Spring’s bold new trends — at any age!

Don’t be put off by crop tops and miniskirts. This season there are staples for grown-ups too

You might have noticed the small outcry when news broke, back in February, that the floral midi dress may have had its day. There were questions asked on Radio 4’s Today programme. Fashion editors rushed to reassure the public that the floral midi could yet survive, and others to gently explain that it has been around for a while and that’s fashion for you: it moves on and we have to move on too.

or, alternatively, we make fashion work harder for us and give us more of what we want. The floral midi fightback proved that something has changed in fashion. Now women are quietly quitting chasing the latest fashion diktats and fashion brands are quietly providing more of the clothes — alongside the ultra minis, sheer nude tops and negligee dresses — that become forever wardrobe staples.

So this spring, for every teeny-weeny mini there’s an ankle-grazing skirt; for every multipocket cargo pant there’s a plain pair of khakis; and in place of those floral midi dresses, there’s a slightly bolder print alternative — all at the cutting edge of fashion. Here’s what you need to update your wardrobe for the new season without throwing away the things you love.