Top of our spring wardrobe agenda is incorporating colour into our ensembles. After a long, cold winter dominated by dark and dramatic tones of chocolate brown and burgundy, we're welcoming a new season with bold, bright hues set to rival the (hopefully) sunny skies.
As well as being the quickest and easiest way to update an outfit so you look bang on trend, wearing colour serves two purposes as it's an instant mood booster, too. Consider us convinced. But what specific shades should you be wearing?
Naturally, pastels always abound at this time of year – just open up a bag of Mini Eggs to see why – so it tracks that pale pink and lemon yellow are currently dominating amongst the street style set. However, if you prefer something a little punchier, you're also in luck. Cobalt blue has proved to be an early frontrunner in 2026, but it's now making way for chilli red as the new standout shade.
While it's undoubtedly eye-catching, the primary colour is actually surprisingly wearable. In fact, it's this exact tone that's widely considered a ‘universal’ colour, suiting almost everyone as it complements the natural red undertones of the skin.
Of course, you don't have to wear it head-to-toe if that's a little too bold for you. Adding just a pop of red works to make any outfit seem instantly more stylish. It's a theory that was first popularised on TikTok in relation to interiors, which suggested adding an element of red into a room where it doesn't conventionally match worked to create a focal point and add energy. The same logic can be applied to fashion.
We'd suggest making Mango's sweater with contrasting zip collar your pop of red this spring.
Crafted from chunky knit fabric and cut in a straight design, this jumper features a wide lapel collar with a quarter zip neck detail – tapping into a second trend in one look, as this exact silhouette with a zip-up funnel neck was spotted in the opening look of Chanel's pre-fall 2026 runway.
With such a statement item, there's no need to stress about the rest of your outfit as it easily dresses up even the simplest of ensembles. We'd throw it on over a plain white tee and jeans, adding either loafers or pointed-toe, kitten heel boots, depending on where we're heading.
Goodbye basic black, our wardrobe has never been so colourful!
Follow Alex on Instagram.
Alexandria Dale is the Digital Fashion Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from the celebrity style moments worth knowing about to the latest fashion news, there’s nothing she loves more than finding a high street dupe of a must-have designer item. As well as discovering new brands, she’s passionate about sustainable fashion and establishing the trends that are actually worth investing in. Having worked in fashion journalism for six years, she has experience at both digital and print publications including Glamour and Ok!
