While many think TikTok or Instagram are Gen Z’s favourite platforms, Pinterest has slowly been rising the ranks as one of the most influential social media for the under-30s.
Pinterest has become the go-to visual search engine for mood boarding fashion, beauty and interiors.
So the platform’s annual Pinterest Predicts report has become a strangely accurate fashion crystal ball over the past few years – forecasting everything from the rise of tomato-girl summer to the quiet luxury overhaul.
According to the data, we’re leaving streamlined stealth-wealth behind, and are about to enter a year defined by maximalist jewellery, 1980s silhouettes and a fresh take on utilitarian khaki.
It’s a line-up that sounds chaotic on paper, but actually reflects a broader shift in how people want to dress – with more personality and a willingness to lean into nostalgia.
To unpack the trends – and explain how to actually wear them without looking like you’ve stepped out of a time capsule – we asked celebrity stylist Ellis Ranson to decode the five biggest looks set to dominate 2026.
* Brooches and maximalist jewellery
Maximalism is back – not in the chaotic, everything-at-once sense, à la 2010s festival jewellery – but in a more retro, couture way. And according to Ranson, brooches are the easiest entry point.
With Chanel’s comeback last season thanks to new creative director Matthieu Blazy, fuelling the revival, Ranson notes that ‘Chanel is probably one of the best places that we see inspiration for brooches and that whole vintage retro styling that’s coming back’.
When it comes to what to wear it with, she said: “We’re doing shoulder pads now … you could have a little brooch on a shoulder-padded top – it can be a really subtle, lovely way to finish a look.”
The key is to lean into modern metals with a shine, like H&M Metal Brooch and the Zara Knit Jumper with Brooch.
* Icy blues and celestial whites
When it comes to 2026’s colour palette, Pinterest users are overwhelmingly pinning frosted blues, moonlit whites and pearlescent textures – but how do you incorporate holographic if you’re used to dusty grey and denim?
Ms Ranson says an easy way to experiment with these is to swap them with your basics.
“Think of your basics and your base pieces,” she says. “Switch your white T-shirt for an icy blue T-shirt – rather than trying to wear a statement holographic blue blazer.”
If pearlescent whites feel too much, Ms Ranson says to try accents of the colour family – “maybe a light blue bag or a blue court shoe with a simple staple look.”
Incorporating a trending colour palette into your basics helps elevate your everyday wardrobe into something more cool and current.
Check out Other Stories Sheer Long-Sleeve Top and Per Una Sheer Sequin Embellished Fitted Vest with Rib Top.
* Clunky, baggy and bold
The 1980s are back. Minimalism’s grip is officially loosening and we’re entering an era of volume – sweeping circle skirts, big shoulders, oversized belts and all-round capacious silhouettes.
“I am so excited that maximalism is back because I am a bit bored of the beige,” Ms Ranson laughs. But she’s quick to warn that going full maximalist is a fast track to feeling swamped.
Her golden rule is one volumised piece at a time. “Think about your proportions,” she explains, “maybe do a big skirt but then a more slim top or a cinched blazer with jeans.”
She tailors client choices to their height. She says petite frames may prefer a cinched waist with gentler shoulders; whereas taller silhouettes can lean more into the drama.
“More is more is really fun,” she says. “This is very Carrie Bradshaw, big belts being massive and experimental silhouettes – it feels a bit more fun than the trends of 2025.”
Suggestions include Maniere De Voir Marie Twist Sleeve Tailored Blazer with Belt and Cos Twist Barrel-Leg Jeans
* Laced up
Lace – once tied to prim-and-proper coquette-core – is entering a new era.
Pinterest searches are up for lace tights, lace trims and sheer lace detailing thanks to the runways of Dior and Bora Aksu – yet most shoppers aren’t looking to dress like a ballerina.
“Lace is a tricky one – you either love it or you really don’t,” says Ms Ranson. Her advice is to micro dose the trend – don’t go with full looks.
“It could just be little, minor nods – a lace pocket, a lace hem, a lace cami under a blazer.” Even chokers and lace neck scarves are resurfacing, she says, which are inexpensive ways to test the trend.
For those who find lace too delicate, Ms Ranson recommends contrast: “Team it with something a bit more masculine – an oversized blazer, wide-leg trousers, even the barrel jean.”
The Zara ZW Collection Lace Camisole Top is a prime example.
* Khaki Coded
Utility jackets aren’t new, but the pocketed work-wear is becoming the go-to style of 2026.
Structured safari-style jackets styled in earthy palettes are soaring in popularity, according to Pinterest.
But when it comes to tonal dressing – desert neutrals are tricky, bidding the universal question: What if it washes me out?
“I love camel beige, but it completely washes me out,” Ms Ranson says. She’s sceptical of rigid colour analysis, explaining that a client’s results once contradicted everything she would have personally chosen for them.
Instead, her approach is easy and practical. “Whenever I wear certain colours, I’ll remember what compliments I get,” she says. “I think that’s a good way to learn what suits you.”
If beige dulls you, try olive or pistachio. If icy neutrals brighten your eyes, lean into them. “Does your skin look smoother? Are your eyes brighter? Take note,” she says.
An example includes the Holland Cooper Artillery Jacket.
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