By Arabella Peterson Entertainment 11.06.2025

These Looks Will Define Summer 2025, According to Fashion Insiders

This season invites you to mix comfort, elegance, and play – and have fun getting dressed again.

We’re officially halfway through 2025 – a thrilling and slightly alarming milestone. On one hand, it's finally summer; on the other, those New Year’s resolutions? Still sitting pretty on the to-do list. But let’s not dwell. Fashion-wise, a new season is here, and it’s bringing a fresh wave of warm-weather style.

The first half of the year was dominated by the Indie Sleaze revival, ballet-inspired silhouettes, sheer everything, and elevated denim. Some fleeting microtrends have already made their quiet exit, while unexpected contenders (hello, Capri pants and minimalist flip-flops) have proven their staying power.

Of course, the most important thing is to wear what you love and feel good in. As Yves Saint Laurent once said, “Trends come and go, but style is eternal.” Yes, it might be a Pinterest cliché or embroidered on the back of a tote bag – but it still rings true. You can’t go wrong with individuality, authenticity, and a sense of fun. But if you’re hovering on the fence about what to invest in for the rest of 2025, we’ve asked some insiders to weigh in on the styles that are sticking around this summer – and beyond.

Silhouettes and styling

According to Sydney-based stylist, Susi Best, oversized tailoring will continue to have a moment as the weather heats up. “Oversized blazers will stay as a trending silhouette, which can be styled in so many different ways,” she says. “For example, with a simple knit and a belted tailored short, and on the foot: ballet flats or socks and loafers; or on a Saint Laurent-scale you could wear a pinstriped oversized suit blazer and wide leg trouser, worn with reading glasses, shirt and tie, and a heel.”

Anika Joshi-Smith, Founder and Director of Melbourne-based fashion sales consultancy Sage Agency, echoes this, predicting that we should expect more asymmetrical hemlines and sculptural silhouettes.

Anika also points to the continuation of the low-rise revival: “High-waisted silhouettes will be overrun by mid and low-rises,” she suggests. Holly Beddingfield, founder and editor of Capsule, a newsletter-first media brand with fashion at its heart, agrees: “Low-rise jeans (and skirts and shorts) will still be on trend for the rest of the year,” she says.

As summer takes off, it will be all about layering and hybrid dressing – a practical solution for adapting to the changing weather, cost-of-living pressures, and sustainable dressing. As Anika puts it, “Fashion girlies love a 2-for-1, and we saw the rise in ‘cost-per-wear’ encourage more hybrid dressing.” Cait Emma Burke, Senior Producer at Shameless Media and former Editor of Fashion Journal, observes that “Rewearing items in different ways (think layering) will take precedence over constantly purchasing fleeting micro-trend pieces.” Likewise, Anika foresees “Detachable layers, reversible silhouettes… optimising value per wear.”

While more traditionally masculine silhouettes like structured tailoring, oversized styles, and heavy layering are on the cards, so are feminine touches such as sheer and transparent materials, which have been a mainstay on catwalks and red carpets this year. “Sheer dressing has always been a trend in some way… but I like seeing people experimenting tastefully with sheer dresses and skirts, worn with a full underwear brief or high waisted brief,” says Susi. “Layering a see-through lace skirt over jeans or trousers is a fun way to play around with sheer dressing for everyday wear if you veer towards feeling more comfortable being covered up.

Or you can wear a coloured tight under a sheer skirt and a button-up shirt, à la Haim's Relationships video, which makes me think of the styling in 90s Calvin Klein campaigns. I look to Susamusa as a good reference on how you can wear tasteful underwear, under one of their sheer dresses with a small kitten heel mule.”

Cait acknowledges that eclectic, festival-inspired fashion has already come back. “I think we'll keep seeing a plethora of 2010s-esque, Sienna Miller-influenced trends resurfacing,” she says. “Fringing, leather, animal print and denim will be big, and bags like Chloé's Silverado will continue to be popular accessory-wise. I think the rest of this year will be heavily rock-influenced. There'll be a more undone, accessory-heavy style (a look which was huge in the 2007–2010 era) and a generally more relaxed, grungy vibe.” Alongside Sienna, Cait also cites the Olsen twins and Jemima Kirke as muses for this style of dressing.

Anika references Chemena Kamali, Chloé’s creative director who has spearheaded this revival. “The [Chloé] Spring 2025 collection had the spirit of the 70s threaded throughout, while adding an edgy twist,” she adds.

Colours and prints

Cast your mind back to December 2024, when Mocha Mousse was announced as the Pantone Colour of 2025. The culture clairvoyants at Pantone hit the mark with that one, with shades of rich brown and creamy cocoa saturating everything from runways to retail. Anika anticipates that we’ll continue to find ways to balance this grounding neutral. “With Mocha Mousse as our hero hue, we’ll continue to see a lot of complimentary colours to pair back – jewel tones that ooze opulence, pastels for a sense of femininity, and bold and bright colour choices for a pop of contrast,” she says.

Holly sees this palette shift appearing in the form of statement hosiery, “I think coloured tights will be around again later this year, and those ‘pops of red’ will extend to pops of blue and green.” Similarly, Susi anticipates, “Random pops of neon pink, turquoise or yellow in an outfit, which is a graduation from the Brat Summer messy party girl look.”

