In NYC, it's Always Back to Black

In fact, for most of that time, black has accounted for roughly one in every three color-attributed purchase intents from New York shoppers. Black has attracted roughly twice the purchase intent of the second-place color (blue) every year.

So, what drives the unwavering commitment? Perhaps because black feels less like a trend in New York than it does a baseline from which everything else builds on.

There is a certain efficiency to dressing in black. In a city that is a famous insomniac, nobody has time to overthink an outfit, or at least wants to look like they haven't. Black can be polished without looking precious, cool without looking like you're trying to look cool.

Black is modest and arrogant at the same time. Black is lazy and easy — but mysterious. But above all black says this: 'I don't bother you — don't bother me - Yohji Yamamoto

Black's absolute purchase-intent volume peaked in 2020, at 2.18 million, as lockdown transformed what people wanted from their wardrobes. Going-out clothes gave way to loungewear, occasion dressing became a largely theoretical concept, and the idea of a "new season" felt somewhat optimistic. And still, black came out on top.

Black's share has gradually slipped from around 33% in the late 2010s and early 2020s to 26.4% in 2026 YTD.

But black is still comfortably ahead. And perhaps that's the point. Black doesn't need to be the color of the moment because it has the simple benefit of longevity. Black is decidedly not trending.

It can absorb whatever fashion throws at it. Pair it with this season's loudest color. Cut it into the season's strangest silhouette. Layer it under the latest micro-trend. Black doesn't disappear when the trend cycle changes — it simply waits for everything else to catch up.

New Yorkers aren't necessarily choosing black because they don't want color. They're choosing it because, after everything else has changed, and the endless churn had chewed up and spat out whatever color is trending, black still just works.

Data note: Lyst purchase-intent data reflects clicks and cart adds from shoppers in New York State, rather than completed purchases. Color classifications are based on Lyst's product taxonomy, and 2026 figures are year-to-date.