How to be cool in 2026: From what to wear and to listen to – and what to avoid – we ask the experts how to get with the zeitgeist this year

So what does it mean to be “cool”? It’s a complicated concept – hard to define, yet instantly recognisable, the kind of thing you just know when you see it. And while it can be highly subjective, there are certain people we can all generally agree are cool, whether it’s Robert Redford or Rihanna.