Report: Consumers Are Chasing Fall Runway Trends
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Trend-focused consumers are not waiting until fall to replicate the Fall/Winter 2023-2024 collections presented at fashion weeks held around the world from January to March.
“Fashion Month Fall/Winter 2023 has officially wrapped, and while designers showed collections that won’t be available until August, fashion fans are excitedly looking to get ahead of the trends,” said Trendalytics.
Recession-weary consumers are interested in the wardrobe-building essentials brands like Prada, Adam Lippes and Alaïa centered their collections around. The retail analytics firm said searches for “elevated basics” are up 379 percent compared to last year, indicating that consumers are ready for normcore 2.0.
Specific items are seeing spikes in searches, Trendalytics added. Oversize leather bomber jackets, which were featured in F/W 23-24 collections by Ami, Celine and Juun.J, are seeing searches up 336 percent compared to last year.
Meanwhile, searches for “long denim skirts” are up 244 percent, following Kenzo, Marine Serre and Y/Project sending them down their runways. The ’90s staple was also omnipresent in fashion week street style.
However, the skirt has been seeing gains for months. In November, Trendalytics said new arrivals of the ankle-skimming skirt were up 82 percent year-over-year, while buzz about the style was up 900 percent.
“A stripped-back aesthetic has made a quiet comeback amid the post-pandemic buzz, fueling demand for the OG core popularized by unfussy wardrobe staples and ’90s nostalgia,” said Edited.
Though straight leg jeans are continuing to sell well in women’s wear, the retail analytics firm said the new version of normcore will be “defined by baggy silhouette which outpaced straight fits by 27 percent.”
“For women, nods to the ’90s will overtake Y2K references, focusing on bandeau dresses, branded tees and minimal accessories to create a clean, pared-back aesthetic,” Edited said. “Just don’t call it Recessioncore.”
Men’s fashion, according to Trendalytics, is taking a creative turn. Searches for men’s baggy pants are up 117 percent compared to last year, while men’s pleated trouser searches are up 97 percent. Searches for flare jeans—which were part of Bluemarble’s Coach’s and Egonlab’s collections—are up 63 percent.
Oversize shorts are seeing an uptick as well as men’s skirts. On top, the focus is on grunge-inspired distressed sweaters and chunky necklaces for men.
Gorpcore continues to have a hold on the the men’s and women’s markets. “Cargo pants are the ubiquitous standout of the utilitarian uniform, registering a 126 percent increase in majority SKU sell outs year-over-year. While skirt versions emerged as a hot product, trousers outsold them seven-fold,” Edited said.
Puffers, fleeces and trail sneakers continue to move, but Edited said most designers are moving toward a more military-inspired direction like utility shirts. Men’s runways featured shirts with cargo pocketing across denim, wool, cotton and garment-dyed fabrics, and they’re already present in the market, Edited stated. The firm said new arrivals of utility shirts were up 32 percent from Fall 2021 to 2022, with 52 percent of styles in the overshirt category.
Rollneck sweaters, boxy blazers and dress shoes are other men’s items to watch for next fall, signaling a “definite switch to a smarter way of dressing.” Edited said.
