Put your Morphe palettes back in the wardrobe, there will be no cut-creases
If the dull Edinburgh winters are drawing your closet out to be an amalgamation of everything drab, don’t worry. According to current fashion signals, summer 2026 is shaping up to be the year Edinburgh brings back 2016 – on purpose. Not in a cut-crease, Snapchat filters, Coachella-throwback way, but with a mature older sibling vibe to it. The vibes are softer, messier and a lot more fun than the hyper-polished looks of recent years.
The transition fit
To make a smooth move into the summer mood (and wardrobe), I envision Edinburgh to be clad in outfits that are chic yet warm.
Think baggy jeans with chunky belts, maybe some neutral tanks as the top, with loosely zipped leather jackets. It is messy, but perfectly stylish.
Overalls/dungarees
Once the uniform of 2016 era Tumblr girlies, overalls and dungarees are expected to make a quick comeback. This time, they will be worn with soft pastel cardigans, ribbed tops as an added layer for the colder days, and trainers you can actually walk in. Easy yet effortlessly chic outfits for days that involve lectures, coffee runs with friends, and light strolls around the Meadows.
I’m leaning fully into my 2016 Tumblr era
Flowy skirts with baggy sweaters
How does one herald in a bright, blue, and sunny summer with Edinburgh’s weather being so dull and damp?
The answer is to pair your cutest summer floral flowy skirt with the most oversized sweater in your wardrobe. I know this is not exactly the summer we have in mind, but come spring, I’m thinking that Edinburgh would turn creative with their ways of channelling the ‘Zara Larsson summer’ vibe. I predict this to become a staple because it works whether it is sunny, cloudy, or emotionally confusing like Scottish weather. The skirt keeps things seasonal and hopeful, and the jumper keeps you from freezing.
It is soft-grunge core, very 2016 coded, and very efficient for those (like me) who refuse to check the weather app.
My take on the flowy skirt (I know we all want to be on a beach right now)
Prints are back and men are joining in
For the past year, fashion girlies have been plagued by the ‘minimalism’ trend. But it is finally loosening its grip, and prints are predicted to take over!
Checks, stripes, polka dots – every print you can think of – will be appearing on skirts, dresses, scarves, but also on menswear. Oversized, baggy summer shirts are predicted to replace the drab neutrals – bringing back personality in summer outfits.
Proof that checks don’t need a full outfit meltdown to work
Blazers
If you want to carry something over from this year’s never-ending winter, I recommend not packing up your blazers yet. I also expect blazers to remain a summer essential. But, the catch is to make it chic and fashionable instead of it giving ‘LinkedIn core’.
Here are some ways I envision styling them – oversized blazers worn open, thrown casually over dresses or paired jeans even, with boots to dominate. Edinburgh is going to love anything that makes an outfit look intentional and fashionable while also functioning as a jacket.
Summer dresses, chunky boots, with gold belts
Imagine a pleasant spring morning on Portobello beach – the winter chill hasn’t left our bones yet, but the sun is shining on your face and you are so ready for summer. In such a setting, a sundress paired with chunky boots, a cosy cardigan, and a gold buckle (or silver if you are a silver girlie).
Men’s summer style
Men’s fashion is where it really veers into the 2016 era this time.
I predict Edinburgh to be in tie-dye beach shirts and flowy trousers by the end of this dreary winter.
Hovering as inspiration over all of this is the classic Harry Styles look – white, flowy trousers, a Hawaiian shirt with a plunging neckline, and a bandana loosely tied around the neck as an accessory. It’s soft, romantic, and expressive, which is exactly the type of 2016 nostalgia I want to carry over into 2026.
The quickest way to make an outfit feel very Harry-Styles-summer-coded? A bandana moment
Jewellery
As for accessorising, the clean-girl era of barely-there jewellery is fading away. Summer of 2026 is bringing back trends like watch stacking, chunky rings, and mixed metals that give off the thrifted vintage look rather than it being clean and curated. Jewellery is set to make outfits instead of just being an accessory.