Spring’s Biggest Trend Is Leaving Something Off
As the spring season dawns and we shed our winter coats to bloom into our warm weather clothes, new ideas and possibilities emerge for the stylistically inclined. There have been and always will be eternal spring classics to look forward to. Insert canned The Devil Wears Prada joke here. However, this year we are seeing a continuation of our collective obsession with the body and how it impacts what we’re wearing, or rather, what we aren’t wearing.
With all the protein pushing and weight loss drugs, the general population seems eager to show off their new selves. Like being reborn, whether medically induced or not, those among us who’ve undergone a winter metamorphosis are finally getting the chance to show it off. With that being said, it seems that Spring 2026’s hottest trend is choosing which article of clothing to leave at home.
Of course, there have been and always will be those of us who decide to go shirtless, wear the sheer dress, or head out in the muscle tee. But this year there’s something new in the air. There’s more of an emphasis on skin. More of an emphasis on the body, not the clothes themselves.
One prime example I’ve noticed is everyone suddenly wearing boxers out as shorts. I don’t mean boxing shorts, which are also out and about. I mean I am seeing grown ass men in literal boxers, a button down, and an overcoat strutting around the East Village. Of course some brands have caught onto this and are retrofitting boxers with pockets, but pockets do not make a pair of shorts.
I have a running theory, no pun intended, that the next sportswear craze will center around running gear. Harry Styles did a shoot for Runner's World, running clubs have never been bigger, and we all love a sneaker. What better way to show some skin without looking like an asshole than by wearing running gear?
Lastly, if you aren’t feeling brave enough to lose the shirt or the pants, then perhaps you’d be comfortable with your dogs out: flip flops and sandals. Yes, last year’s summer craze is here to stay. Flip flops are still chic. Chanel’s latest Cruise Collection even went so far as to erase the shoe altogether with their soleless sandal. All I’m saying is now’s the time to find those old gladiator sandals, purchase some shitty flip flops, or work on some calluses because it’s time to free the foot.
No shoes, no shirt, no pants, no problem!