FASHION · TREND REPORT · JUNE 2026
I spent a Tuesday at the mall and noticed something. The stores are telling a story — and it’s a blue one.
Let me set the scene: it’s a Tuesday afternoon, I’m walking through the mall — no agenda, no list — and somewhere between Alo and Lululemon, it hits me. Every single rack I’m passing is telling the same story. Not the same piece, not the same shade, but the same color energy. Blue. Everywhere. In every form imaginable.
I’ve always been a blue girl. It’s my color, it’s my peace, it has always been my thing — so walking into what felt like a coordinated dream across six stores in one afternoon? That was a moment. I had to document it.
So consider this your official summer color debrief. I’m breaking down everything I saw at Vuori, Lululemon, Alo, Aritzia, Aerie, and Garage — the main color, the sub-colors, what’s on its way out, and honestly, what I think is worth your money and what is not. No brand deals involved, no bias. Just what I actually saw and what I actually think.
~ THE MAIN EVENT ~
Blue Is Having a Moment
This is not a soft trend, This is not one store testing a new colorway. This is a full, confirmed, across-the-board summer color story — and blue is the headline. What makes it interesting is that every brand is interpreting it differently. Nobody is doing the same shade, and somehow that makes it feel even bigger.
Here’s the full blue spectrum I found in a single afternoon:
Alo — The One That Started It All
Walk into Alo, and the first thing you see is blue. Not tucked in the back, not a single capsule piece — the entire front-of-store moment is built around their cerulean collection. It’s bright, it’s sporty, it’s summer. There’s a lightness to Alo’s shade that makes it feel wearable for anyone, and the campaign imagery they’ve built around it — think coastal, golden hour, effortless — makes you want to live in it. This is my top pick for the season. The shade is saturated enough to make a statement but muted just enough that it doesn’t feel costumey. Easy yes.
✧ Austyn’s Verdict: Top pick of the season — adding to cart immediately.
Lululemon — Bold, Bright, and Unapologetic
Lululemon is not doing soft. Their “Beach Ball Blue” is exactly what the name implies — a true, electric, cobalt-leaning royal blue that makes a statement from across the room. 130 products deep in this colorway. That is not a test run; that is a commitment. I love the energy here, and honestly, the pieces themselves are stunning. If you’re someone who loves color-blocking or a full-on monochromatic look, Lululemon is serving that effortlessly right now. It’s a bolder call than Alo’s shade, but if blue is your thing, the way it’s my thing, this is your playground.
✧ Austyn’s Verdict: A must-stop — the color is bolder but the quality speaks for itself
Aritzia — The Understated Version
Aritzia’s “Panorama Blue” is the quietest of the bunch — a soft powder blue that leans almost icy. Where Lululemon goes loud, Aritzia whispers, and that restraint is actually the whole appeal. This shade pairs beautifully with white, with cream, and with denim. It’s the one I’d reach for on a Park Ave lunch day or a casual dinner reservation. It also happens to sit right next to their Butter yellow and Milkshake pink, and together those three colors make up one of the most cohesive, elevated color stories of the season. Aritzia is doing something really right, right now.
✧ Austyn’s Verdict: Unexpected favorite — passing on it this round but absolutely watching
Vuori — The Greenest Blue
Vuori’s “Sea Folly” is technically blue, but it reads aqua-teal in person — the most mint-leaning shade of the group. It’s fresh, it’s very Florida, and it fits perfectly into their activewear-first aesthetic. I will note that Vuori and Aritzia’s light blues are the two that feel most similar out of all six stores, though they’re still different enough that they have their own identity. Vuori’s version lives in the sporty lane and feels right at home poolside or at the gym.
✧ Austyn’s Verdict: Passing this season, but it’s beautiful if the aqua family is your thing
Garage — The Blue That Works
We’ll get to Garage’s full report in a moment, but I want to give credit where it’s due: their blue activewear collection is actually one of the stronger offerings in the store right now. A medium cornflower/periwinkle shade — it’s clean, it’s sporty, and it photographs beautifully. If you’re shopping Garage specifically for basics or activewear this summer, the blue is the move.
While blue is clearly leading, there are two sub-colors showing up consistently enough that they deserve their own moment: a soft butter yellow and a clean rose pink. Neither one has the same presence as blue, but both feel intentional and very much of the moment.
