Spring/Summer Party Fashion Trends for 2016

The weather may be changeable right now, but summer is just around the corner and it is time to start planning for all those outdoor summer parties and BBQs you can expect an invite to. So what on earth is a girl to wear?

Online stores such as Ax Paris stock a wide variety of party dresses, but if you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to know what trends are hot right now.

Spring/summer fashion begins on the catwalks in Paris, Milan, New York and London. Designers send their models out on to the runways during couture Fashion Weeks and the rest of the world sits up and takes note. What we see in autumn of one year generally appears in the fashion stores a few months later, so to know what to wear this summer, we have to look at what made waves at the end of last year, which was when most people were wrapping up in chunky knits and shivering. So what should you be looking out for when shopping for summer party outfits?

Demure Slip Dresses

Wearing underwear as outerwear is nothing new – Madonna was infamous for wearing her bras on stage. This season the slip dress is big news. Givenchy shows us some pretty slip dresses made from barely there lace and Chloe’s little white dress looked more like a nightdress than a party dress. When worn with strappy sandals, lacy slip dresses are gorgeous, especially on a hot summer’s day or night. It is a demure, yet sexy look, and perfect for parties.

Seductive Maxi Dresses

Maxi dresses have been around for a few seasons now. Anyone can wear a maxi dress and no matter what dress size you are, a maxi dress looks great. Valentino showed us some gorgeous maxi dresses, in plain colors and simple shapes. To achieve the Valentino look this summer, look for a voluminous maxi dress in a plain color and dress it up with some pretty, silver jewelry.

Fruity Fabrics

Fruity prints are popular this summer, but instead of girly strawberry prints, try something different. Dolce & Gabanna produced some lovely lemon print dresses, which looked very stylish with decorative cat eye sunglasses and a headscarf. It is a very retro look, but definitely one to rock this summer.

Patchwork Dress

Patchwork has bedspread connotations, but everyone loved Christopher Kane’s gorgeous patchwork dress when it hit the catwalk last autumn. The lovely, colorful asymmetric style of the dress is a sure-fire winner for summer parties this year. You could also wear this dress to summer weddings and festivals.

Sexy Slit Dress

Top Shop showcased a very sexy print dress with a thigh high split. The dress is below knee length, but movement reveals a sexy slit up to the upper thigh. This design is definitely destined for success.

If the weather is looking a bit iffy before you head off to a summer party, grab an over-sized cardigan or biker jacket to keep you warm.