Spring/summer 2020 fashion trends: these are the looks you're about to see everywhere

The storms have finally subsided and spring has finally, tentatively, sprung; which makes it the perfect time to begin planning our summer wardrobes.

And where better to look than the runways of Milan, Paris, London and New York for some dressing directives?

The spring/summer 2020 shows were a varied affair, with truly something for every taste; from a nineties redux to enduring eighties maximalism. In fact, fashion increasingly seems to be adopting an anything goes approach. So how do you ensure you invest in summer staples that you’ll still want to wear come 2021?

Fear not friends, for below is your complete guide to the spring season's enduring trends (hello, polka dots) and new-fangled fashions (mesh under layers anyone?).

Do not go shopping without it.

From the neon fishnet tops worn under floral gowns at Anna Sui, to the tie dye under denim at Versace, semi-sheer vests and tanks were spotted peeking out all over the shop at fashion month. Richard Malone’s show gave a particularly masterful lesson in underlayering, with patterned milky mesh worn under ruched pastel gauze and stencilled mesh bodysuits worn under ballgowns. Look no further for an economical way to give last season’s pinafore dresses, dungarees and bowling shirts a roaring twenties spin.

Waistcoats haven’t been big on the sartorial agenda since Kate Moss was dating Pete Doherty, but if the spring runways are anything to go by, they’re about to make a comeback significantly more successful than the Libertines reunion tour. Wear slung over silk shirts and jeans for a Parisian boho look seen at Celine or as a third piece on the season’s mannish suiting as at Maxmara. Feeling spicy? Consider investing in a good quality black waistcoat to pair with jeans and heels for an evening look that means business.

When J. Lo closed Versace’s SS20 show wearing an updated version of the navel-baring floaty green tropical print dress she wore to the 2000 Grammy’s, it confirmed, officially, that tropical is totally topical. And Versace wasn’t the only brand to enter the jungle. Dolce & Gabbana gave us parrot print minis and Amazonian gowns printed with the entire animal kingdom, while at Marni, painterly prints of giant tropical blooms were daubed on shift dresses and canvas jackets.

Denim is never not in vogue. In fact, it’s been a fashion mainstay throughout the 140-odd years it’s been in existence. For spring, the way to style your jeans is most definitely with more jean. From the loose-fit indigo hues at Bottega Veneta to the boho bejewelled jean queens at Brandon Maxwell, there’s an approach to the 'Canadian Tuxedo' to suit every taste and temperament. Whether acid or stone wash, vintage or new, don the denim and double down.

Leather trousers and leather shirts became wardrobe staples in autumn, and for spring, a buttery leather – whether vegan or traditional – is still the skin to be in. For a sunshine update, designers across the board offered leather separates in an array of colourful hues. Coach’s berry-coloured trench coats are a gloriously chic way to brave the springtime chill, while the drawstring waists and necklines on Bottega Veneta’s rust and orange coloured trench coats and dresses gave a sports luxe nod to the trend. Pick whichever hue is most you, but put the black back.

Polka dots have been inching in and out of our wardrobes in recent years, but for spring 2020 it would seem they are most definitely the print to be in. And the new dots we spotted were bigger and bolder than ever. At Stine Goya in Copenhagen, polka dots were worn clashing on a variety of tights, tops and dresses while at Caroline Herrera pretty tulle gowns were peppered with large velvety dots. Gucci and Marc Jacobs gave us oversized polka prints in interesting colourways while London’s Richard Quinn offered up a mini dress smattered with the print and in Paris, Demna Gvasalia, served us such an extreme take that we were seeing spots for days.

Perhaps it’s a reaction to the mass made materials of fast fashion, but designers this season heavily embraced craft techniques and the handmade. Crochet, a hit stitch in the seventies, made a triumphant return to the catwalks for spring 2020, and this time around designers have firmly injected some sex appeal into the weave. At Stella McCartney lace-like crochet dresses came with plunging necklines, while at Altazurra, Ulla Johnson and Giambattista Valli, crochet took the form of flesh-flashing bra tops and midi skirts. Staud offered party-ready crochet minis while at Kate Spade, long, crochet dresses in bright colours were paired with button-up shirts for a sophisticated approach to the yarn.