Spring has a habit of exposing weakness in wardrobes. The heavy hitters of winter are retired, the lightweight fillers of high summer aren’t yet appropriate, and what’s left is the true test of taste – pieces that earn their place through craft, character and longevity.
Our Spring Summer 2026 Style Guide is built on that principle. This is not about disposable trends or one-season wonders. It’s about clothes and accessories that move with you: from early-morning commutes to long-haul departures; from boardroom to beach bar; from drizzle-soaked pavements to dustier, sun-bleached terrain.
Expect denim with pedigree, loafers engineered for actual travel, leather goods designed to age handsomely, and fragrance with heritage baked in. There’s British tailoring, Scottish knitwear, Italian shoemaking and a dash of Riviera insouciance for good measure.
In short, this is spring dressing with backbone – lighter in weight, certainly, but no lighter in intent.
Oliver Brown
Cricket jumper in ecru/green, £155
Anyone for tennis? Or indeed, cricket? Chelsea-based Oliver Brown has gone full jolly hockey-sticks in its new SS26 collection, and it’s hard to fault.
Though linen rules this year’s roost with an enviable selection of deconstructed jackets in fabrics from Drago, Solbiati and Ulster Weavers, it’s this cable-knit cricket jumper and pleated trousers combination that really takes the biscuit.
Or should that be Victoria sponge? Either way, British Summer Time has never looked so good.
Maxwell-Scott
Calvino bags, from £699
Maxwell-Scott is a family-run British luxury leather goods brand, renowned for blending timeless English design with exceptional Italian craftsmanship.
Each piece is handmade in Italy using full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather, backed by a 25-year guarantee that reflects the brand’s commitment to enduring quality.
The Calvino luxury leather men’s business bag offers a refined, structured silhouette with intelligent organisation for modern working life.
Spacious enough for a laptop, documents and daily essentials, it combines elegance, durability and understated sophistication. Put simply, it has bags of class.
Available in two sizes, 15-inch/17-inch in classic/croco leather and canvas options.
Acqua di Parma
Colonia Il Profumo Millesimato, £250
While our footwear may be from Britain, our fragrance will be coming from further afield this spring.
First stop, Parma. It’s been 110 years since Baron Carlo Magnani founded Acqua di Parma – and his OG scent, Colonia, is still at the core of the brand’s offering.
To celebrate the anniversary, the eau de cologne has been given a new lease of life by perfumer Alexis Dadier.
Like a portrait rendered through a different technique, Colonia Il Profumo Millesimato offers a fresh interpretation of a classic.
At its heart lies the exceptional 2024 harvest of Ylang-Ylang from Nosy Be – helping create an unforgettable fragrance of depth and complexity.
Crockett & Jones
Richmond 2 walnut milled calf and stone canvas loafers, £575
Jesus, that was a long January, right? If you’re anything like us, the pull of warmer climes has rarely felt stronger than now.
Even if your first holiday isn’t booked for a few months yet, it’s never too soon to start refining your shopping list. Top of ours are the new travel loafers from British shoemaking stalwart Crockett & Jones.
Comprising two new shoes – the Harvard 2 and the Richmond 2 – the collection has been hyped by the brand as “the most comfortable Goodyear-welted loafers in the world.”
So, you’re getting soft, supple milled calf that requires no break-in period teamed with flexi-welts, extra-flex shoulder insoles and the flexible City rubber sole. (Did we mention they were flexible?)
With the Richmond, you have the additional detail of a stone-canvas vamp bringing some safari chic to the overall look – the contrasting leather penny bridge really making it pop.
Naturally, each pair is Goodyear-welted and handmade in Crockett’s factory in Northampton.
Carrera
381/S sunglasses, £175
For SS26, Carrera has sharpened its metalwork with the 381/S – a stainless-steel frame that blends vintage cues with modern restraint.
The rounded silhouette is lifted by a double bridge and brow bar, nodding to archive styles without feeling overly nostalgic.
Lightweight, comfortable and confidently urban, they’re the kind of sunglasses you can still pair with a suit without looking like a Secret Service agent.
MacGregor & MacDuff
Looking to add a touch of Scottish style to your next event outfit? Look no further than MacGregor & MacDuff’s renowned kilt fitting service.
Taking place every month in Shoreditch, this is your chance to get the true kilt-shop experience without travelling to Scotland.
Their Highlandwear stylists will professionally measure you and guide you through their extensive range of kilts, tartan and accessories.
Whether you are hiring or buying, they have the outfit to ensure you look and feel your best.
By appointment only. To book, call 0141 280 3398.
DÖTCH LEATHER
Hendrix Duffle, £165
The Hendrix Duffle from Dötch Leather is a considered piece of travel kit designed for people who need to move easily between work, weekends and short-notice escapes.
