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It's that time again. Time to learn what all the cool girls that's you will be wearing this season. Today, I'm sharing 10 spring trends that are in stores right now that real life women can work into their real life wardrobes. Let's get started. Welcome to the Everyday Style School, the show that teaches you every everything your mom never did about getting dressed. I'm your host, Jennifer Mackie. Mary, after 25 years of dressing women with real bodies, real budgets and real lives, I know great style isn't about following one size fits all advice. It's about learning what works for you. Hello gorgeous. Well, you did it. You bullied me into doing a Spring Trends episode. So today we are taking a break from talking about how to make style easier in your everyday life by developing that daily style habit to talk about how to look current this season with some trending styles. Now, hopefully you know that I am totally kidding when I said y' all bullied me into doing this episode. But after I did the fall Trends episode as a live event and I didn't do a winter Trends episode at all, we got enough strongly worded messages from for me to rework the entire semester schedule so I could fit this one in. It was not on the original plan. Here's the reality. The trend episodes traditionally have come out around the same time as the season's capsule guide. On one hand, it's great because I can talk about some of the things that were included because the capsules and the trends do go hand in hand. The last time I asked our members what they liked best best about the capsule guides, I was a little surprised to hear that. The main reason so many of our members are obsessed with the capsules is that they like how the capsules keep them current while still feeling age and lifestyle appropriate. So I totally get the correlation. But on the other hand, doing a trends episode while putting the capsule guide together is simply not sustainable for me as a person. Both things, even with a talented team, require so much time and trying to do both in the same two week period is just too much. I will be completely honest with you and say that when we switched over to the semester schedule, I was simply not going to do trend episodes anymore. I was just going to cut them. And if winter was any indication, it made capsule creation so much easier. I don't think I cried once out of sheer exhaustion or stress. So you know, personally, that was really nice. But like the emails and DMS and comments in our community have shown me, you really like these episodes and I want to give you things that you really like and info that is helpful. So this season I'm trying something different, which is to give you the trend episode after the capsule craziness has died down. And I know there will be people saying, this is too late. I need it earlier so I can shop. And if that's the case for you, I will just apologize in advance. This season, for me, it was later or never, and I chose later. I also know there will be those saying, but other creators have their trend info out in February. And that is true, they do. But I watch those videos too. And what you need to understand is so many of those videos and articles are sharing what was big on runways or in more fashion forward spaces, which is not really what we do. I find the earlier I do the trend episodes, the less applicable they are to real women, the harder it is for me to shop and put the little catalogs together. I actually like to see which of the Runway trends have shown up in the stores where you shop, or what is trending from a retail perspective that wasn't on the runways at all. So the trends you're seeing in stores and what the runways have shown for the season, they're just not always the same thing. Sometimes they are, but there's not always a direct correlation. So, yes, I could do the spring trends episode in February. I mean, I could do it in December, but it wouldn't be a good representation of what you're seeing at Loft or Old Navy. And I know that part of this is that you like to be able to go into a store and go, oh, yeah, no, I know it's trending. So today I'm going to talk about 10 trends that you are seeing in stores. And I know this because I have actually seen them in the stores. And what's funny is that almost nothing on this list is new. I have talked about almost all of these before, but now they are retail trends, not just Runway trends. And not even just Runway trends that are starting to become retail trends. They are retail trends. So for me, later is better because I get a minute of breathing room. And for you, later is better because this is actually what real women will be putting into their wardrobes. Before we get to the trends, I. I want to just remind you that these are not all the trends that are out there. There are some, like I said, that don't apply to everyday women and there just isn't room to cover everything. So if there's something I missed, I just either didn't have time or frankly, just didn't want to. Also, remember, you don't have to like everything, but think about my last episode where I talked about curiosity. If you. If you listen to it, great. If you didn't go back and do that, think about what happens when you stop being curious. Your thinking becomes inflexible, you shut down new ideas, and you can find yourself in a style rut. So you don't have to like all of the trends, but keep an open mind and ask yourself, how could I do this in a way that works for me, and which trends do I like? That is a whole lot better for your style than just, ugh, that sucks. I'd never wear that. Look for ways to stay current. That's why you're listening to this episode, right? If you don't stay current, you might eventually find yourself in a place where you want to get current. And that requires a whole lot more work, a whole lot more effort, a whole lot more money. And for most women, that is a real