Beat the Heat with the Top Summer Staples
It’s officially summer and you know what that means, new style trends to go along with the new season! But with that can also come the uncertainty of stacking up inventory that will not outlast the season and result in merchandise that needs to be marked down later in order to make room for the next trend.
We know how important it is for retailers and direct-to-consumer fashion brands to stay on top of the latest trends in order to keep merchandise relevant and keep shoppers coming back, but tackling the ever-evolving cycle of trends can be tricky.
This is why our in-house team of domain experts put their extensive knowledge and capabilities to work in order to share their takeaways on three core style trends for summer 2022 – women’s apparel.
Core Trend #1: Y2K Style
One of the top trends for summer 2022 is the “Y2K Style.” This trend channels the 90s and early-to-mid 2000s and includes many of the following items:
- Halter tops
- Bra/Crop tops
- Baby tees
- Mini dresses and skirts
- Platform shoes
- Low rise cuts
- Open front cardigans
- Psychedelic prints
The Y2K aesthetic is a distinctive blend of pop culture, nostalgia, and futuristic-inspiration with a slightly retro edge. The late 90s and early 2000s were an experimental time for fashion and that has certainly not shifted in modern times either.
Core Trend #2: Co-ords and Bright Hues
Matching sets or co-ords are in high demand this summer and will continue to be embraced with more of us heading back into the office and attending events. The trousers are often loose fit or slouchy, with blazers in all cuts and fits. Bras as tops are also popular in matching sets/co-ords. Additionally, these pieces are often monochromatic solid colors.
For color this season, trends are incorporating neutrals and pastels, but are particularly leaning towards bright colors like hot pink, bright red, orange, and yellow. Along with jewel tones like teal/turquoise and emerald green, colorful trends are sure to pop this summer.
Core Trend #3: Modern Vintage and Flash from the Past
Modern vintage (think 70s) and folk prints are going to be strong trends this season. This trend involves irregular geometric patterns, all-over abstract art print, psychedelic print, fringe embellishments, and aztec/tribal print.
A “Flash from the Past” particularly when it comes to dresses is another core style trend this summer. These dresses have reminiscent silhouettes from the 50s and 60s, integrate voluminous skirts and puffy sleeves, and are very feminine and romantic. These dresses have an empire waist and are very flattering on many body types – they’re also extremely comfortable (as an added bonus)!
How Does Lily AI Help Retailers Stay on Top of the Latest Trends?
Even the slightest change in the way a style is cut or colored can change the entire feel of a piece. With Lily AI’s fashion product attribution capabilities, we’re able to see those differences in high definition.
Lily AI is well-equipped to help retailers quickly understand which product attributes are actually moving merchandise. Our team of style experts/trend analysts are not only committed to researching short-term and long-term trends, they also identify the relevant tags that embody each of those styles. They then collaborate with the AI-powered automation side to pull and highlight the specific attributes that resonate with each trend.
Lily’s team of trend analysts bring their hands-on experience and style expertise to help build and develop our retail product taxonomy, essentially guiding our automation to “think and behave like a stylist.” They work to make sure it remains current and fresh so retailers can stay on top of trend forecasting with in-depth research and development of product attribution for multiple categories, across all genders and unisex/genderless.
Our in-house styling team continues to grow and develop our existing categories to ensure attributes are updated with the latest terminology used in the fashion and retail spaces. The team not only is able to build an extensive list of styles under each category, but they’re also able to capture other styles or sections that haven’t even been mentioned yet.
Our team continues to evolve Lily’s retail product taxonomy every day so that Lily AI customers will always receive the latest product attributions based on seasonal trends and changes.