All the way on the other end of the spectrum, animal prints are still roaring. However, it won’t be all about the classic leopard print. As Anika identifies, “Leopard print is moving on to more exotic variations, like zebra and reptile.” Cait supports this, saying, “We'll see much more animal print… it'll be less leopard-specific – zebra, cheetah, snake, tiger and more.”

According to Susi, monochromatic black and white polka dots will continue to rise in popularity as this trend evolves into a major movement. “We've already just seen tastemakers Addison Rae, Charli XCX and Clairo wear monochrome polka dots recently… so I'm sure we're about to see it everywhere,” she says.

Finally, metallics and sequins will retain their sparkle well into summer. “There will also be elements of surprise and delight…” says Anika, “hand-applied applique, silhouettes emblazoned with embellishment!”

Accessories and details

Bag charms and customisation have found their way into the hearts and handbags of style-lovers around the world. As Anika notes, “Bag charms weren’t just a cute response to the cost-of-living crisis, but also a great way to add individuality. This trend is still gaining positive momentum, and I anticipate more playful iterations as the trend evolves.”

Holly is on the same page, noting, “Personalisation is a big movement. We’ve seen it really prominently with bag charms, but I think the thing to learn from that trend is our interest in customisation in a way that feels true to us. People enjoy little tokens that are cute or remind them of something they like – even if it’s just their favourite colour or a keychain from a holiday. I think we’ll see that ethos continue.”

However, she cautions, “Within the bag charm trend, I don’t think we’ll be talking about Labubu’s quite at the rate we are now by next year.”

Anika predicts the decline of the ultra-tiny purse and continues, “Carry-all’s are in, especially when it comes to East-West bags.” In terms of jewellery, Susi’s opinion is that we’ll see an “eclectic mix of silver jewellery that mixes and matches with itself, like silver rings set with different coloured stones set in them, and vintage pendants on thick and thin necklace chains.” She also mentions, “I think we will see more layered bangles coming into summer.”

Holly identifies the classic knee-high boot as a footwear style of the moment, and Susi adds: “Havaianas and flip-flops, slip-on kitten heel mules for the evening, and more simple ballet flats.”

Of course, a good coat is a must-have at this time of year, and Holly emphasises this, including the current ascension of Burberry: “As the weather cools, I think classic and heritage coats will be on everyone’s list.”

All our experts are in agreement that asymmetrical skirts and fringing will keep gaining momentum. Anika notes: “I’m quite excited to play with fringing and suede. With Soft Power as a key theme of the year, I anticipate sharp lines offset by more soft and feminine details, accessories that have a slightly bossy attitude, and the classics being reinvented.”

Era Influences

One of the most fun parts about fashion is looking into the past in order to predict what’s coming next. Anika reflects, “A sense of nostalgia is definitely in the air. I’m anticipating more nods to fashions past,” and we couldn’t agree more. As well as the 70s free-spirited rock’n’roll aesthetic, there are a few other eras poised for resurgence.

Susi points to the 2010s as a growing influence. “I've noticed through the festival season starting in the US and Europe, there is a nostalgic focus on the 2014 tumblr era; think the original Instagram filters, Vanessa Hudgens at Coachella, ‘King Kylie’s’ pink hair. The time before everything was documented on your iPhone the way it is now,” she says. “I think it's an excuse to wear a pink bra visibly under a slightly sheer top, baggy jeans with a nice black ballet flat, a chunky belt and black sunglasses.”

Susi also highlights 1950s Romanticism, explaining, “Last year's re-invented ‘trad wife’ movement has made way for 1950s style to have a big influence this year. I love the Melbourne designer Lucinda Babi's ultra-feminine bow detailing, and we can see smaller brands like My Mum Made It and bigger brands like Damson Madder lean into over-the-top ruffles, large collars, reminiscent of cotton under-garments and frilly aprons.”

From the cinched elegance of the 50s to the streamlined edge of the 90s, Holly expects to see Techno-Minimalism coming back in a big way. “We’re already seeing this a little, but I think we’ll see Gen X Soft Club, which was a popular aesthetic in the late-1990s and early-2000s,” she says. “It’s Y2K but futuristic – think cool blue and grey tones, minimal fonts, imaginings of what the technological future might look like. A great example is the artwork for ‘Do Something’ by Macy Gray. We’ve seen elements of it bubble up already, in the minimal 90s glasses trend and corpore, but I think our obsession with Y2K will transition to this more minimal iteration.”

As we move through the second half of 2025, one thing is clear: fashion is shifting toward a more intentional, individualised rhythm. “I think people are fatigued by the speed of the trend cycle and the advent of a new 'core' every other week,” says Cait. “It will be cooler to rewear your favourite go-to trusty pieces.” That sentiment is echoed across the board, with Holly noting that “the cost of living more broadly means people want classic, quality, and timeless from their investment pieces.” Susi champions the idea of a trans-seasonal, versatile wardrobe built on personal staples: “Throwing on your favourite tank top under a linen knit, cotton trench coat, with wide or barrel-leg jeans and a Cuban-heeled boot – chic and timeless.” And at the heart of it all, Anika Joshi-Smith sees a lighthearted energy emerging: “I anticipate one of the biggest trends to be individuality – more risk, more personality, more fun!”