shock to the system because the styles are so different than what you've been wearing. So update a little bit at a time, and you won't find yourself in. In that position. With that said, let's get to 10 wearable trends for spring 2026. In no particular order, here they are. Number one, let's kick it off by talking about the colors that are big for spring 2026. You know, I love a color trend because colors don't really date. I can look back at spring capsules going all the way back to 2017, when I first started doing them, and none of the colors look dated. Obviously, there are colors that are bigger in certain seasons or years or color pairings that are having a moment, but nobody is going to be like, oh, omg, she's wearing pink. That is so 2023. Or whatever. And also, it's not like the stores are coming out with new colors that no one's ever seen before. So color is a subtle way to look cool current that won't look out of style next season, you know, next year or in the next decade. Pink is. Pink is pink. Right? Also, I know I've said this before, but over the past few years, there has not been one dominating color or even one dominating color story. Colors have been all over the place. They vary wildly from store to store, so it's getting harder to really nail down color trends. But this season, there are a few Runway trends that made their way into stores in a big way, and they just happen to be our capsule color palette. Imagine that. It's almost like we know what we're doing. Those colors are brown, light blue, butter yellow, and soft olive green. Going from winter into spring, we've seen the browns lighten up a little bit to more of a cocoa color instead of that deep dark chocolate brown of the past season. Although those are still out there as well. It's just kind of nice to see a little bit more springy version. The blue that's most on trend this season is a light sky blue, which we're actually seeing used as a neutral in a lot of cases, which is a very, very springy look, especially when paired with white or ivory or other light pastels. I love the look, the crisp look of navy and white together. But this light blue is a great option for women who look better in lower contrast outfits. So consider trying that as a neutral instead of navy. Butter yellow is. I mean, it's butter yellow. It is pale, soft, perfect for pairing with brown and light blue and soft olive and with navy, if you're a navy fan, and I know a lot of women are afraid of yellow. But this shade is a little bit easier to wear. And even within the pale yellows that we're seeing, you're going to find warmer versions and cooler versions. So don't count yellow out completely. Then we've got that soft olive green. This is not the saturated olive green that often comes to mind. This is lighter, more muted, almost bordering on sage. Another great option for a neutral for you ladies with lighter coloring who look better in low contrast outfits. Again, this is another color we're seeing lots of variations of. Some soft olive leans more yellow, and some gets a little bit more blue, almost bordering on like minty green. And what matters most is finding the shade that's best for you or that you like. And if you want to do a monochromatic outfit, just buy the pieces from the same store at the same time. That is the easiest way to do it to make sure that those shades look good together. Speaking of, though, monochromatic outfits, this is a good time to remind you that because color is an easy, subtle way to do a trend, it's a little bit harder to make it look like a trend. You either have to, number one, wear it in an unexpected way, like a light blue trench coat instead of a light blue T shirt. Two, wear more of it like a monochromatic outfit or a matching set. Or three, combine it with another trending piece, creating that two for one trend effect I'm always talking about. So let's talk about the other trends you can use to create a two for trend trend number two for spring 2026 is feminine details. This is one we have been talking about for a while now and it is not going anywhere anywhere this season. One thing that is a little bit new is lace for day wear like lace trim, cardigans and blouses that are not strictly for dinners or date nights. These are pieces that can be worn to the office and not get you called into HR for a little talking to. We are also seeing crochet pieces as well as crochet trim on things like sweatpants and sneakers which are extremely wearable for real life. And if you really like subtle details, there are tons of pretty teas with a little picot trim around the neckline. And by the way, sometimes I like to do a quick check to make sure I'm pronouncing words correctly because I never underestimate my ability to be wrong. And Google just told me that the American pronunciation of the word pico is picket. Which no, I guess I'm French now because I will absolutely not call it pick picket trim. So it's picot trim. P I C O T. All right. Anyway, moving on, a few more things that fall into this feminine details category. Pointel Pointelle T shirts, sweaters, cardigans, even pajamas are everywhere this season. If it's a knit, you can find it in pointel. I am especially loving pointelle socks with cute sneakers for spring and I will link my favorites in the Spring Trends catalog, which is available in the show notes on our website. Pointelle is super feminine, super springy, and also really wearable, which makes it one of my favorite trends for the season. The other feminine detail that is not going anywhere is tie front tops like blouses and cardigans and jackets that close with the little skinny string bows. Right. These have been kicking around for a couple of years now and they've been a little bit tough to wear because none of the women I know like to walk around with gaping holes in their tops, exposing your bra and your belly and whatever else you got going on. Right. But online I've been seeing more of these