After a year dominated by darkness, both figuratively and literally, it will come as music to each and every fashion-loving pair of ears the world over that our sartorial lives are about to get a seriously brightening makeover.

Monochrome might be having a moment, but as we collectively head confidently in the direction of a return to normal life (cross your fingers and toes, folks!), it’s time we dressed for the summer we want: see juicy summer hues so bright you’ll need sunglasses. 

Indeed, mood-boosting hues were injected into all manner of spring/summer 2021 collections. From ripe and juicy apple greens at Bottega Veneta and Ganni to sunshine yellows far from mellow at Thebe Magugu and tropical blues at Burberry not dissimilar from the azure of the ocean, designers backed a return to all things bright and beautiful for this summer and after a year decidedly short on fashion, it’s high-time we collectively embraced colour too.

Say hello to your new big, bold and bright palette of punchy shades. Summer, come at us! 

Aperol orange

While it may not class as one of your five-a-day, zesty orange was embraced across the board at the spring/summer 2021 shows. From Christopher John Rogers, which interpreted the hue into XXL tonal two-pieces, to Molly Goddard, which injected orange into a slew of voluminous minidresses, the takeaway was clear: big, bright and bold shades of Aperol orange are not to be shied away from, but rather to be worn unapologetically and with attitude. Dress like the drink you love; what could be easier? 

Tropical teal

Say bye bye to baby blue and adios to aqua, for this summer we’ll be embracing tropical teal blues in lieu of being able to jet off somewhere fabulous. Indeed, the spring/summer shows were awash with all manner of wishy-washy tropical blues; at APC, tropical teal was interpreted into shirts and dresses and paired with navy and white to accentuate it, while at Burberry, Riccardo Tisci made the case for tonal teal ensembles. Head-to-toe teal, don’t mind if we do!

For those not sure on wholeheartedly embracing the shade though, look to Barcelona brand Paloma Wool, which weaved bright blues with chocolate browns in a clutch of its newly-launched pieces. 

Sunshine yellow  

We may have had a considerable lack of the real thing for much of the past year, but fashion is ushering in sartorial hits of vitamin D for summer and we can already feel the serotonin rush. At Thebe Magugu, shades of yellow from every end of the spectrum were weaved into its spring/summer 2021 collection, while at Acne Studios, the hue assumed a more mellow tone.

It’s perhaps unsurprising that Pantone named ‘Illuminating Yellow’ one half of its colour choice for 2021, which it describes as “a bright and cheerful yellow sparkling with vivacity, a warming yellow shade imbued with solar power.” Bright! Cheerful! Sparkling! What more could anybody wish for from their summer wardrobes? Frankly, nothing. 

Punchy pink 

Barbie lovers, rejoice! Pink is back with a bang for summer and it’s punchier than ever before. Indeed, brands from every corner of the fashion sphere have backed it for the upcoming sun-kissed season; at Valentino, it came in the form of a Pepto-Bismol pink oversized cotton shirt (Kitri has an uncannily similar dupe at a fraction of the price), while at London label Roksanda, powder pinks melted into punchy pinks which merged with muted peaches as the brand threw its weight behind the shade in a multitude of looks (see: dresses, skirts and suits).

If head-to-toe pink doesn’t quite make your fashion antennae wink, then embrace the hue in the form of nails, claw clips and sunglasses chains which, you’ll be pleased to know, are also very big news for summer. 

Apple green

More laid-back than lime, but punchier than pistachio, apple green was endorsed by a clutch of designers for spring/summer 2021. For Daniel Lee at Bottega Veneta, ‘Bottega Green’ was proposed in the form of platform mules, bags and fringed dresses, while Ganni injected fresh bursts of the hue into its detachable faux leather collars and shorts.

For those looking to lean into apple green, look to Arket, Kitri and, of course, Ganni, all which have peppered their new season offerings with the juiciest hue of them all. Go on, get those greens!  

Images: courtesy of brands.