This year’s fashion It Girl might as well be Carrie Bradshaw, because 1998 is back with a vengeance.
From crop tops to slip dresses, square-toed heels and jelly shoes, nostalgia has driven fashion trends in 2019.
Using data from 104 million shoppers over the past year, Lyst’s Year in Fashion report compiled queries, page views and sales metrics across 6 million products and 12,000 online stores. Taking into account global media coverage and social media trends, the fashion search engine released its take on the year’s most pervasive trends and coveted products on Monday.
The iconic Fendi baguette bag, emblazoned with an all-over logo print and prominent buckle detail, proved to be one of 2019’s hottest “Revival” products. The small, sleek evening bag first hit the shops in 1997, and was popularized by “Sex and the City” in the early aughts. Searches for the Fendi Baguette were up 138 year over year, Lyst analysts said, and the men’s version sold out across multiple retailers after its release.
Footwear reigns supreme when it comes to channeling the sartorial energy of the pre-Y2K era. Clogs commanded the runways this year, with interest peaking during the summer months. Searches for chunky-soled lace-up boots from Dr. Martens catapulted 88 percent in 2019, inspiring a range of copycat products from other brands.
Consumer appetite for legacy outdoor brand Teva jumped 65 percent during the second quarter, with a targeted spike in demand following an April collaboration with grunge girl favorite Anna Sui. Jelly shoes also had a big month in April, with searches up 82 percent month over month.
When it comes to the year’s most coveted products overall, heritage luxury brands and classic styles also won with consumers.
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Bottega Veneta stole the No. 1 and No. 2 spots with its Pouch handbag and barely-there Stretch sandals. The Pouch sparked more than 10,000 views per month since its spring launch, with page views on Lyst increasing by 297 percent in September. Searches for the square-toed Stretch sandal jumped 471 percent during the month of July.
Coming in at No. 3, Gucci’s GG logo belt remains a fixture in Lyst’s search, with two of the accessories sold through the site every minute this year. Jacquemus’ tiny Le Chiquito bag (a favorite of fashion mogul Rihanna) generated more than 20,000 page views over the summer, with searches blossoming by 130 percent during the month of May. During the same month, Prada’s retro-inspired bucket hat sold out multiple times online, earning it the No. 5 spot.
Louis Vuitton’s Multi-Pochette bag, which launched in October and sold out within days, took the No. 6 place on the most-wanted list.
A seersucker dress from Ganni 9 (No. 7), a fleece jacket from Sandy Liang (No. 8), and Weekday’s Row Sky jeans (No. 9) also stole consumers’ hearts. The only men’s item to make the list—a Gucci GG Supreme messenger bag—came in No. 10, with searches increasing 44 percent year over year.
In a slightly surprising twist, the year’s most coveted unisex sneaker was not an exclusive Yeezy or Nike style, but Alexander McQueen’s Oversized sneaker, a lace-up style with a platformed rubber cupsole. Searched every two minutes on Lyst, analysts said the sneaker was the brand’s best-selling product this year.