styled with a layer under it, just a little bit more of that. So that might make it more wearable, but that doesn't work with a lot of fitted tops or a lot of blouses. It just kind of wrecks the look and kind of looks messy. So if you feel like you have to wear a layer under a tie front top, make sure your top still looks good that way or just skip It. The other thing I've been seeing is cardigans that tie with one bow, like right at the neckline or the bust line. And this is part of the 90s throwback vibe that we are seeing a ton of this season. I don't have time to talk about it fully today, but bust out those Delia's catalogs because the 90s are back, baby. Moving on to trend number three, which is patterns for the season. And in this category, we've got gingham and polka dots. We have covered both of these before, but they are everywhere in stores. So let's talk about them. Are they new and never seen before? No, but they are cute, they're trending, and they are extremely wearable, so they made the list. One thing I am loving, which I do think looks fun fresh for spring 2026, is Brown Gingham. Our capsule team knows because we rounded up all the brown gingham we could find, and it was really tricky because those pieces just kept selling out as soon as we could find them. And gingham is another one of those trends where because it's not new, you've got to work a little bit harder to make it look on trend. So, for example, I know the J. Crew factory gingham shirt is a classic. It has been around for well over a decade. Every spring it comes out. But if you look at that compared to a brown gingham workout set that we found, I'll put it in the catalog if it's still available. You can see the difference. A classic pattern that's having a moment on modern pieces just reads different than a classic pattern on a classic piece. There's nothing wrong with that classic pattern on a classic piece of. But it's not necessarily going to read as trendy. Which brings us to polka dots. Same thing here. The piece needs to look current for the pattern to look current. I'm not saying if you have something polka dot in your wardrobe that you should burn it and start over. I'm just saying a lot of women wonder why the pieces that they already own that fit the trend don't look noticeably current or modern. And this is a big reason why. Now, you might be wondering, why didn't she mention florals? Well, because in the words of Miranda Priestley in Devil Wears Prada, florals for spring. Groundbreaking. I mean, it's spring. There are florals. But there is one way florals are trending that looks new and different and fun and exciting. And it is absolutely my favorite Trend for spring 2026. So I gave it its own spot. Let's talk about it. Trend number four is floral jeans. Unless you are living under a rock. And by that I mean unless you haven't walked through any stores or gotten any emails from stores in the last like two months, you already know that floral jeans are everywhere. Everywhere. And y', all, I am obsessed with them. Why am I so obsessed? Let me count the ways. Number one, they stand out as a trend. Obviously we have seen jeans before, and obviously we've seen florals before, but they stand out as something new and different. This one you can pair with a plain tee and actually look trendy or current. The one piece does all the work for you. You don't have to do head to toe double floral denim on denim to look intentional. One piece is plenty reason. Number two, so many women only buy trends from the waist up. And this helps introduce more interesting bottoms into your wardrobe, which most women are sorely lacking. Finally, number three, this is a big one. You know how I'm always saying if you're a jeans and a T shirt kind of woman, just buy better jeans and T shirts. I think I actually said that two episodes ago in my basic formula, right? Well, this is it. This is exactly what I'm talking about. A pair of fun floral jeans takes exactly as much time to put on as your medium to dark wash straight legs do. But they look stylish, they look intentional, they look current, they make a bit of a statement, and you didn't do any more work. And this proves style doesn't have to be difficult if you have the right pieces to make it happen. No, I can already hear the pushback on this one though. But Jen, they're so loud. Yes, if you want them to be, they can be. But they can also be quiet and subtle. There is a version out there for everyone. Dark wash, light wash, slim leg, barrel leg, tiny flowers, giant blooms. Whatever you are looking for, you can find it. But Jen, I'm too old for that girl. They sell them at Coldwater Creek and Talbots. No, you're not. But Jen, what if they're not in style next year? You know what? This one, this one I will give you. They might not be. I have no way of knowing. I guess what you have to ask yourself is how long would you need to wear them to justify the purchase? You can find these on sale for around like 30 bucks. Or you can spend $200 at Anthropology or Nordstrom. How much you invest in them and how long you'll wear them regardless of whether or not they're trending is part of the equation. Yes, but the other part is how much joy would they bring you? These jeans give me an irrational amount of joy, which I am not going to deny myself this year because I might not have it next year. And I feel like I just said something kind of profound just now. So do it that what you will. But the point is, so many women don't buy things they love because they might not be able to wear them forever. And you have to decide, how long would I need to wear these to justify this purchase? For me, if I got one season out of my floral denim, I will be thrilled because they just make me happy. Okay, moving on to trend number five. That is waist detail. Tops. The biggest question I get about dressing bodies comes from women who have a defined waist, like hourglasses and some pairs, some rectangles. And that