BANDANAS, XXL jewelry, belt bags and platform thigh boots: they were supposed to be fashion's stars of 2020. But the novel coronavirus pandemic soon put paid to that, changing the plan for designers, brands and major ready-to-wear chains.
While certain pieces, fabrics and colors managed to defy the various waves of the pandemic, most faltered in the face of lockdown measures and even more so with the rise of the face mask. In fact, masks became one of the year's hottest accessories, way ahead of the stilettos, jewelry, it-bags and other items proffered by fashion's big-hitters.
Such is the conclusion drawn by the global online search platform Stylight, which has just published its traditional Fashion Recap 2020.
Consumers seem to have thought that if you're going to have to wear a face mask, you might as well do it with style, with plenty investing in trendy models or designs to match their outfits.
While sales of masks rose with the end of spring lockdowns, it was in August that searches peaked, with a spike of +864% clicks compared to the month of May.
Comfort is king
The quest for comfort inherent to the pandemic gave rise to new trends that may never have flourished without the public health crisis. As people bunkered down, activewear proved a major hit of the year (+40% clicks on leggings and +52% for sports bras), not to mention loungewear (+56% clicks), with particular interest in pajamas (+59%).
Similarly, the cottagecore trend – which sees the return of clothing in romantic styles and/or inspired by nature – has boomed this year. This is reflected by strong interest in floral dresses (+141%), Peter Pan collar blouses (+62%) and cable-knit cardigans (+56%).
Comfort and relaxed styles, plus the need for functional pieces, also largely drove the utility wear trend. Shoppers were particularly keen on boiler suits (+ approx. 1,000%), combat boots (+224%), cargo pants (+104%) and even bucket hats (+81%), despite being banished from womenswear wardrobes for more than a decade.
Making fashion more sustainable
In 2020, consumers were keen to dress in ways that are more sustainable and more environmentally friendly. And while leather was the star fabric of the year, it was vegan versions that proved particularly popular with web users.
In fact, vegan and eco-friendly fabrics in general – whether sustainable or recycled – found favor with consumers in 2020, as well as upcycled collections, like Marine Serre's, which proved a hit worldwide.
When it comes to colors, this year's top trends were soft shades and retro hues, with brown, lavender, and coral – shades that once again evoke nature.
The findings are based on internal Stylight data from its 12 million monthly users across the 16 markets in which it is present. The selected timeframe is January 1 to September 30, 2020.
The celebrities, brands and products selected were based on their relevance, media exposure and social network presence, and average monthly Google search volume from Google Keyword Planner from January 1 to September 30, 2020, sometimes compared to 2019 for the same period. – ETX Studio, November 19, 2020
