin and throwing us back in time.
This is a trend that is perfect for music festivals and concerts this summer. Many of us will remember the days of low rise jeans, crop tops and butterfly clips, although maybe won’t be so keen to bare that much midriff these days!
To recreate this trend choose denim blue tones paired with ‘Millennial Pink’. And of course you can throw in some Tie Dye prints too!
From left: Flow Dark Blue Viscose Linen, Paint Denim Blue Linen Viscose Blend, Tie Dye Purple Cotton Poplin, Rainbow Pink Cotton Seersucker Fabric.
For pattern options the new Saguaro Set by Friday Pattern Company is festival ready and super comfy. For a skirt and top combination try the Estella Top and Skirt by Paper Cut Patterns or Seren set by Tilly and the Buttons. For a comfortable crop top (with Esme worthy bow) try the Named Clothing Sisko top.
From left: Saguaro Set, Estella, Seren, Sisko.
Holidays
From left: Gabriela Hearst, Alexander McQueen, Hermes, Cecilie Bahnsen, Brunello Cucinelli. All from the Spring/Summer ‘22 collections.
For anyone planning a summer holiday, fresh white garments, sun-kissed skin and sunny beaches are a must! Loose white trousers, t-shirts and shirts are the perfect cover up when the sun goes down.
From left: Breeze White Enzyme Washed Linen, Cosy Cotton Wide Ribbed Jersey- White, Meet Milk- Bright White Diamond Jacquard with Tencel Fibres, Eglantine et Zoe- Mother of Pearl with Gold Checked Viscose Fabric, Mind the Maker- Creamy White Fine Linen Knit fabric
To recreate this trend don’t be afraid to think outside the box. The Agnes Pyjama’s by Paper Theory are the perfect holiday cover up, or you could pair The Avid Seamstress EveryDay Shirt and Named Clothing Ninni Culottes for a similar look. For a loose and comfortable t-shirt try the Tilly and the Buttons Nora. (For more T-Shirt recommendations check out this blog)
From left: Agnes Pyjama’s, Nora T-shirt, Ninni Culottes, The Everyday Shirt.
Broderie Anglaise
From left: Hester Bly, Sezane, Rianna + Nina, Me + Em.
Of course we cannot mention summer and white and not think of the classic Broderie Anglaise fabric. This fabric grows in popularity each year, and with this comes new colours and interpretations of this classic. Broderie Anglaise is no longer limited to white and we have this fabric available in several different colours on our website.
From left: Sweet White Flowers Cotton Broderie Anglaise Fabric, Sweet Flowers Olive Cotton Broderie Anglaise, Sweet Flowers Navy Cotton Broderie Anglaise fabric, Embroidered Khaki Green Double Gauze Fabric.
When working with Broderie Anglaise fabric you need to consider your pattern carefully as the holes in the fabric make both the garment see through in places and the seam finishes are exposed. For tips on working with this type of fabric you can read Sue’s blog from 2 years ago which is full of advice.
To make working with this fabric as easy as possible choose a pattern with minimal seam lines like The Gathered Dress or The Raglan Dress by The Avid Seamstress. A maxi skirt is a great option for summer too, but you may need to line the top part of the skirt depending on how many holes the fabric has. The True Bias Mave Skirt is perfect for this. Alternatively if you want to make a statement in this fabric, the Bella Loves Patterns Flor Top and Dress is perfect.
From left: Flor Top and Dress, The Gathered Dress, Mave Skirt, The Raglan Dress.
Special Events
From left: Jason Wu Collection, Versace, Regina Pyo, Brandon Maxwell, Molly Goddard. All from the Spring/Summer ‘22 collections.
Bright, bold and joyful colours are not going anywhere, with designers using these saturated tones to banish any blues from the last 2 years. And with the return of Special Events like weddings this year its time to embrace bright colours and sew some Frosting!
Choose special fabrics in bold colours to make a statement. The Meet MILK and mind the MAKER new collection are full of bold colours in luxurious fabrics this season, you will be spoilt for choice!
From left: Meet MILK Mauve Hoya Jacquard TENCEL ™️ Linen Blend, Meet MILK Saba Sheer Lapis with TENCEL™️ Lyocell Fibres, Meet MILK Frog Two Tone Check with TENCEL™️ Lyocell Fibres, Meet MILK Derby Ribbed Jersey Mellow with TENCEL™️ Modal fibres, Meet MILK Frog Two Tone Check with TENCEL™️ Lyocell Fibres.
Mind the MAKER Flowery ECOVERO™️ Viscose Leia Crepe Fabric
To make a real statement with this trend you need to go bold. A full monochrome suit in one shade will see you through many occasions. The range of fabrics from Meet Milk will allow you to play with textures here. Or choose a pattern with big sleeves and big ruffles to stand out at any event.
Pair the Named Clothing Aava Blazer with the Deer and Doe Acajou Trousers for a statement suit. For puff sleeves you can’t go wrong with the Anna Allen Anthea Blouse and Dress. If ruffles are your thing the Fibre Mood Belle Top will work. Or if you are after a Statement Bow the Fibre Mood Chloe top (which can be lengthened to a maxi) is perfect.
From left: Aava Blazer, Acajou Trousers, Belle Top, Chloe Top and Anthea Blouse and Dress.
From left: Gucci, Collins Strada, Carolina Herrera, Prabal Gurung, Emilia Wickstead. All from the Spring/Summer ‘22 collections.