~ THE SUPPORTING CAST ~
Butter Yellow & Milkshake Pink
Butter Yellow — A Surprise Hit
I’ll be honest — yellow is not my first choice. But Aritzia’s butter yellow, which they’ve appropriately named “Lemonade,” stopped me in my tracks. It’s pale, it’s soft, it has this almost creamy quality to it that feels more chic than loud. It’s the kind of yellow that doesn’t feel like a statement piece — it just quietly elevates everything around it. Aritzia has it in sweatsuits, tanks, bra tops, and so much more. They’ve styled it in a way that makes the whole thing feel like a fashion moment rather than an activewear purchase. The rose pink and butter yellow sweatsuit sets are sitting on my personal list — they are the definition of effortless summer dressing. Garage also has a butter yellow line called “Limonada” — same shade family, similar energy, but a different price point.
✧ Austyn’s Verdict: Not personally reaching for yellow, but Aritzia’s version is the one to buy if you are
Rose Pink — Done Right and Done Wrong
This is where it gets nuanced, because rose pink this season is not a monolith. There’s a version of this color that is absolutely gorgeous right now, and there’s a version that I think completely misses. Let me explain.
Aritzia’s “Milkshake Pink” is a clean, warm blush — the kind of pink that photographs beautifully, pairs with white sneakers and gold jewelry, and works from brunch to a night out. It sits in a perfect middle ground between sweet and sophisticated. The sweatsuit in this color is one of my most-wanted pieces of the summer, full stop.
Garage’s pink is a different conversation entirely. In person, it reads too gray, too dusty — it loses all the warmth that makes a blush feel wearable. It’s not a bad concept, but the execution falls flat. And then there’s their second “pink,” which they’ve named “Raspberry Cheeks” — but calling that pink is generous. That shade is a deep magenta that, in certain lighting, reads almost like a bruise. I want to like it, I really do, but it’s a tough sell for most skin tones and styling scenarios. It’s the kind of color that photographs differently than it looks in person, and not in a good way.
✧ Austyn’s Verdict: Aritzia’s version is a yes. Garage’s versions are a skip.
~ OUT THE DOOR ~
What’s Fading
About two to three weeks ago, the story was rust and burgundy. Deep, warm tones that felt more transitional — a nod toward fall before summer had fully committed to itself. A few stores still have some of those pieces on the floor, but they’re clearly not the focus anymore. The racks have shifted. If you’ve been eyeing something in rust or a warm terracotta, this is actually a good time to check if it’s gone on sale — the seasonal pivot is happening in real time.
Now, if you’re looking to add a pop of color to your wardrobe, keep an eye out for cherry red. It’s about to have a major moment, and I have a feeling you’re going to see it everywhere over the next couple of weeks. It’s bold, fun, and instantly makes any outfit stand out. Whether it’s a cute set, a pair of shoes, or the perfect accessory, cherry red adds just the right amount of color without being over the top. Trust me—this is one trend you’ll want to grab before everyone else does.
~ THE HONEST TAKE ~
About Garage
I don’t enjoy being negative about brands — and I want to be upfront that this isn’t personal. If Garage drops a collection next season that I love, I will absolutely be in there, and I’ll tell you all about it. But right now? Unless you are shopping specifically for basics, I’d sit this one out.
The blue activewear I mentioned is solid. But the rest of the current color story — the dusty rose that reads gray, the fuchsia that doesn’t know what it wants to be — feels like it missed the mark on execution. The shades aren’t landing in person the way they do in the campaign imagery, and for the price point, that’s a problem. Come back in a few months and see where they are. That’s my honest take.
~ WHAT WAS MISSING ~
Where Was The Green?
Heading into this mall trip, I genuinely expected green. Last summer, we saw quite a bit of lime green and earthy olive at the tail end of the season — it felt like it was building toward something. But walking six stores on Tuesday, green was barely a whisper. The only brand that had incorporated even a trace of it was Aerie and Vuori, and that was less of a color collection and more of an accent within their broader summer lineup.
I think green is coming — just not yet. Keep an eye on it for late summer and into fall. It has the potential to be the next big story once Blue and Red finishes its moment.
~ MY PICKS ~
What I’m Actually Shopping
I already have a few pieces from Aerie’s current collection, but the rest of my summer shopping list is getting built around two priorities: Alo’s cerulean collection and the Aritzia sweatsuit sets in rose pink and butter yellow. Those three things alone feel like a complete summer wardrobe edit to me.
I’ll be honest — Vuori and Aritzia’s broader lines are stunning, but they’re a pass from me this round. Not because anything is wrong with them, just because my specific picks are elsewhere. You never know though. I have a feeling I’ll end up in one of those stores within the week.
The way I see color dressing right now: it doesn’t have to be for a specific occasion. I’m not styling these for school or a defined event — I’m styling them for real life. Park Ave, dinner, football games, business meetings, running errands at 2 pm on a Tuesday. A great color piece in a wearable shade is one of the most versatile investments you can make, and right now, the stores are making that very easy.
What do you think? Share your thoughts below — I’d love to hear from you!