Royal Purple Is The Micro-Trend Of The Season: 5 Easy Wardrobe Additions To Try

By Sarah Macken October 9 2026

Dipping a toe in the royal purple trend? Try these pieces from COS, Zara and Alex Mill …

Micro-trends come and go, but there’s something about royal purple that seems to be sticking. And it’s not just the recent sightings of the rich shade, teamed in a so-wrong-it’s-right way with bright red trousers, during fashion month: our attention was first piqued when Celine heroed the colour at its AW26 show in Paris earlier this year. Designer Michael Rider teased show-goers with purple gloves and compact handbags, before going big with a full length double-breasted coat in the same shade. Perhaps the appeal lay in its styling, which was at once muted but quirky: the kind of outfit that you’d see on a woman walking the streets of the French capital that would invite a double take.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Veronica • ugc • content creator (@veronica.popylina)

While we’re unsure as to whether we could demonstrate the same levels of commitment as head-to-toe daring colour, that doesn’t mean we’re not tempted. The coolest way to wear the royal purple trend in real life lies in carefully managed splashes of colour. Think: a pair of ballet pumps or a shoulder bag. Celine is embracing purple on the Triomphe half-moon bag – a small but nifty shape – while Alaïa’s Le Teckel suede clutch has appeal currently. Equally, the one clothing item that has parlance is the V-neck or round-neck knit. See COS: its purple jumper is already a favourite with the street style set. We can also see its long-sleeved T-shirt being styled up with long beads and paired with an of-the-moment frog closure jacket.