Jennie's Capri Pants Moment and 4 Summer Trends Dominating Korean Fashion Right Now

BLACKPINK's Jennie showed up on rapper Woodz's YouTube channel recently in an outfit she said she'd chosen with extra care: black capri pants, a beige knit top, and a trench coat. It turns out she picked a very good moment to revisit the silhouette.

Korean fashion platform W Concept has identified four trends shaping this summer's wardrobe: sheer color, cool minimal, soft formal, and a resort-meets-city hybrid they're calling city vacance. Together, they map out a season defined by lighter fabrics, cooler tones, and a few familiar silhouettes getting a serious second look.

Mint is the color of the moment. Stylist Kim Ji-hye, known to her YouTube audience as Alice Funk, called it the season's most flexible shade. "There's soft mint, vivid mint, blue-leaning mint, even Tiffany mint," she said. "Finding the one that suits your tone matters most." She noted that mint plays well with red, beige, and butter yellow, making it an easy entry point through shoes, bags, or accessories rather than a full outfit commitment.

The shade landed on major runways, too. Shanghai label Shushu/Tong worked it into their spring-summer 2026 collection alongside frayed seams, metallic floral embellishments, and rough linen. Maison Margiela offered a mint wedge heel; Chanel introduced a mint handbag with floral detailing; and Moschino put out a mint bag with belted strap hardware.

Translucent pastels, W Concept's sheer color category, are running parallel. Jelly shoes, long associated with children's footwear or beach-casual styling, have been fully reclaimed by luxury. Loewe's latest take is a glossy PVC bootie with a sculptural, single-piece molded construction, sold with a three-pack of socks in different colors that show through the clear upper. Chloé sent kitten-heel jellies down its spring 2026 runway, layering the translucent material over a formally cut silhouette. Kim recommends transparent mules as a more refined summer alternative to flip-flops. "Clear straps create a focal point and make the leg look longer," she said.

Back to those capri pants. Retail data from style commerce platform Zigzag backs up what Jennie's outfit suggested: the cut ranked third in bottoms sales this spring (March 1 through April 16), up from sixth place when capris first entered Zigzag's rankings in 2023. Sales volume was roughly 97 times higher than the same period in 2024. W Concept's soft formal trend pairs capris with sleeveless vests and slingback sandals, a combination that loosens up office dressing without abandoning it entirely. Kim described the silhouette as surprisingly flattering for anyone self-conscious about their lower body, noting that it reveals the leg line below the calf while keeping most of it covered.

Low-rise pants are climbing alongside, up 173 percent from 2024 and 576 percent from 2023 according to Zigzag. Kim traces the revival to Miu Miu's low-rise collections two years ago, and notes that current designs span a wider range of rise lengths than the early-2000s originals. "In this layering era, low-rise is what makes lace underwear styling work," she said. K-pop idols, she added, are leaning toward tight low-rise bootcut styles that emphasize the waistline, which, if the capri data is any indication, means Korean fashion is already a step ahead on the silhouette curve.