It’s constructed from full-grain buffalo leather, chosen for its density and visible grain, and left largely untreated so it develops a unique patina. Over time, the surface softens, darkens and marks – a record of wear and experience.
The proportions are generous without being cumbersome. The main compartment takes clothing and a laptop, while interior pockets keep smaller items in check. A soft fabric lining offsets the weight of the leather, and the bag holds its shape whether carried by hand or worn on the shoulder.
Hardware is antique-finished, and stitching is reinforced for durability. Personalisation is offered via discreet initial embossing.
Overall, the Hendrix is about longevity – a well-made duffle intended to improve with familiarity.
Diptyque
Orphéon Eau de Toilette, 100ml for £145
For our next fragrance, we leave Italy for France – specifically 1960s Paris. The Orphéon jazz club beside Diptyque’s boutique at 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain was a regular meeting point for artists, writers and musicians. Its atmosphere inspired the brand’s Orphéon Eau de Parfum, launched in 2021.
New for this year, the Maison has introduced Orphéon Eau de Toilette, composed by perfumer Natalie Cetto. This latest iteration focuses on the early evening moment, as day slips into night. Bright citrus notes of green tangerine and yuzu lead, followed by juniper, pink peppercorn and ginger.
A restrained floral heart of rose and magnolia settles into a clean, woody base of cedar and musk.
Kit Blake
Trousers
It pays to have a specialism – and when it comes to trousers, they don’t come much more special than those constructed by Kit Blake.
Every pair is made in Italy, with the cut and details that have become the brand’s signature: side adjusters replace belt loops, hems are left unfinished for personal tailoring, and higher rises create an elegant line and clean drape.
Recently, Kit Blake partnered with Magee in Donegal to offer a brown herringbone tweed, woven in Ireland and ideally suited to both countryside weekends and less formal events in the City.
By combining timeless design with quality cloth and careful tailoring, the brand continues to make trousers that are practical, elegant and built to last.
Lyle & SCOTT
Textured knit collared cardigan, £52
Over the past 150 years, Scottish clothing company Lyle & Scott has evolved from a boutique knitwear label to a globally recognised fashion brand, but it’s never forgotten its roots.
Indeed, when it comes to knitwear, Lyle & Scott deserves a place in every man’s wardrobe.
This textured knit cardigan in a fetching shade of liquorice is a great transition piece for spring, and a classic case of retro style coming full circle.
Wrangler
Toughline loose straight jeans in Canyon Shade, £90; Trailrider Jacket in Dusk, £110
Ah, double denim. The Canadian tuxedo. A sartorial challenge that only a few can genuinely pull off.
Thanks to the resurgence in workwear and the renewed love affair with the 1980s, everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Travis Kelce is going there.
If you’re confident enough to follow suit, you need to start with the right denim. US heritage brand Wrangler has been at the top of its game since 1947, when it started off life specialising in denim for rodeo riders. (Its flat rivets prevent scratching saddles.)
Now, your personal steed may be more Brompton than Bandit, but having a hard-wearing pair of jeans is never a bad thing. New for SS26, Wrangler has launched the Toughline collection.
Inspired by the resilience of the American frontier, the line blends the rugged strength of traditional denim with innovative lightweight technology – so you never have to compromise on toughness or comfort.
And of course, you can buy separates. Doubling down is only for the few.
Oliver Spencer
Orsman Trousers Miro Brown, £259
Skinny jeans have officially been put out of their misery after two decades of strangulation – of calves, circulation and dignity.
In their place comes a looser, wider silhouette that drapes rather than clings, favouring movement, comfort and a touch of nonchalant confidence.
You’ll find the perfect embodiment of this in Oliver Spencer’s new Smooth collection. Its SS26 offering is inspired by 1970s British counter-culture groups, such as the Rude Boys, Suede Heads and Smoothies.
These groups traded aggression for ease, adopting softened lines and a more considered, continental approach to dressing – one we’re very much on board with.
The wide, single-pleated ‘Orsman’ trousers – pictured here in chocolate brown 100% wool – have quickly become a Spencer fan-favourite. Dress them down with a Hardwick Westall denim jacket.
Henri-Lloyd
Mav Lite Shell 2.0, £225
Established in Manchester in 1963, Henri-Lloyd knows a thing or two about keeping you dry in the wettest of weather.
Enter the Mav Lite Shell 2.0: a unisex design crafted from an advanced 2.5-Layer DRI PRO lightweight stretch waterproof recycled fabric.
With a highly breathable membrane, adjustable hood, and waterproof taped seams, it delivers unmatched comfort, and mobility.
It’s been designed for the one place wetter than Britain’s shores – its seas. This is sailor-approved outerwear at its very finest.
