The Resort season (also known as Cruise and Pre-Spring), spanning from December to March, brings in a diverse range of collections suitable for various climates and occasions, from beachwear to après-ski attire. This season, collections highlight a rich array of trends, blending eveningwear with outerwear and beachwear with office-ready looks, while the prints and patterns offer a wide spectrum of options, with animal prints leading the charge and other standout designs enhancing the season’s offerings.
Sheer fabrics make a striking impact this season, with see-through co-ords and delicate lace reinvigorating the lingerie-as-outerwear trend, adding a touch of sensuality to everydaywear. Animal prints, particularly leopard and tiger, dominate the collections, with designers offering a range of interpretations from classic to contemporary on trench coats, dresses, outerwear as well as footwear (boots).
Tapping on the wild popularity of the preppy trend in the past few seasons, stripes also emerge prominently. The preppy trend is reflected with repurposed menswear shirting stripes appearing in feminine silhouettes, broad stripes on tees and dresses and modern take on classic patterns. Metallic foiling, in both gold and silver, adds a futuristic edge to traditional pieces, transforming them with delicate, high-fashion textures. Floral prints emerge as another key trend, with bold prints and refreshed ditsy patterns offering versatility for both winter and summer.
In terms of silhouettes, bubble hem skirts make a nostalgic return, with mini and mid-length styles adding playful, voluminous silhouettes to casual lines.
In the accessories department, the ever-popular fanny packs and belt bags, inspired by the kangaroo pouch, continue to dominate as key accessories. This season features sophisticated designs in leather and drawstring pouches, blending practicality with high-fashion aesthetics. Shoulder bags remain a staple, presented in various shapes and sizes, with unique designs including asymmetric shapes, luxe materials and distinctive hardware.
Practical totes are also showcased in a range of styles, from bold patent leather to classic alligator prints, balancing functionality with style.
We have rounded up the key trends set to dictate the Resort 2025 season. Here’s what to anticipate for the off-season of 2025, a transitional period where diverse, seasonless categories seamlessly intersect.
SHEER DELIGHT
The Resort 2025 collections prominently featured sheer aesthetics, with designers embracing a range of transparent fabrics, from delicate lace to completely see-through co-ords.
This season sees the strong resurgence of the lingerie-as-outerwear trend, solidifying underwear’s status as a day-to-day essential. Underskirts have been reimagined as standalone pieces, often paired with tailored jackets or casual T-shirts, highlighting the importance of layering. Furthermore, coordinated pieces are set to emphasise that what lies beneath is just as significant as the outer layers, offering consumers a sophisticated take on sheer fashion that balances allure with everyday wearability.
LEOPARD PRINT BOOTS
Leopard print remains the most iconic of animal prints, a status that can be given credit to in part to the film appearances in 1930s, such as in Tarzan The Ape Man movies. Today, it is closely associated with the currently viral ‘Mob Wives Aesthetic’ that continues to make a strong fashion statement.
For Resort 2025, designers are embracing leopard print for knee-length boots, showcasing its undying appeal.
Versace featured a wide-leg boot in leopard print split calf leather, complemented by a rounded toe and bow decoration, paired with a short collarless ’60s-style coat. Givenchy offered a pointed-toe boot in black and cream leopard print with a fold-over shaft, styled with a grey shorts suit and a pink trench coat, while Ganni presented natural-coloured leopard print boots with a pointed toe, kitten heel and belt detail, matched with a black shift dress adorned with silver buttons and zips.
STRIPE IT DOWN
Aligning with the upcoming preppy trend for Resort 2025, stripes make a significant impact across collections. The repurposing of menswear shirting stripes into feminine silhouettes comes out as a key highlight. For a Pre-Spring look, Rosie Assoulin showcased a strapless dress featuring layered blue and white striped cotton, while Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini presented a cotton button-through dress with matching bra top and shorts, all in a classic blue and white stripe. 3.1 Phillip Lim offered a long cotton shirt in blue and white variegated stripes paired with a matching gored skirt with a white border.
Broad stripes also emerged as a perennial Cruise favourite, with various designers incorporating them into tee shirts and dresses. Chanel’s mini dress, crafted from a nubby knit and crochet, featured broad stripes in green, pale blue and orange with white tipping. Coperni opted for a halter neck jersey knit dress adorned with extra-wide navy and green stripes, while Rochas presented a sleeveless u-neck knit dress in coral and white variegated stripes, complemented by a wide suede belt.
