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From Catwalk to Sidewalk: Spring 2021 Runway Trends You Can Wear For Less

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Spring is in full swing, and as the sun is starting to peek out from an overcast sky, so is a season of self-expression through fashion. While vaccines roll out, society is slowly (but surely) waking up from a yearlong hibernation, and people are ready and eager to trade in their frame-swallowing winter puffers and stay-at-home sweats for celebratory colors and crazy prints. 

The Spring 2021 runway shows gave us a glimpse at what the streets might look like these next few months, and while certain trends are pleasantly antithetical to the lazy loungewear and TikTok-viral hoodie-blankets that we sported all of last year, others seem to have adapted a collective newfound appreciation for comfortable clothing in high fashion. I’ve compiled the best trends of this season’s high fashion collections, as well as jotted down a few affordable versions of them so anybody can own these looks this spring.

Structured silhouettes

This spring’s fashion week gave us a reason to dress up and look good for the sake of it again. We saw ’80s, business-inspired structured shapes and sharp angles come to life in designers like Givenchy, Comme des Garcons, and Balmain. The padded shoulders and sleek blazers exude a polished and professional look that make you feel like you’re ready to step out and take on the world.

Get the look for less:

Shoulder Pad Oversized Blazer

NastyGal, $58, shop now

Printed Shoulder Pad Blouse

Mango, Hudson’s Bay, $60, shop now

Bottom-wise, go big

2020 allowed people the freedom to swap their fitted slacks for work-from-home attire with more breathing room, and who says we can’t bring comfort onto the catwalk now that we’re reemerging into society? Statement wide-leg trousers, jeans, and khakis are making a comeback this season, and after spotting them in Tory Burch, Oscar de la Renta, Balenciaga, and Jacquemus’s runways (to name just a few), I’m confident they’ll be just as popular on the streets as they were in high fashion.

Get the look for less:

Pleated Wide Leg Pants

Zara, $49, shop now

Skater Wide Leg Chino Pant

BDG, Urban Outfitters, $53, shop now

Skin-tight

There was something sexy and exciting about the vintage attire from the roaring ’20s, when people ditched the conservative clothing and opted to show a little more skin instead. History has a way of repeating itself, and we once again find ourselves in the spring of the beginning of a post-pandemic ‘20s era. This season, from the tight-fitting dresses at Versace’s show to the sheer fabrics featured in Dsquared2 and Gucci’s collections, soak up the sun in the skin you’re living in — and don’t be afraid to show the rest of the world either.

Get the look for less:

Sheer Lace Shirt

Amy Lynn Lavenham, Nordstrom, $72, shop now

Semi-Sheer Knit Top

Zara, $33, shop now

Eye-catching colors

We’re going bright and bold this spring in everything we wear, from Osman Yousefzada’s palette of beautiful tie-dye blues to the popping floral-on-black prints in Tom Ford’s collection. This season is a societal rebirth, and the city streets are a debutante ball; keep heads turning and eyes watching with colors and patterns that people will have a hard time turning away from.

Get the look for less:

Floral-Print Belted Dress

Calvin Klein, Hudson’s Bay, $169, shop now

Eddie Long Sleeve Tee

Reformation, $56, shop now

At the end of the day, the Spring 2021 runway trends are meant to inspire you when curating your wardrobe for the warm weather this season. Whether you decide to adopt some ideas from the world’s most successful fashion moguls or prefer to break the mold with your own personal style, confidence looks flattering on anybody. Gianni Versace once said, “Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live.” As long as you’re expressing yourself and feeling good about your closet, you’ll look ready to take on the world again no matter what you’re wearing.

Christina Flores-Chan is a Her Campus National Contributing Writer. She is a Journalism major at Ryerson University trying to break into sport media. Besides Her Campus, Christina writes for The Intermission Sports and co-hosts the Stretch Five Sports radio show on CJRU 1280AM in Toronto and Ball Busters, an Unbenched Sports podcast. Her articles have been published in HuffPost Canada, J-Source, and more. When she isn't writing or watching sports, she loves to dance, practice yoga, and go clubbing with her friends.