After spending 2020 at home, we've spent the past year swapping our loungewear for clothes that bring joy. From April to August, searches for bright, bold colourful pieces, specifically in hot pink, orange, yellow and green, spiked 191%, and from March to August, demand for bold jewellery, specifically "colourful", "beaded", "rainbow," and "resin," skyrocketed 545%.
With the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine shots across the globe, “vaccine tops” quickly became a fashion trend. Dolly Parton and her “cold-shoulder” top was a prime example, and searches for tops with the terms “one-shoulder”, “off-shoulder”, and “cold-shoulder” jumped 73% from February to March.
As social distancing measures lifted, the return of music festival season and nightlife has brought the resurgence of “going-out” fashion. Much like the 1920s, short hems were one of the fastest-rising trends in 2021, as searches for mini skirts and dresses jumped 221% year-on-year. Global searches for high heels grew consistently from May and “disco heels'' spiked 233% in the same month.
As a phased return to the office kicked off towards the last half of the year, 9-to-5 workers started to turn to a more relaxed, smart-casual version of the corporate-appropriate uniform. In August, demand for oversized suits jumped 109%, compared to last year, while wide-leg trousers were in high demand from July, increasing by 87%.
Major athletic events, such as the Olympics and the Euros, sparked an interest in sportswear. In June, ahead of Euro 2020, global searches for "football" and "soccer" T-shirts increased 33%. At the Tokyo Games, skateboarding's official Olympic debut stole the spotlight, and searches for the Nike SB range, specifically its Dunk Low trainers, jumped 100% in just 48 hours.
After being postponed and then cancelled in 2020, one of the biggest red carpet events of the year returned. As a result, online searches for Brother Vellies, which dressed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a “Tax The Rich” statement gown, spiked 120% in less than 24 hours, and pageviews for ERL, as seen on A$AP Rocky, rose by 259%. It was Balenciaga (worn by the likes of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Elliott Page) that saw the greatest increase, with searches spiking 505% within 48 hours.
Fashion month officially returned with in-person runway shows and events. Almost one week following NYFW, searches for mini bags (+56%), Thom Browne skirts (+36%) and cut-out knits (+33%) increased. Preppy attire was popular at LFW, leather loafers (+28%), and peter pan collar shirts (+23%) jumped over the course of a few weeks. Balenciaga generated the most interest in online searches after its runway show thanks to an unlikely partnership with The Simpsons— pageviews spiked 355% within 24 hours.
Lyst originally coined the term “Regencycore,” due to the demand for corsets upon the Netflix show’s debut at the beginning of the year. In less than a week after launch, online searches for corsets spiked 23%. The royal-inspired aesthetic has become so influential that the term itself has generated more than 105K social mentions through 2021.
The premiere of HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot in July brought a newfound appreciation for all things preppy style. Following its release earlier that month, there was a noticeable increase in demand for varsity and uniform-style clothing, including plaid vests (+47%), tennis skirts (+41%), and high-collared shirts (+34%). Plus, pageviews for varsity jackets jumped 53% year-on-year.
After Netflix released its miniseries on the ‘70s disco-era designer in May, searches for the Halston brand skyrocketed 550% in less than a month. At the same time, over 10,000 Lyst users had searched for halter-neck dresses, one of Halston’s signature silhouettes.
The British crime drama set in the mid ’70s sparked a slew of searches for the decade’s staple fashion pieces, such as flares (+34% in April, when the show premiered on Netflix), halter tops (+27%), and printed hair scarves (+13%). These items were often worn by the show’s character Monique, who inspired viewers to channel her ’70s Boho aesthetic. Her teal suit, specifically, caused a 66% spike in searches for similar pieces shortly after the show’s release.
The film already garnered huge interest ahead of its official theatre release on Nov. 24, thanks to early photos of actors Lady Gaga and Adam Driver working on set. When the official trailer debuted in August, searches for Gucci spiked 173%, and pageviews for polka-dot and lace dresses (worn by Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani) increased by 100%. Gucci's aviator glasses (as seen on Driver) have steadily grown in popularity, as well.
The Netflix series returned for its third season in September and the cast’s ‘80s-inspired wardrobe has inspired shoppers. One week after its release, online searches for varsity and letterman-style jackets increased 93%, along with more than 10K daily pageviews for outerwear. Main character Aimee Gibbs, played by Aimee Lou Wood, and her flared jeans set off a 50% spike in searches in less than 48 hours.
Rihanna brought back her Savage X Fenty runway spectacle on Sept. 24 with a star-studded cast. The pieces, which ranged from latex to snakeskin, caused a demand in searches for undergarments, specifically “colorful” and “neon” lingerie, which grew 116% in less than a week following the show’s debut.
The breakout Korean drama series is now Netflix's most popular series ever and with the timing of its release, ahead of Halloween, it has become a major source of inspiration. Global searches for the show's signature wardrobe — tracksuits (+97%), white slip-on trainers (+145%), red boiler suits (+62%) and white numbered T-shirts (+35%) — have all spiked. Specifically, Vans has become the most-viewed slip-on trainers since the show's release, while demand for the colour teal is up 130%.
The British pop star’s Future Nostalgia era has served plenty of outfit inspiration with each music video drop, from the rodeo fashion in “Love Again” to the Regencycore of “Demeanor.” Searches for Dua Lipa’s zebra-print bikini from The Attico in “Love Again” increased 224% upon the release of the video.
The rapper’s long-awaited album Donda arrived in August with its first artistically orchestrated listening party in Atlanta, where Kanye West wore a red puffer jacket from his Yeezy x Gap collaboration. Within 24 hours of the event, page views for red down jackets spiked 73% and searches for his brand Yeezy jumped 128% that same month. Following Donda’s second listening party - featuring Kanye West in a total Balenciaga outfit - searches for the brand jumped 81% in 24 hours.
The singer-songwriter famously ditched her baggy clothes and designer streetwear for corset tops and SKIMS for her new album Happier Than Ever. Billie Eilish's new look, which she debuted on the cover of British Vogue in June, caused online searches for corsets to spike 74% in just two days. After wearing latex trousers to her album release party in July, searches for similar items jumped by 147%.
The Latin pop artist and rapper's hit single "Yonaguni" was one of the most tweeted-about songs of the summer in 2021, but his outfit snagged even more attention. A week after the song's music video drop in June, searches for Bad Bunny's Adidas Forum trainer collaboration, which he's seen wearing, spiked 125%.
The Planet Her artist and performer has been channelling space-age style for her third album, and when her "Kiss Me More" music video dropped in April, searches for "space fashion" increased 55%. With the release of her album cover shoot in June, searches for metallic corsets were up 40%. After hosting the 2021 MTV VMAs, one of her outfits — a Thom Browne Spring 2018 look — sparked a 24% rise in searches for the brand in 24 hours.
The Sour star has been channeling early-2000s nostalgia through both her music and her closet. After posting an Instagram photo of herself wearing Marc Jacobs Kiki platform, knee-high boots, pageviews for the item jumped 225% within 48 hours. Her "Brutal" music video was also heavy on Y2K fashion, and searches for the aesthetic doubled within two weeks of its release.
The Blackpink member and K-pop star's solo project Lalisa debuted with her first single of the same name, which she performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Sept. 11. In just 24 hours, glitter and rhinestone tops jumped 12% and searches for the Adidas Superstar trainers that she wore in the song's music video also increased 36%. The music video for her second single "Money" featured the GCDS Hello Kitty Moon Boots, which spiked by 369% within a week, the second most-searched product by the brand.