SHOULDER BAGS
Originally designed to accommodate photo equipment before the advent of smartphones, the shoulder bag— characterised by its practical shoulder strap, top zip closure and rounded shape— remains a popular choice for contemporary fashion.
For Resort 2025, shoulder bags continue their reign with their blend of functionality and style. Burberry introduced an ivory-coloured leather bag with an asymmetric silhouette and silver hardware, including a key chain detail on the shoulder strap, while No.21 offered a sleek, compact black leather camera bag adorned with gold hardware. Chloé, on the other hand, presented a medium-sized brown leather bag featuring a top zip closure and embellished with triple gold chains on the strap.
BUBBLE HEMS
Bubble hem skirts, once synonymous with school disco fashion for many Millennials, are making a notable comeback this season.
This nostalgic trend is reemerging in Resort 2025 collections, signalling fashion’s cyclical nature and its ability to refresh classic styles. Both mini and mid-length bubble hem skirts have become key silhouette choices for casual lines, reflecting their resurgence as a key element in modern wardrobes. This revival indicates a shift towards playful, voluminous silhouettes that blend retro charm with contemporary flair, offering a fresh take on this iconic garment.
FLORAL FANCY
Resort 2025 sees a resurgence of bold floral prints, offering versatile options for both winter vacations and high summerwear. Designers are embracing the timeless appeal of florals with modern twists, incorporating dynamic colour combinations and innovative arrangements. This season, a modern approach to the perennial ditsy print also offers interesting colour combinations and fresh arrangements.
Ulla Johnson’s long-sleeved cotton dresses feature striking blue florals on an orange background, while Badgley Mischka’s maxi dress with a fishtail showcases a pink floral and green leaf print on a white base. The ditsy floral trend was prominently spotted at Anna Sui, who presented a front-laced dress adorned with a blue, white and lilac ditsy flat bud print, layered under a scroll print coat. Gucci also offered a chic ensemble of a jacket and pants in a flat yellow and white chamomile print against a dark background, complemented by a matching chiffon scarf, while Versace contributed with a range of pieces, including a jacket, top and shorts, alongside a blouse, bra top and pants—all featuring a playful flat floral print with strawberries and ladybugs on a white background.
FANNY PACKS AND BELT BAGS
The versatile bag, known as a ‘fanny pack’ in the USA and a ‘bum bag’ in the UK, has an interesting history, with one popular account tracing its origins to 1962 when Australian Melba Stone was inspired by the kangaroo pouch to design the first iteration. For Resort Wear 2025, the trend continues to evolve, with designers showcasing innovative takes on this functional accessory. Victoria Beckham presented a sophisticated brown pressed leather envelope-style belt bag with gold hardware, while Anna Quan offered a sleek black lambskin leather drawstring pouch suspended from a delicate shoestring belt, highlighting the belt bag’s enduring appeal and adaptability, blending practicality with high-fashion aesthetics.
GOLD AND SILVER FOILING
Metallics continue to dominate the fashion scene and take centre stage, adding a futuristic edge to Resort Wear collections. Unlike previous seasons where metallics played a more peripheral role, gold and silver foiling are now integral to the core trends, transforming classic pieces with a contemporary twist.
The focus is on delicate textures that mirror the appearance of foil, applied to garments such as bralettes and blazers. This trend highlights the versatility of metallic finishes, elevating traditional silhouettes with a strikingly modern and sophisticated flair.
PRACTICAL TOTES
For Resort 2025, the versatile tote bag remains an essential item for working women, preferred for its practicality and spaciousness. This season, designers are showcasing an array of tote bags in diverse styles and materials. Missoni presented a striking tote crafted from strips of red patent leather arranged in a chevron pattern, while Victoria Beckham offered an oversized brown leather tote with an alligator pattern, combining elegance with ample functionality.
Ferragamo opted for a softer red leather tote adorned with gold hardware, blending luxury with everyday practicality.
ANIMALISTIC TENDENCIES
Resort is incomplete without animal prints and this season is no different. For Resort 2025, the tiger print has emerged as the dominant motif, commanding attention across several collections. The iconic animal print has been reinterpreted by numerous brands, each infusing their unique aesthetic into the designs, resulting in a diverse array of shades, shapes and applications that rejuvenate the classic tiger motif. From trench coats to airy dresses and plush outerwear, the tiger print has been showcased in a variety of garments, reflecting its versatile appeal and cementing its status as a key trend for the upcoming season.
