After nine years of sharing beauty and fashion advice to the wonderful readers of The Local Answer, I am moving on to new challenges. This will be my farewell article as I hang up my Mirror Mirror.

With the clocks springing forward at the end of this month, we can look forward to seeing lovely, fresh spring fashion in all the shops. Pack away the dull, heavy clothes of winter and spoil yourself with a new item or two. There is plenty to tempt us this season, with selections of bold, bright and beautiful colours, lots of new styles, plus firm favourites that are always in fashion.

Primary colours
This spring, we’ll see a lot of cobalt blue, canary yellow and full-on reds and greens, often in mixed shades, making them very striking. Buttons will be a key feature on many items, giving a dressier effect. Lighter-weight jumpers with buttons up to a high neck offer a new, quirky look.

Lace
Lace is everywhere – from blouses and lace-trimmed dresses, to skirts, trousers and even some accessories. If bold shades are not for you, perhaps a delicate ecru or white lace might be a good alternative. Lace looks great paired with jeans for a popular boho look for the warmer months ahead. A simple cami lace top peeping out of a fitted blazer always makes for an elegant look.

Jeans
Do jeans ever go out of fashion? Certainly not in 2026. After the trend transition from skintight jeans to oversized jeans in recent years, fashion is offering us a happy medium with long-lasting styles.

Barrel jeans – my least favourite cut with their curved shape and sharp structure – still seem to have a hold on the market, as they are such a statement piece. These are best paired with a fitted, shorter top.

Personally, I think straight leg jeans are the most flattering, as they give a clean cut and never look out of date. They’re certainly more comfortable than skinny jeans! Blazers and shirts add a polished, stylish finish, especially when paired with a smart ballet shoe or classic loafer.

The fabric on most of the new generation jeans is softer and more comfortable. Jeans rarely wear out so take your time in finding the perfect pair for you.

Virtual shopping
Spring offers so many new trends, so it can often feel overwhelming when deciding what is right for you and your body shape. Zara has come to the rescue with a quite incredible ‘virtual try-on’ tool that is receiving great reviews, and might just influence future shopping.

So many of our high-street shops are sadly closing as we shop more from the comfort of home. Zara’s new tool on its app lets customers view the item on themselves before buying, resulting in fewer returns and customers feeling more confident that the items they purchase will suit them.

Hair accessories
Finally, just one small hair accessory can finish off any outfit. Headbands continue to be a favourite, from plain velvet or fabric to more elaborate styles for evening. Braid & Bow is a great UK brand with a lovely selection of contemporary hair accessories with the must-have colours of the season in headbands, hair bows and hair claws.