The Best Spring 2026 Dresses Are Moody, Romantic — & A Little Unhinged

This season, we’re developing a deep yearning for an unrequited love — and dressing accordingly. Following the release of Wuthering Heights and the coinciding press tour, which saw a parade of Victorian-inspired slays from leading lady Margot Robbie, fashion trends have taken a turn for the moody and romantic.

Though spring collections typically center candy colors and Easter-coded prints (florals, gingham, etc.), designers are leaning in the opposite direction. Instead of the usual tired motifs, new releases are pulling themes from the most stylish periods of fashion history: from the Regency Era à la Bridgerton to the roaring ’20s, all the way up to Y2K. As a result, 2026 spring dress trends are paying homage to the best vintage influences fashion has to offer. 

Antique-inspired trends include silk fringe, scarf details, and drop-waist silhouettes — design details that Caroline Maguire, Shopbop’s Senior Fashion Director, says “add that soft, romantic feel, with a bit of that Wuthering Heights mood. When it’s done well, it’s actually incredibly wearable and easy to incorporate into your everyday wardrobe.”

In short: these are the spring dresses you’ll yearn for.

Polka dots are one of fashion’s most timeless prints, but this spring, the iconic motif has been effectively reinvented. Taking notes from Scandinavian style influencers, designers have begun adapting the look in more whimsical ways. These aren’t your typical polka dot dresses — think mixed prints and interesting proportional play, combined with ruffles, rosettes, and more. Take Area’s runway, for example.

“We’re seeing more polka dots in larger, more exaggerated scales, which gives them a slightly bolder, more fashion-forward feel,” says Maguire. “Brands are also pairing dots [with] other patterns — like florals or stripes — which makes it feel more unexpected.”

Bringing the roaring ’20s squarely into this century, designers like Area, Harris Reed, Ulla Johnson, and more are embracing the silk fringe that defined the flapper era. And the effects of this are already popping up in shopping carts and on red carpets alike. Take the 2026 Oscars after-parties, for example, where fringe took a leading role.

Everyone from actress Odessa A’zion to pop star Dua Lipa came dressed in the stuff — A’zion in silky black fringe and Lipa in a golden beaded gown. And while your everyday iterations are much more wearable, the look brings an element of Old World glamour to even the simplest spring dress silhouette.

Cinq à Sept and Fforme are the most recent brands to send romantic, drop-waist dresses down their respective runways — but they certainly weren’t the first. The look has been picking up speed for several years running, but thanks to one Catherine Earnshaw — played by Margot Robbie — the antique-inspired look will most certainly reach a fever pitch, once the warm weather officially takes hold. 

Though Wuthering Heights showed a more elaborate, gothic-inspired interpretation of the drop-waist dress trend, shoppable versions are much more low-key. Available in fabrics like linen and voile, these modern takes feel appropriate for everything from boozy brunch to date night.

If you would have told me that 7 For All Mankind would host the buzziest New York Fashion Week show of the season, I would have laughed in your face. But alas, the iconic denim retailer had editors positively gagged when they sent a 2000s-coded model down the runway in a silky bubble dress (more on that ahead) and a skinny scarf. Trust me, in the coming months everyone will be copying this look. 

Retailers are already catching on, with cult favorite brands, such as Reformation, Never Fully Dressed, Quince, and Mango stocking their virtual shelves with silky spring dresses that come with matching scarves. To style the look, fashion girls are pulling inspiration from minimalist ’90s culture, pairing their co-ords with strappy sandals and an elegant up-do.

Fashion’s most delightfully tacky trend has taken an elegant, more understated turn for spring. Labels like Christian Siriano, Area, and Maryll Rogge are rejuvenating the classic sequined look using transparent palettes. The design trick makes sparkle feel much more wearable — not only for nights out, but for everyday occasions as well.

Maguire says she’s “been loving a palette sequin this season” — as have her shoppers. “Something new for palettes is how they’re coming through in really vibrant, saturated colors, especially in matching sets,” she says.

It’s about time women started unapologetically taking up space and spring dress trends do just that. Exaggerated hips, overlarge padded detailing, and voluminous bubble skirts dominated recent runway collections, from brands like Collina Strada, Meruert Tolegen, Aknvas, and beyond.

Maguire, meanwhile, says the trend truly “resonates with the Shopbop customer.” She tells Refinery29: “We’re seeing a lot of momentum around really interesting proportions, specifically with more voluminous skirts and tops.” According to her, the trend toes the line between simplicity and trend-forward. “There’s a sense of ease to it, but it still feels directional,” she says.