For Spring 2026, Designers Embraced the “Statement Skirt, Simple Shirt” Phenomenon

Going somewhere fancy? This season, designers suggested breaking out your party skirts—but not your “going out” tops.

Over the past weeks, Milan and Paris’s spring 2026 runways were rife with a dimphoric formula of festive, cascading skirts and relatively mundane tops. Think that plain office button-down with a New Year’s Eve-esque sparkle skirt placed at the bottom. A fitted black coat with a maxi fit for a princess. It’s very Carrie Bradshaw, and a bit like Sharon Stone’s infamous 1998 Oscars outfit taken to extremes. Let’s refer to this as the “statement skirt, plain shirt” phenomenon.

On the final eve of Paris Fashion Week, Chanel’s new designer Matthieu Blazy seemed especially drawn to the idea. He presented a sequence of skirt-forward silhouettes, including a cropped pinstripe Charvet shirt worn with a 3D floral skirt in bold orange. One skirt, a low-waisted piece inspired by the camellia flower, was shown with a silk blouse with a bateau neckline. A similar shirt defined the finale look, which featured a floor-length design lined with flowers in every color of the rainbow. Model Awar Odhiang couldn’t help but smile with joy as she wore it.

At Balenciaga, Pierpaolo Piccioli presented a light pink t-shirt (a very luxe one, at that) with a feathered fluorescent orange maxi cut just high enough to reveal the model’s platform flip-flops. At Bottega Veneta in Milan, Louise Trotter’s strong-shouldered terry cloth tee was party-ready thanks to a textured tea-length skirt made from recycled fibers. Trotter, for what it’s worth, also designed the inverse: plain shift skirts and “look-at-me” tops.

While not entirely novel, the pairing does speak to a modern way of getting dressed. It departs from the rigidity of formalwear—the idea that certain items must be styled in certain ways—and the casual feel that usually comes with loungewear. It’s a thoughtful approach to styling that takes into consideration both form and function. (No, not every look needs to be overdone and weighed down with showpieces—one statement item is more than enough most of the time).

Loewe’s new designers Jack Mccollough and Lazaro Hernandez reflected that essence. They created a beaded bright blue number with a high-low hemline, worn with a bomber coat featuring pockets so big, no handbag was required for a night out. Even Alaïa’s off-the-shoulder body con tops looked simple in comparison to the lime green skirt with fringe tassels Pieter Mulier sent down the runway.

So, it’s time to rethink how you wear that polka-dotted or sequined skirt of yours. A t-shirt might be its new companion.