If you can’t indulge in a little colour for Spring/Summer, then when can you? And this spring/summer season isn’t like any other. For starters, the spring/summer 2021 collections were the first major collections designed and shown amidst a global pandemic. And now that it’s finally time to don the trends from the runway, we have surpassed the one year anniversary of lockdown.

As many restrictions are beginning to be lifted worldwide, it’s only reasonable that our collective approach to fashion has changed. We have certainly been influenced by a year of loungewear however there’s a lot of suppressed desire for flamboyance and risk taking with fashion choices. This has certainly had an effect on the must-have colours for the season.

Colours I once shunned have found their way onto my list of favourites as well as bold takes on spring/summer colour staples like pink and yellow.

I can understand if pink is a little too cutesy for some, but personally, I adore pink. There are so any iconic fashion moments which we have pink to thank for. Like the famous Chanel pink suit worn by Jackie O, or the legendary pink dress, gloves and diamonds ensemble which Marilyn Monroe donned in the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Pink pairs well with the abundance of frills and charming Y2K revival styles which have been garnering popularity recently. The hue always seems to pop up in some form or another on the spring/summer runways.

For 2021, fashion’s pink of choice is bubblegum. The shade is a mix between ballerina pink and fuchsia and was spotted everywhere on the runways. At Molly Goddard it cropped up in the form of tiered frill dresses and on a pair of pointed-toe kitten heels at Prada – which I’ve recently been able to get my hands on! One of my Valentino spring/summer 2021 favourites is an oversized shirt in a slightly darker version of this hue. Bubblegum pink also appeared in a retro Y2K style mini skirt at Miu Miu and on the Versace runway in a men’s suiting combo which I am heartbroken I cannot buy for myself.

This shade of green caught me and the fashion world off guard when it first emerged on the scene. And yes, in case you were wondering, parakeet is also the name of a certain kind of parrot. The hue was in abundance on the runways and has been racking up style points ever since.

The intense green shade doesn’t remind me of anything I’ve seen before which I believe is one of the reasons it’s quickly become a standout shade of the season. It appeared on long, flowing maxi dresses at Valentino and on just about everything at Bottega Veneta. Donatella Versace opted for a more vibrant take on the colour for her collection. I’m eager to have one of everything I own in this colour!

Green is such a hot colour trend this season that including only one shade in this list would simply be insufficient. The other green hue I’m crushing on is what’s being called ‘tennis ball green’. The shade is akin to a faded lime green and has a vintage feel. It popped up at Dolce & Gabbana and No. 21 in a shirt style jacket.

One of my favourite looks in this shade was a tweed style long button up vest paired with shorts of the same hue from MSGM. I’ve spotted a couple of vintage Louis Vuitton bags in the house’s sublime Monogram Vernis leather (which is embossed with Monogram and patent) in this shade and I am tempted to splurge! I plan on wearing tennis ball green everywhere this summer, except maybe not on the tennis court, I wouldn’t want to clash.

Tangerine is another colour which typically doesn’t have the prettiest of reputations. Too often seen as the colour bridesmaids dread being dressed in, this intense shade is feared by many fashion lovers. But its luck is changing. For a while now orangey hues have been appearing on the fashion scene. In the past, many designers have opted for shades of orange with reddish undertones but this season, it seems it’s time for a softer burnt orange hue to take centre stage. This shade has been prominent amongst accessory offerings in particular, such as Valentino Garavani’s new line of Roman Stud bags.

Supermodel Joan Smalls wore a tangerine trench coat on the Burberry runway and Jason Wu used the shade for relaxed suiting in his collection.

Lemon yellow is one of those archetypal summer colours. But for Spring/Summer 2021 designers are preferencing a darker version of this summery hue. This shade often appeared on garments covering the models’ whole bodies, such as a sheer floor-length summer dress at Alberta Ferretti and a calf-skimming wrap at Prada.

One of my favourite looks from the runways was a slim fitting midi dress which flares out in ruffles at the hem spotted at Versace. Fancy some colour-blocking? This intense shade of yellow will pair perfectly with vibrantly hued accessories. I’m planning on wearing it with a selection of my favourite ‘It’ bags in the most outrageously bright colours I can find.

Lavender is so often envisioned as a pretty pastel hue. Therefore, the rich shades of lavender which fashionistas are swooning over this season may shock you. This bold take on the colour was plentiful at Versace. The colour featured on a fierce oversized blazer, which is on my spring/summer wish list, and on the covetable La Medusa bag. Expect to see a lot of this colour in knits also. I’ll be pairing my lavender pieces with bubble gum pink and dark lemon-yellow accessories.

Which colours are you most excited about this spring/summer?