The peplum made a strong comeback on the FW26 runways, reflecting the current interest in sculptural waists and controlled volume around the hips. Unlike the ruffled, decidedly feminine versions of the 2010s, this season’s interpretations are sharper and more architectural, often integrated into tailoring or streamlined dresses.
Jonathan Anderson delved into the Dior archives and reimagined the iconic ‘Bar’ jacket. He updated the fashion house’s classic narrow-waist tailoring with a fresh, sculptural twist.
Overall, the FW26 peplum reflects a broader shift on the runway toward defined waists and expressive proportions. Designers sculpt the center part to create shape and dynamics within modern tailoring. This underlines this season’s embrace of movement and volume.
Here are ten examples from the FW26 catwalks of New York and Europe.
Ashlyn FW26
Look seventeen: a monochrome red outfit consisting of a long-sleeved turtleneck top with a peplum hem, paired with a maxi skirt with heavy fringe.
CFCL FW26 by Yusuke Takahashi
Look 27: A knitted jersey jacket with zipper in a peplum style, paired with a matching flared skirt in a muted, neutral shade.
Christian Dior FW26 by Jonathan Anderson
Look seven: a shrunken, short ‘Bar’ jacket with a peplum and a mini skirt in the color of candied almonds, in ‘baby soft’ shearling.
Tolu Coker FW26
Look seven: a structured, strapless peplum top in a shade of gray with matching voluminous pants.
Florentina Leitner FW26
Look two: an asymmetrical, white one-shoulder top with a voluminous, ruffled peplum and a bow detail on the shoulder, paired with tan wide-leg sweatpants.
McQueen by Seán McGirr
Look 31: A sleeveless peplum-style top made from pistachio-colored floral print silk mikado with glass bead embroidery and matching high-waisted shorts.
Nanushka FW26 by Sandra Sándor
Look 26: A black satin vest top with a dramatic asymmetrical fringed hem and matching wide leg trousers.
Roksanda FW26
Look sixteen: A sleeveless black peplum top in crinkled black leather with oversized black wide leg trousers.
Stella McCartney FW26
Look 31: a cobalt blue dress with a mid-length pencil skirt with a white star print and a voluminous peplum-style ruffle on the hips.
Vivetta FW26
Look five: A structured navy blue peplum top with oversized white puff sleeves and large bow details, paired with matching wide leg trousers.
This article has been translated into Dutch using an AI tool.
FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up the translation of (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time that they can spend on research and writing their own articles. Articles translated using AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor before going online. If you have any questions or comments about this process, please email info@fashionunited.com.
