The whispers started days before the red carpet was even rolled out. Harry Styles was planning something major for the 2026 Brit Awards—womenswear-focused, directional and anchored by a very specific shoe statement. Expectations ran high. Would it be archival Prada? A rare Jonathan Anderson reveal for Dior? Something pulled from the depths of a collector’s dream?
In the end, the answer was clear—and distinctly Chanel.
The Chanel Moment
Styles arrived in look 39 from Chanel’s Métiers d’art 2026 collection: a black-and-white bouclé pinstripe jacket with matching trousers, layered over a pale mint pinstripe cotton shirt. The silhouette was sharp yet soft, classic yet subversive—exactly the duality that has come to define his red-carpet language.
Working alongside longtime stylist Harry Lambert, Styles leaned fully into tailoring with a twist. The choice reinforced his ongoing embrace of traditionally “feminine” textures and tones, while maintaining a polished, stage-ready structure.
Setting the Tone for a New Era
The Brit Awards appearance marks the first live performance moment of Styles’s “Aperture” era, following the release of his latest album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. Visually, this chapter has been defined by high-saturation colour, playful nostalgia and disco-leaning glamour.
Recent promotional looks have included standout pieces from Miu Miu and Prada, alongside Elton John-coded vintage eyewear sourced from General Eyewear Vintage. Accessories have played a starring role throughout—bow details, tinted sunglasses and delicate footwear choices that subtly challenge menswear conventions.
The Chanel ensemble felt like a natural progression: refined, confident and just unexpected enough.
The Shoe Shift
Perhaps the most telling detail? The footwear.
Where past tours saw feather boas and flamboyant jumpsuits dominate, this new direction hints at something sleeker. Ballet flats—once seen as purely demure—are fast becoming a recurring motif in Styles’s wardrobe. If this red-carpet moment is any indication, 2026 will favour streamlined silhouettes over theatrical excess.
Fashion as Forecast
The Brits look functioned as both statement and teaser. With a major 2026 tour on the horizon, Styles’s wardrobe appears to be entering a new phase—less costume, more considered couture.
If Chanel at the Brits sets the tone, audiences can expect tailoring with softness, sharp lines softened by pastel hues, and a continued reimagining of what pop-star dressing looks like.
In true Harry Styles fashion, the mood board remains fluid—but one thing is certain: the ballet flat era has officially begun.
