The fashion industry is in a state of constant evolution, and predicting the changing tastes of consumers has always been one of the greatest challenges facing brands and retailers in the space. Missing the mark on a fashion trend might mean missing out on a significant portion of sales and revenue for an entire season. In an effort to reduce some of that risk, we examined four years of Google search data to identify four key emerging fashion trends we expect to dominate 2022.
Our Emerging Trends offering http://maritimjatim.info/ includes U.S. searches around the broad clothing category, with the top and rising search keywords that relate to their respective topic. The data we reference reflect a two-year growth period to show which brands have staying power. The nuances our research uncovered within each emerging trend will help better understand what searches are driving these increases.
Everything old is new again
The resurgence of old trends is an inevitable part of fashion. However, we now see trends from multiple decades coming together as staple fashion items for 2022. Styles from the 17th century going through the 70s, 80s, and early 2000s are merging together. Puff sleeves, popularized in the 80s, for example, saw a growth rate of +145% in the last 24 months. Other pieces on the rise include ‘wrangler bell bottoms’ (+610%), ‘satin midi slip dresses’ (+114%), and ‘faux leather pants’ (+99%).
Brand acceptance of body positivity
The body positivity movement has established itself as a way to encourage people and brands to realize the importance of accepting all body types. Plus-size fashion-related searches have seen an increase with fast-fashion specific keywords like ‘shein plus size,’ which generated 45.6k average monthly searches in the last 24 months, and ‘pretty little thing plus size’ with 3.8k average monthly searches. Purchasing from fast-fashion brands is oftentimes the only option for plus-size consumers given that very few mainstream brands cater to sizes beyond 14.
Office wear is everyday fashion
The use of office wear is not exclusive to office life anymore. Consumers have now integrated pieces like ‘trousers’ with 55.8k average monthly searches, and’ blazers’ with 118k average monthly searches, into their everyday wardrobes. More specifically, ‘womens trouser’ searches have been on the rise and show a +54% increase. Styling these pieces is where the fun happens for consumers as they experiment with colors, fit, and mix-matching with other clothing styles.
Fast fashion awareness
The term ‘fast fashion’ has been on the rise with over 28.4k average monthly searches as countless brands emerge. However, this awareness leans more negatively and likely credited to consumer knowledge around the underpaid wages, working conditions, and environmental impact of the industry. Searches related to fast fashion often include brand names within the search, such as “is asos fast fashion” or “is zara fast fashion.” Searches such as “why is fast fashion bad” and “fast fashion pollution” further support consumer awareness around the negative reputation of this industry.