Bows, Badminton and Grandpa Fashion Lead Pinterest’s 2024 Trend Forecast
What do jellyfish, grandfathers and big hair have in common?
They’re just some of the 2024 trends to watch in “Pinterest Predicts,” the image sharing platform’s annual forecast that pinpoints “not-yet-trending” themes for the year ahead.
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Trends for thrifted, nostalgic and cozy fashion mash together in “Eclectic Grandpa,” a genderless aesthetic that calls for cardigans, retro streetwear and customized clothing. Pinterest reports that searches for “grandad style” are up 60 percent year-over-year, while searches for “grandpa core” are up 65 percent.
The theme marks a departure from the minimal, clean styling of 2022’s Coastal Grandmother craze. Here, items like the customized denim jacket—be it decorated with patches, chainstitching, embellishments, pins or other haberdashery—are celebrated.
The more unique, the better. Searches for “eclectic clothing style” are up 130 percent, according to Pinterest. There’s also an element of old-school preppy styling. Searches for “retro streetwear” are up 55 percent.
Other quaint and grandmotherly style elements are breaking through, however. Pinterest said millennials and Gen Zers will adorn their outfits, shoes, hair and jewelry with bows in 2024. Watch for them to embrace “bow stacking,” a trend that calls for multiple bow moments.
Already a theme for 2023 holiday décor, Pinterest said searches for “bow outfits” and “bow necklace” are up 190 percent and 180 percent, respectively. It also found a 55 percent rise in “bow aesthetic” searches. People are showing an interest in crochet bows, too, with queries for the kitschy accoutrement increasing 80 percent.
Countering quaint bows, big and bold accessories are trending upward for 2024. Searches for chunky hoops are up 45 percent while sculptural jewelry searches are up 75 percent. This penchant for oversized accessories carries into hairstyles. “Millennials and Gen Z will opt for oversized opulence, shopping for styles that match their ‘fluffy hair’ aesthetic,” Pinterest stated.
Spurred by the bouffant styles worn by actress Cailee Spaeny in Sofia Coppola’s biopic “Priscilla” based on the 1985 memoir penned by Priscilla Presley, and the contemporary songstresses she inspires, including Lana Del Ray and Kacey Musgraves, larger-than-life hair is on track to have a big year. Searches for “big braids hairstyles” are up 30 percent while people are conducting 230 percent more queries for “big bun.” Men are getting into the trend as well. Searches for “wavy perm men” are up 50 percent.
The 1960s is impacting beauty as well. “Aquamarine make-up is back and bolder than ever. In 2024, Gen Z and millennials will find new ways to incorporate this ’60s staple into their modern beauty routines,” Searches for “aqua make-up” are up 100 percent; searches for “blue eyeshadow aesthetic” are up 65 percent.
Expect to see the trend executed with a more youthful edge. American Eagle’s campaign with e.l.f. Cosmetics in March promoted denim-inspired makeup. Along with searching for blue nail inspiration, Pinterest search trends show that teenagers are looking for blue makeup looks for their quinceañeras and proms.
Those parties may have a jazz theme. A jazz revival is on the horizon as millennial and Gen Zers “trade in their electronic beats for something far more retro,” Pinterest said. Searches for “piano jazz” are up 105 percent while searches for “jazz funk” are up 75 percent.
Beyond music, the revival is impacting style. Pinterest said jazz-inspired outfits, dimly lit venues and lo-fi looks are all on the rise. Searches for “jazz aesthetic clothing” are up 180 percent.
Weddings may be on a different wavelength. Millennials and boomers are rekindling their interest in the ’70s, from “disco décor to hippy hen-dos,” Pinterest stated. Searches for “70s bride” are up 50 percent. Searches are also growing for “groovy wedding” and “retro wedding theme,” up 170 percent and 80 percent, respectively.
The uninhibited era is bound to be a popular theme for bachelorette festivities as well. “Groovy hen party outfit” searches are up 110 percent, Pinterest reported.
Boomers are also driving up the interest in tropical motifs. The escapist theme is filtering across food, home decor and fashion. Searches for “coconut aesthetic”—a riff on the “coconut girl” trend that entered the fashion scene in 2021 as TikTokers leaned into ’90s surf brands, puka shell necklaces and hibiscus prints—are up 35 percent.
Pinterest users are also hungry for recipes for pineapple mocktails, crushed pineapple upside-down cake and Hawaiian traybake chicken.
Jellyfish are getting their time to shine in unexpected ways. Pinterest said searches for jellyfish haircuts, hats and umbrellas are seeing triple-digit growth on the platform. For home, the jellyfish lamp appears to be resonating with Gen Z and millennials, with searches up 95 percent.
Back on land, Pinterest sees badminton becoming the new pickleball. “Searches for everything from ‘badminton outfit’ to ‘playing badminton aesthetic’ will be big in the year ahead,” Pinterest stated. Interest in badminton gear is ramping up with searches up for badminton shoes (50 percent), outfit (80 percent), bag (105 percent) and racquets (80 percent).
Other trends predicted by Pinterest show how current trends are evolving.
Silver fashion—a trend that erupted this summer during Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour—will continue to be piping hot. Pinterest sees consumers trading neutrals for metallics. Searches for metallic nail art are up 295 percent and metal corsets are up 35 percent. In home, Pinterest is seeing the trend play out with users looking for aluminum furniture and door designs.
The Western trend that lassoed denim and footwear in the past couple of years is making its way into home, albeit with a twist. Described as “Western Gothic,” the trend mixes vintage Americana with moody colors. Searches for the term are up 145 percent.