question is, how do I highlight my waist, my curves, while hiding my tummy? And if that describes your dilemma, the universe is smiling on you this season. So listen up. This season, we are seeing a ton of blouses, shirts, T shirts, and dresses that have things like a wrapped waist that ties on the side or corset detailing or even a twist, a little gathering right at the waist. And that, my friends, is how you highlight your waist while hiding everything else. You don't have to put on a tight knit top and a belt over it, which would, yes, show your curves, but. But would also put everything else on display. These tops and these dresses give you the movement and structure at the waist that you need to show it off while not being super clingy or revealing. So if this is something that you struggle with, shop this season, stock up these tops. These dresses were made for you. Now, important point here, I am not talking about the tops that tie right at the hem. And. And then you have that, like, sad little bunny ear thing hanging over your crotch. Those, sadly, are coming back. But that is not what I'm talking about today. Those will do nothing for your waist. The tie is too low. If you want a tie hem top to define your waist, the tie and the hem have to be at your waist. Those are out there, too. You can find those. But the sad bunny ear crotch top, that will do nothing for your waist. Not what we're talking about here. All right, trend number six is east west handbags. No, your purses are not locked in a transcontinental rap battle. In this case, east west just means the orientation of your bag, meaning it is longer east to west than it is north to south or top to bottom right. I have never stopped using east west bags. North south bags drive me bananas because everything falls to the bottom and you can't find anything. And you know how much I love a practical trend. So this one is for me, east west bags never really went anywhere, but they are definitely more prominent this season. And a lot of the trending shapes and styles we are seeing are clearly 90s or early aughts inspired. The east west silhouette is a lot more exaggerated with which is what makes it look current this season. Also, there are lots of long shoulder straps and top handles and fewer crossbody bags out there. And you know, it's funny because the last few years I felt like I've had to have a crossbody strap for practicality. And then the other day I realized that unless I'm like at a concert or I'm traveling, I never use the crossbody strap anymore. Which it's a good reminder to reevaluate where you're at from time to time. When my kids were little, hands free bags were a must have. But those days are gone and I don't have to make decisions with the same criteria anymore. So if you have something that you feel like you have to have and you felt that way for a long time, just ask yourself, is this still true? Maybe it's not. And maybe you can have the bag you want anyway. Updating your bag is an easy way to always have something current as part of your outfit. And it just puts like a nice current finish on your whole look. Okay, Trend number seven, another accessory, and that is Mary Jane sneakers. Sneakers in general have been a huge part of trending fashion for well over a decade now. And Mary Janes have been big for a few years. And this season they had a baby. Actually, they had a baby a couple of years ago, but I think now is the time when it's reached the point where everyday women will feel comfortable wearing them. They are in all the stores where you're shopping. And it's not just fashion girlies or niche subcultures sporting these. They are super easy to pair with athleisure pieces or jeans. This is another one that looks fresh and new and current. They will give your wardrobe that just that little kick in the style pants it needs. But because I've been doing this for as long as I have, I know that you're all going to have questions about how to wear these. And the biggest question is going to be, how do I wear socks with them? Respectfully, you really don't. I Know that showing our socks is a thing now. And if you really, really want to wear socks with your Mary Jane sneakers, I am not going to stop you. But before you do, I want you to do a Google image search for Mary Jane sneakers with socks. Outfits put always put the word outfits. That helps you get real people instead of just like brands and ads, right? And when you see the women wearing this, I want you to ask yourself, is the rest of her outfit my style? If she is dressed like a high fashion girly or in a bizarre Lolita schoolgirl outfit, even if the sock and shoe combo looks right on her, it doesn't mean it's going to translate to your loft or Talbot's wardrobe in the same way. When you are looking for inspiration or you're looking at how people are styling things, you have to consider the whole thing. I think the tricky part with this trend will be staying in the right lane and not going too high fashion or trendy where they just don't look right with your wardrobe or going too frumpy, making the rest of your outfit look dowdy as well. Stay right in the middle though, and you have got a fun current pair of shoes that is great for everyday wear and and even for traveling as they can work with a lot of dressier outfits. Moving on to trend number eight, which is my other favorite spring 2026 trend and that is short sleeve sweatshirts. This is absolutely one that is simply a retail trend, not a Runway trend. But a couple of weeks ago I took a little walk around the Mall of America and I was shocked by how many short sleeve sweatshirts I saw. Short sleeve sweatshirts have always been one of my wardrobe workhorses when it comes to seasonal transitions, either winter into spring or summer into fall. A couple of years ago I got something on my favorite gray one. I ruined it. I needed to replace it, but they were like nowhere to be found. I think I found one really