Prepare for Rad Style Lessons From the Streets of Couture Fashion Week

Perhaps it was the fash pack's unanimous decision that 2016 would be the year they rebelled against the norm and branched out into unexpected sartorial territory. Maybe it's the kooky catwalk mood that's in the air. Or it could be down to the changeable weather and, therefore, the requirement for unusual layering combinations and a seasonal mashup of clothing. Whatever has sparked this new mood for individualism, we like it. And it has made the street snaps of Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris look very jazzy—and occasionally rebellious. 

Scroll down to see how the FROW is shaking things up this spring.

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1. Olivia Palermo is wearing flatforms…
(Image credit: Style du Monde)

… and doesn't she look swell? It's not often that we see our favourite pint-size preppy queen in such chunky footwear (and when we do, we like to talk about it), but with a plethora of head-to-toe prints and textures, Olivia Palermo chose exactly the right shoes to ground her look: Sol Sana Tabbie Wedges (£118).

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2. Dresses are not merely dresses…
(Image credit: Style du Monde)

… especially when they are this Vêtements frock that we predicted would be the next street style smash (thank you, Susie Lau, for proving our point!) and when they're piled on top of a Breton roll neck and turned-up jeans. Shop Vêtements' Ruffle-Trimmed Floral Print Dress (£1140) before it gets eaten alive.

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3. The beret is booming…

… well, when in Paris, right? This trend started to bubble up at the men's fashion week shows and has cemented its status as an accessory du jour by perching atop the heads of taste's main arbiters, such as Miroslava Duma, pictured here. You can get one just like hers; it's the ASOS Wool Beret (£12).

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4. Your nan's curtains are fair game…
(Image credit: Melodie Jeng/Getty Images)

… especially if they've been pulled down and whipped into shape by London's gurus of grunge, Marques'Almeida. Its Floral Brocade Top (£343/£171) and Wide Leg Rose Trousers (£398) got a further madcap injection thanks to a Shrimps Audrey Faux Shearling Coat (£595), silver boots and J.W.Anderson's zippy collar. More is apparently more right now, and Olga Karput is your poster girl.

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5. Velvet gowns are appropriate daywear…
(Image credit: Kirstin Sinclair/Getty Images)

… should you own one in the first place. Simply pop it on over some flared jeans and enjoy the dramatic, swooshy strides you can take like Chinese fashion designer Lulu Tan Gan did here.

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6. No piece is complete without decoration…
(Image credit: Kirstin Sinclair/Getty Images)

… which means that everything must be beaded, adorned in corsages, ruffled, feathered, sequinned, etc. This is couture week, darlings—what more would you expect from the Dior-clad Russian style princess Ulyana Sergeenko and Elena Perminova?

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8. Picnic blankets make for sweet dresses…
(Image credit: Melodie Jeng/Getty Images)

… and that's down to Raf Simons's penultimate Dior show: Resort 16. OP carefully sassed hers up with leather over-the-knee boots and the all-important Dior So Real Clubmaster-Style Sunglasses (£539).

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7. Anna Wintour gave a thumbs-up to print clashing…
(Image credit: Melodie Jeng/Getty Images)

… ditching her usually safe nude slingbacks for something altogether more adventurous: snakeskin knee-high boots. Consider this your all clear to wear python footwear with everything from now on—Diane von Furstenberg's Gladyss Boots (£512/£256) are slithering their way into our wardrobes as we type.

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9. Hemlines are going very micro…
(Image credit: Christian Vierig/Getty Images)

… but with legs like Gilda Ambrosio's, could it really be a problem? She paired her version of the Dior picnic blanket check with clashing booties, and it worked because the demure neckline and supersize sleeves balanced out an expanse of lithe pins.

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10. A peach coat isn't old fashioned…
(Image credit: Melodie Jeng/Getty Images)

… as proven by the very hip Aymeline Valade, who is basically our biggest French girl crush at the moment. This makes for a fast entry into how to wear power pastels before spring, and looks far fresher than the now ubiquitous pink outerwear that dominated the fashion scene two winters ago.

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11. Taylor Tomasi Hill is back…
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… and aren't you glad to see her? This wild mêlée of inside-out-looking cargo pants, silver-striped knit and a cape-blazer hybrid worn with brassy yellow-gold Gucci Metallic Leather Pumps (£530) and a very regal scarf is true TTH. We've missed her witty combinations.

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12. Wearing underwear as outerwear is everywhere…
(Image credit: Vanni Bassetti/Getty Images)

… so get used to it. Gina Jung's Balenciaga jacket (shop for similar styles at MatchesFashion.com), frayed jeans, mini Fendi bag and Adidas sneakers did all the hard work while her lace slip played up to one of the season's most promising new trends.

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13. Converse sneakers are allowed at couture shows…
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… which means that you can basically wear them anywhere, anytime, for any occasion. German fashion leader Veronika Heilbrunner made it happen with this extra-pretty Etro maxi dress and Converse CTA OX Pink Canvas Sneakers (£59).

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14. Orange is not the new black, but it is…
(Image credit: Kirstin Sinclair/Getty Images)

… highly photogenic and a hot hue for S/S 16. No more so than when set against black à la Helena Bordon in Dior, here. Summer is looking to be ripe with juicy citrus shades, but you can easily get in on the act now.

Who has got your vote from the Couture Fashion Week streets? Let us know in the comments box below, and don't miss out on these tips for expensive-looking clothes.

Hannah Almassi
Editor in Chief

Hannah Almassi is the Editor in Chief of Who What Wear UK. Hannah has been part of the the Who What Wear brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits. Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.