Business at the front… Party at the Back! To really make a statement this summer add a long train to the back of your garment. After spending so long dressing down to stay at home it’s time to have fun with your clothes. We love the drama of a top with a longer back over trousers as seen at Carolina Herrera.
For this trend you can stick with the solid bright colours above or choose a statement print. A viscose will flow and drape nicely for this style or if you want more volume try a cotton seersucker.
From left: Atelier Jupe Abstract Print Viscose Fabric, Coral Gingham Viscose Seersucker, Cousette Pollen Coral Viscose Fabric, Flowers Lime Green Cotton Seersucker fabric.
Keep an eye out for the next fabric drop from Mind the Maker coming next week with bold prints in a linen viscose slub.
Oda Brush Viscose/Linen Noil (arriving next week)
Mind the Maker Circle Circus Linen/Viscose Noil (arriving next week)
If a full on train is not for you, try adding a dipped hem to a skirt or dress to achieve the same effect. The more contrast between the length, the more impact the look will have.
The By Hand London Flora dress has a dipped hem view and is perfect for summer events, or if a wrap dress is more your style Butterick 6554 comes with a dipped hem. If you are going for drama, the Trend Patterns Cape will certainly provide this. Or if you would like to play with the length of your hem try the Trend Patterns Bias T-shirt Dress.
From left: The Cape, Butterick 6554, Bias T-shirt Dress, Flora Dress.
The Essential Layer
From left: & Other Stories, Altuzarra, & Other Stories, Boss.
The perfect layer for all occasions this summer is the blazer. This piece will help pull together all your looks, whether it is a linen blazer draped over your shoulders in the evening or in a bold statement colour too spice up your neutral pieces. A blazer is worth the time and effort you will put in and there are lots of styles now for you to choose from.
For fabrics you can choose a classic linen from our Breeze Enzyme washed linen collection, or go for a statement style like Vicki did for her recent blog post.
Vicki’s Statement Blazer
From left: Red Slub Linen Tencel, Breeze Mint Enzyme Washed Linen, Rifle Paper Co Wildflower Field Cotton Linen Canvas from Meadow, Robert Kaufman Beryl Green Ventana Twill.
For patterns you can go for something unlined like the Blair Blazer or Passilfore which are a perfect lightweight summer cover up. If you want to tackle a more involved project we recommend the Heather Blazer, Aava Blazer or The Blazer.
From left: Homer & Howells Blair Blazer, The Avid Seamstress The blazer, Deer & Doe Passiflore, Friday Pattern Company Heather Blazer, Named Clothing Aava Tailored Blazer.
Cottagecore Forever
From left: Horror Vacui, Loeffler Randall, Amiimoni, Cecilie Bahnsen, Agua by Agua Bendita.
‘Cottagecore’ is one of those trends that is here to stay. This is a trend that first appeared way back in 2010 and has been steadily growing, with the pandemic and the return to our country roots cementing its place in the fashion world. The sewing community has certainly embraced this trend, with our love of vintage florals, fruity prints and gingham.
From left: Ditsy Meadow Pink on Navy Cotton Lawn, Sevenberry - Crawford Cotton Gingham Dry Mustard, Strawberry Field Cotton Lawn, Rifle Paper Co Lemon Grove Cream Metallic Cotton from Camont, Morris Large Green Cotton Lawn.
To create some volume in your makes the Mind the Maker Oxford Cotton range will create plenty of volume in your sleeves and ruffles.
To go down the romantic route with your Cottagecore creations try these pretty viscose prints from Lise Tailor.
From left: Summer Dew ECOVERO™️ Viscose, Fragrance ECOVERO™️ Viscose, Grenadine Viscose.
Floaty dresses, big collars and puff sleeves (i.e. the Bakerloo Dress) are the key features of this trend. We have seen this trend evolve even further with the rising popularity of quilting being used in clothing. Other patterns that are perfect for this trend are the Tilly and the Buttons Indigo dress, Hubba Ding Patterns Penelope Dress or Lise Tailor Belle Des Champs.
From left: Bakerloo (size 6-20 and size 16-28), Indigo dress, Penelope Dress, Belle Des Champs.
Waistcoats
From left: Who What Wear UK, Net-a-Porter, Dissh, Massimo Dutti.
Yes, you read that right. Waistcoats are making a comeback. Now whether this trend will stick around for long we don’t know. But this summer it will make the perfect extra layer over a slip dress or white tee.
The big bonus for this trend is that a waistcoat uses very little fabric and it the perfect opportunity to use up some left over prints for the lining or to make a contrasting feature of the back.
For this trend we recommend a Linen or Linen Blend (matching bottoms optional). We love these neutral and earthy tones which can be paired with a crisp white tee and denim or a dress in a bold print.
From left: Fine Stripe Rust Linen Cotton Fabric, Breeze Dark Grey Enzyme Washed Linen, Meet Milk- Amber Hoya Jacquard Linen Blend with Tencel Fibres, Atelier Brunette Blush Linen Fabric, Breeze Light Grey Enzyme Washed Linen.
Waistcoat patterns are harder to find. Merchant and Mills has The Miller which has a soft boxy fit, perfect for layering over a t-shirt. There is also the Vogue 1707, which has a more tailored look, along with trousers and shorts. This is a great option if you want something a little smarter to pair with heels or smart flats. Another option is to search on eBay or your local charity shop for some vintage styles.
From left: The Miller, Vogue 1707.
And that completes our round up of trends for the coming season. Which one are you most excited about? Head over to Instagram and let us know!
For more inspiration visit our Pinterest account.