The holiday season is not too far ahead of us. In fact, with the Black Friday and 11/11 sales, the main bulk of holiday and gift shopping is about to happen very soon.
So, what are the main trends that retailers and brands might choose to focus on in their holiday season communication and advertising? Let’s figure it out together in this article.
Summary
Warm Loungewear: the Effect of Rising Natural Gas Prices
With gas and electricity prices being sky high this winter season, we can anticipate a great increase in sales of warm loungewear, pyjamas and slippers. Think flannel, cashmere and fleece.
The thing is, these items are going to be on the to-buy list for every family member (and pets, too!).
Retailers can anticipate a big increase in the sales of such products as soon as the heating season starts, as well as many people will buy these things as gifts.
Some of our favourite examples include a Missoni Robe, the UGG Tasman Slipper (you can wear it both inside and outside the house) and a staple pyjama set by Polo Ralph Lauren.
Ultra Mini Uggs, Nike Offline: the Lower, the Better
As for winter footwear, we can expect a further decline of popularity of formal footwear (think boots). The market has already solidified its choice in sneakers as the most common winter footwear.
Yet, we can see a comeback of 2 distinct types of shoes this holiday season.
The first are UGGs. The mega trend of 12 years ago is rising once again. But in a very particular form: the bestsellers are the ultrashort ones. The Classic Ultra Minis are available in a wide range of colors, and we expect both bright ones and classy ones to sell out pretty soon.
The other big trend is the puffer boots, like short moon boots. The great examples of this style would be the Nike Offline Pack and the classic North Face Down Slipper.
Cashmere Knitwear and Other Luxury Fibers
Over the past several years we can see a great increase in customers’ interest in premium natural fibres, like cashmere, mohair and merino wool. All of these are winter fibres, and we can expect consumers to pay more and more attention to the composition labels.
With the rise of heating prices, people trying to slow down on fashion consumption and consumers becoming more conscious of the composition, sales of natural fibre knitwear and jersy are expected to go up.
Moreover, these pieces are making a great gift, since with bulky knitwear the gift giver doesn’t necessarily have to be very precise with sizing.
Some of the items we love in this category are the polo cashmere sweater from the Row, the Thom Browne Cardigan, and (the ultimate winter luxury) cashmere socks by Johnstons of Elgin.
Suitcases, Toiletry Bags and So On: Travelling is Fully Back
With a complete downfall of travel COVID restrictions in summer of 2022, the upcoming year is the first one when we expect travelling to come back in its full swing.
So, we can expect suitcases, travel pillows, toiletry bags to make it to the top of the Christmas wishlists.
Thanks to luxury brands diversifying their assortment, we can find items that were not perceived as fashionable for the longest time, in super cool colorways and styles (check out the Versace Travel Set).
It’s All in the Resolutions: High-Street Sportswear
Every single holiday season, thanks to the New Year resolutions, we find ourselves going all out to become the best versions of ourselves. If you’ve ever been to a gym in January, you know what we mean.
So, whether you or the person you want to gift something to is a real athlete or a gym-goer wannabe, a nice workout outfit or a pair of weights or a resistance bands is always a great choice.
At first we thought that the obsession with expensive sportswear would be a short trend of the pandemic times, but it’s not. Lululemon is still growing, and the iconic Bala weights still sell super well.
Check out the iconic Lululemon Cross Chill Jacket, the Oakley Encoder Sunglasses and Adidas by Stella McCartney sports bra for inspiration.
Corset Dress: from Lingerie to Holiday Fashion
It seems like the corsets are everywhere. It’s been a long-lasting trend of over 2 years now, and it doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon.
For holiday season a corset doesn’t have a strong connection with something frivolous anymore. Some fashion houses have managed to include boning and bustier tops into pretty covered pieces that could be worn even to office.
Devil Wears Sheer
In holiday season fashion is getting closer and closer to the skin. Starting with the corsets and moving to sheer fabrics, this season we have more and more to reveal.
From exquisite see-through plisse dresses, to sporty straight dresses by Miu Miu with boxers underneath, sheer is at its all-time high. Lace, chiffon, nets – there’s so much variety in the upcoming season.