The Most Noteworthy, Surprising and Head-Scratching Fashion Trends From 2019

As the year (and the decade) winds down, the winning trends from 2019 are beginning to emerge. As with every year, fashion search engine website Lyst has put out their round-up for the year in fashion; and let’s just say that there were a few brow-raising additions to this year’s list.

From the most unexpected shopping trend to the brands that are everyone’s shopping list, here are some of the noteworthy observations.

01 | Sustainability

In what is probably the trend that’s exciting us the most, the round-up reported a surge in consumer interest towards sustainable fashion. As reported by Lyst, “sustainability related keywords increased 75% year on year, with an average of 27,000 searches for sustainable fashion every month”.

Searches for eco-friendly materials such as econyl, tencel and sustainable denim all shot up in popularity, and a growing number of brand-led awareness initiatives are all encouraging signs that sustainability is back in vogue.

02 | And the most popular sneakers are…

If you thought to yourself that 2019 belonged to a pair of Balenciaga or Gucci sneakers, you’re in for a surprise.

After crunching the search numbers, Lyst declared that 2019’s most popular sneaker was Alexander Mcqueen’s oversized sneakers. Featuring a relatively classic upper design that’s anchored by its distinctively chunky sole, it’s not hard to see why shoppers would love these kicks.

03 | Warm boobs ahead

In the arena of products that went viral this year, one particular item caught our attention.

First seen on Katie Holmes in the earlier months of the fall season, her matching cashmere bra and cardigan set by Khaite sparked a rush in stores. Perhaps it was the dropping temperatures and the promise of an ultra-comfy bra for the cooler months in the colder climes that allowed Khaite’s Eda bralette to thrive, but there’s no denying how viral the brand went.

Since being papped in it, Holmes’ cashmere twinset launched a tidal wave of thinkpieces and social media buzz, thereby translating into dollar signs for the contemporary brand as searches for the brand rose by 217 per cent.

04 | Old is the new black

Perhaps in tandem with sustainability’s growing popularity, Lyst also noticed a sharp increase in consumers purchasing from the resale market. It seems like people are finding value in putting their lightly-worn wares back into the market, because Lyst reported a 255 per cent spike in traffic towards luxury resale products on their site.

Unsurprisingly, we’ve also seen Vestiaire Collective — another luxury resale e-tailer — banking big on growing their numbers after raising €400 million to fund their international expansion. In the second quarter of 2019, the resale platform saw a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) growth of 140 per cent within the Asian region itself.

05 | The return of the summer dress

Yes, we know it feels like a perennial summer here in Singapore. But if you think back to the middle of 2019, you’ll remember seeing several interpretations of bohemian floral dresses popping up all over your Instagram feed.

Lyst noticed it too. Dubbed “Cool Girl Summer”, the report referenced this wave as “rooted in rural Americana, demure prairie dresses were one of the hottest trends of the summer”.

The report also noted LoveShackFancy — a brand favoured by social media It-girls — as one of the main go-to places for the trend, but we also saw these dresses come from other brands like Jacquemus and Cecilie Bahnsen.

06 | The brands that broke ground

Think “breakout brands” and you’d probably lean towards contemporary brand names who are a little obscure to your less fashion-savvy friends. So imagine our surprise to find out that Lyst named Bottega Veneta as the top breakout brand of 2019.

Having completed eight fashion seasons across mens’ and womens’ collections, Daniel Lee’s new vision for the storied Italian fashion house has paid off in kind, with demand of the brand’s #newbottega accessories increased by 53 per cent. Perhaps that explains why we saw Bottega Veneta’s Pouch clutch and Stretch sandals everywhere at fashion week.

Coming in a close second is American brand Pyer Moss, who saw a 226 per cent increase in searches after their SS20 show in September.

07 | Monogram of the year

This year, monograms have shown that they’ve got plenty of staying power (perhaps we have the resurgence of ’90s fashion to blame?), and the top monogram of the year is awarded to Fendi’s iconic double-F print, also known as the Fendi Zucca.

08 | The queen of merch

She may not be in line to throne, but Meghan Markle is certainly the queen of moving merchandise. Named this year’s top power dresser, each outfit that the Duchess of Sussex wore would lead to an average of 216 per cent increase in searches for similar-looking or exact products. A Club Monaco dress she wore sold out in less than 24 hours, and the appearance of a J.Crew skirt saw searches for the flagging brand go up by 102 per cent.

Other names on the list of 2019’s power dressers include Lizzo, Timothee Chalamet and Billie Eilish.