The Rise of Gentle Femininity
The gentle female season has given itself to an increase in gentle femininity, a trend that started with the Boho Renaissance and continued with Chemena Kamalis’ debut at Chloé (SS24). This trend is expected to continue for SS26. According to Kim Cupido, Senior Strategist of Catross at the trend forecast agency WGSN, "Big -makro trends like Romance never go away. There is always a certain development every season." In difficult times, people tend to look for an escape and mood from fashion, which makes certain hyperfeminine objects such as blouses, arches, and baby torsching popular.
Signs on the Red Carpet
There are already signs of this trend on the red carpet, with early looks by Jonathan Anderson’s Dior Womenswear at the Venice Film Festival. Rebecca Marder’s Pussybow, Silk Shirt Dress and Greta Lee’s Showstopping Marine Blue Number, with a huge bow, are examples of this trend. Chloë’s Baby-Rosa-Roch-Rocha dress is another example of the gentle femininity trend.
Retail Intelligence
According to the retail intelligence company Edited, blouses have already been in high demand compared to last year. Statement sleeves and collar, including Peter Pan, Pussybow tie, and ruffles, will be a trend for SS26. Aoife Byrne from Edited says, "I think we’ll see how a soft voluminous blouse gets through quite strongly, especially because it is very versatile." Soft voluminous dresses, often seen in the Copenhagen Fashion Week, will be another important object that can be observed, especially those with large sleeves.
Upcoming Trends
Lace skirts were identified as an important trend both on and outside the Copenhagen SS26, with arrivals growing by 121 percent compared to the previous year. Fine top will grow by 29 percent, while English embroidery will grow by 16 percent. Sixties female silhouettes, such as the Babydoll dress, will also be an important silhouette, according to trend forecasts. They were prominent in Copenhagen in Cecilie Bahnsen’s anniversary show.
Bad Romance
The Babydoll silhouette was a growing interest on TikTok, and designers are expected to follow this trend to capture the Gen Z consumers. At Pinterest, the search for "Babydoll Dress 60s" has increased by 982 percent, "1960s Babydoll dress" by 119 percent, and "Babydoll crochet Top" by 111 percent. Cate Blanchett was spotted during the Venice Film Festival in a dress with a skirt from Faux Bird Wings, showcasing the bad romance trend.