expensive one at Anthropologie and that was it. This year. However, they're everywhere and in all kinds of styles like crew neck, quarter zip, hoodie, puff sleeves, twist hem, every color you can imagine. If you want it, it's out there at every price point. And I don't have a ton to say about these. It's a short sleeve sweatshirt, right? It's a basic piece that goes with a lot of stuff. It's super practical for real life. But it looks a little updated and intentional which is kind of everything I love in a trend. We are also seeing more short sleeve sweaters this season, which again, it's not super new, but again, they are great for transitional weather. So I'm going to put a few that look fresh and modern in the Trends catalog along with the short sleeve sweatshirts. Okay. Trend number nine is one that comes and goes all the time and that is utility styles. And I was trying to think of the best way to explain utility styles, so I just use the Google machine and here's what I got. Utility styles in women's clothing blend fashion with function, focusing on durable fabrics, muted earth tones, and practical details like pockets, zippers and belts. Key pieces include cargo pants, jumpsuits or boiler suits, utility jackets, and combat boots, often inspired by military or workwear apparel. There you have it. I could not have said it better myself. I don't know that we're seeing a lot of combat boots for spring 2026, but the rest of it is definitely out there. Pockets are key, like cargo pockets or the big they call them utility pockets, but you might know them as pork chop pockets. They're kind of like on the outside of pants. Those are everywhere as well. We're talking about blouses with oversized chest pockets, skirts with patch pockets, chore jackets with pockets. So many big, oversized, practical pockets. I'm also seeing shirt dresses and jumpsuits with zippers, which is definitely a utility detail. And that soft olive green color that we talked about earlier, definitely a part of this trend. Another thing I'm seeing is utility pants and even cargos in more current silhouettes. We've been used to seeing them. I know we've seen so many cargo skinnies and cargo joggers, some straight legs, but. But this season I've seen a bunch of barrel legs, wide legs. They just look a little bit more modern and updated. I'm also guessing that a lot of you have the good old 2016 singed waist utility jackets still in your closet. And those are out there too, but they are not quite as prevalent as some other jackets, like a chore jacket with utility pockets or a cropped jacket. And this is a really good time to use my Is this current strategy we talked about last spring in the Is it dated? Episodes. I'll link to that in the show Notes. If you've got utility pieces and you want to see if they're still current, here's what you do. You go to the website of the store that has the aesthetic you want. Stay away from Department stores are kind of all over the place. But if you like anthropology, if you want your style to be anthropology, go there. If you like loft. You want to look like loft? Go there, see what their utility jackets look like. Does yours look like that? If so, great. Your jacket will help you get that style. If not, it won't. It is that simple. Another thing I've been seeing a lot as I've been putting this episode together is utility pieces paired with feminine details like utility pants with a lace trim cardigan and a pair of kitten heels. And I love the juxtaposition there and it makes the pieces feel really fresh and new and modern. So think outside of the utility pants and a T shirt box and do more with your wardrobe. Okay, last one for spring 2026. It's a jewelry trend, and that is sculptural pieces. The best way to describe what I'm talking about here is pieces that have an abstract sort of free form look like you melted down some gold and poured it into an imprecise shape and then you put it on a pendant. Hopefully that makes sense to you. Otherwise, just go to the Trends catalog and look at the examples. This season we are seeing lots of pendants on cords, lots of sculptural pendants on cords, some leather, some satin. But we are also seeing sculptural earrings, bracelets, necklaces, even brooches, which is another trend that has carried over from winter into spring. It seems like gold is trending a little bit more, but there is definitely silver out there too. Just like all of the trends, there is something out there for everyone, which means there's always a way to keep current while staying true to your own style. There you have it. 10 wearable trends for spring 2026. I hope this episode inspires you to try something new this season. As always, take what works for you and leave the rest. The most important thing is that you have fun with style and that you feel great in whatever you wear. Your homework this week is simple. Head to the Show Notes, take a look at the catalog, see which trends resonate with you, and maybe try a piece that looks a little different than anything else in your wardrobe. If you are a member of the Style Circle, I know you've seen lots of these trends in the Spring Capsule Guide. But if you haven't watched this season's Capsule Overview video yet, I highly encourage you to check it out because I talk about even more trends for the season in that video. And if you are not a member of the Style Circle yet, but you are ready for the most stylish spring of your life, come and join us. The link is in the show notes, and that is it for this episode of the Everyday Style School. Thank you for spending time with me today. I hope you enjoyed this little impromptu Spring Trend episode. If you're ready for easier, better style, come take my free workshop Style Made simple, where you will discover why style has felt so hard and how to make it easy for life. You can sign up@freestyleclass.com or through the link in the show notes. I'll see you next time, and until then, stay stylish. Sam.