The fashion hot list: A dozen delicious trends and buys for spring

Pyjama party

Languishing on the unloved list for a while, paisley prints have become a signature for young designer J.W. Anderson. The pyjama print jumped from nightwear to the catwalk as Haider Ackermann and Stella McCartney showed silky separates festooned with the twisted teardrops.

An Olympian year

Who can blame designers for latching on to the Olympics and running with it – excuse the pun. Sports fans will be pleased to see that sweatshirts, shorts, bomber jackets and hoodies have been given a high fashion spin in luxurious fabrics and a pastel palette.

In a flapper

Gucci led the glamorous Gatsby-era charge with a black-and-gold showing of fringed flapper dresses. If you're worried about playing dress-ups, make-up is a good way to achieve a subtle version of the trend. Nars' metallic smudge sticks (£17, Nars; from selfridges.com) make a gilded eye a doddle.

Vroom, vroom!

The retro references continued with Prada's hyper-feminine outing, of which muscle cars were a signature motif – on everything from stilettos (£650, prada.com) to skirts and bags. Hourglass curves made an appearance in Dolce & Gabbana's Mediterranean vegetable medley while the minimal pedal pushers and gingham at Jil Sander were a crisp take on the Fifties era.

Water world

Pearls were slung around models' waists, dotted down their spines and through their hair at Chanel's underwater-inspired extravaganza. Iridescent fabrics, jewel-encrusted netting and undulating ruffles all mimicked the delights at the bottom of the ocean. The conch-shaped clutch bags with a pearlescent finish are the accessory of the season, if you've a spare £18,200 (Chanel, 020-7493 5040).

Get waisted

Modern and sleek, this season, peplums, whether attached above or below the waistline, added volume to a straight silhouette at Céline and Dries Van Noten or emphasised an hourglass figure at Givenchy and Jason Wu.

Nailing it

Mix up the sweetness of the season with Dolce & Gabbana's new kohl collection which features a series of vampy, glamorous nail shades (£17, harrods.com), or match it with Chanel's newest must-have additions – three pinkish shades named for the months of spring.

Sweetness and light

There's no getting away from it, saccharine pastels are one of the biggest colour stories this season, shown by almost everyone. The girliness of the hues is not for the faint of heart – although it may feel easier to wear fondant shades as make-up rather than clothes.

Bobbing along

A newly chopped bob can be a refreshing beauty statement for the spring, but if you're not quite ready to take the plunge with the scissors, the faux bobs as seen at Jil Sander are a good place to start.

Short shorts

Forget the Daisy Dukes or tailored city shorts, this season the shape resembles nothing so much as a big pair of knickers. Scarf prints and florals showed in the last-ever D&G collection, while at Balenciaga, Nicolas Ghesquière balanced teeny-tiny shorts with boxy shoulders.

Lace ups

Spring and lace go hand in hand and the intricate fabric is sexy (of course) at Dolce & Gabbana, romantic at Valentino and Erdem, and colour-contrasted at Miu Miu and Junya Watanabe. The supersize broderie Anglaise collars at Louis Vuitton are one of the key buys of the summer.

Darling buds of May

This season, florals are graphically printed, appliquéd and embroidered. Follow the trend up the garden path with Gucci's new Flora Garden collection (£72 for 100ml, available nationwide), Stella McCartney's lily-of-the-valley-inspired L.I.L.Y or Jo Malone's newly customisable classic Red Roses.