Summer is officially here, which means it’s time for the most exciting wardrobe change-up of the year.

Ask any style maven (seasoned and aspiring alike) and they will tell you that keeping up with the latest catwalk trends is no easy task. As soon as the fashion world declares one weird and wonderful trend in, another part of your wardrobe has to bid its unjust and untimely farewell. (But if space allows, we suggest that you don’t get rid of anything currently deemed to be un-trendy, as you know that in a few seasons’ time it will be all the rage and everyone will be falling over themselves to get their hands on it.)

In the meantime though, instead of agonizing over what you need to remove from your wardrobe, let’s spend our time revisiting the hottest trends for the summer, and focusing on what you can add to your existing haul to guarantee the most stylish and trend-driven summer yet. We’ve got everything from bright colors to bold prints… and even some things you might not expect to find. This is fashion, darling!

Check

The check/tartan print is more commonly associated with colder months as opposed to the height of summer, but when has fashion ever been predictable and played by the rules? There’s no escaping the tartan trend this summer, as you’ll find it on everything from beach bags to bikinis to skirts (yes, the Catholic schoolgirl meets Cher Horowitz from Clueless kind) to blazers to anything else you can think of.

This Pretty Little Thing check print skirt and matching cropped top combo is a real winner – not only is it a summery and more playful update on the classic tartan color palette, but it also comes in one of the trendiest pastels of the season. (More on this later!)

See through cover ups

The talking point of Paris Fashion Week was the Chanel show – nothing new there – but the one thing that stood out the most was Karl Lagerfeld’s obsession with transparency. See through, rain-proof pieces were absolutely everywhere on the catwalk; from see through trench coats to handbags to footwear – it was all there! And it finally solved the problem we so often have when we want to show off our cute summer outfits but have to rethink because of scheduled, and even unscheduled, showers. This way, the world gets to appreciate your outfit, and you stay dry as a bone in the process. Win, win!

You don’t have to reach Chanel price points to get in on the see through action; this see through trench coat, which comes in three colors, may we add, is available from Topshop at a much more budget friendly price.

Mix and match prints

Make way for prints this summer. We already sang the praises of the check print, but we encourage you to take things one step further this summer and mixing and matching prints to your heart’s content. If you’re not feeling brave enough but want to dip your toe in the mix and match water, we recommend teaming small polka dots with large polka dots, for example, or playing around with polka dot color. The same goes for the classic pinstripe. But if you want to go full steam ahead, how about mixing a tartan print blazer with some pinstripe culottes? Or a polka dot blouse with a zany Aztec print pencil skirt? The possibilities are endless!

This Marc Jacobs skirt has been on our wish list for quite some time and is the perfect base piece for all of our mixing and matching needs.

2018 florals

Florals for summer are a given. Cut to a flashback of Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada reciting our favorite line of the movie: “florals for spring? Ground-breaking!” (It gets us every time!) There’s nothing wrong with a good floral, but this year we’ve seen some pretty different floral combinations on the catwalks, and it’s a refreshing and exciting change. 3D floral, darker florals, a concoction of different flowers being thrown together, you name it, it’s out there. If you insist on wearing florals this summer – and we really encourage it – then think outside the box and go for something a little more revolutionary.

Florals that are both 3D and subtle at the same time? You’d better believe it. This ASOS Design dress is the perfect dress for summer weddings, the races, and even fancy cocktails with the girls and date nights. Universally dreamy!

Fanny packs

No longer reserved for tourists and nineties kids, fanny packs are back – and with a vengeance, too! They are everywhere this summer, but if we’re being honest, we think they’re going to be around for quite a few seasons. If you’re after your next big designer purchase, then Gucci and Louis Vuitton have really excelled themselves with their fanny pack selection.

As luxurious as the aforementioned Gucci and LV fanny packs may be, we understand that you might not want to invest in a high end piece that might not be in style in a few years, so affordable pieces shouldn’t be snubbed either. This And Other Stories leather circular fanny pack is a perfect example.

Logo tees

If megaphones and political marches aren’t your thing, then slogan tees are the next best thing. Slogan tees don’t have to cause a stir though, as you’ll find one saying just about anything. Whether you’re a proud feminist or a Friends aficionado, there’s a slogan tee out there for you. We’re big fans of teaming casual, loose-fitting slogan tees with tight pencil skirts and strappy sandals, or for a more casual approach, hotpants and a nicely worn in pair of sneakers.

We’ve all been sucked in by memes, which is why we can’t help but fall in love with this GCDS cropped slogan tee. Wear with literally anything your heart desires; dressed up or down, this T-shirt won’t let you down!

Bold brights

If you’re going to go for summer brights, you may as well do them right. The catwalk was full of the boldest and brightest pieces imaginable for the SS season, with several neon pieces even making an appearance.

Ted Baker never fails to deliver when it comes to stand-out pieces, and this Saline dress is the perfect example. Not only does it come in a summer ready bright fuchsia color, but it also incorporates the cold shoulder trend that has been dominating for quite a few seasons.

Pretty pastels

Among the bold, bright colors and loud prints and OTT logos of the summer are some of the prettiest pastel pieces imaginable. Proving that you can still make a statement the subtle way are pastel shades, as presented by the likes of Céline and Emilia Wickstead, among others, on the SS18 catwalks. Lavender in particular is the pastel of choice this season, and luckily we are spoilt for choice when it comes to the loveliest lavender finds online.

Treat yourself to this Peter Pilotto color block maxi skirt, which incorporates some of the prettiest pastel shades all in one. Let the skirt do the hard work and opt for minimal accessories to make the skirt the stand-out piece of the look.