Birkenstocks, pantsuits and seamless tracksuits were three of the most bought fashion items of 2022. For those looking to make use of on-trend items, the Boxing Day sales could prove fruitful, with many of the hottest pieces known offered.
I Shop And I Jam reads from Barbara Kruger’s 1987 work. So if we are defined by what we own, what does that mean for consumers in 2022?
It seems many wanted to continue enjoying pandemic discoveries like comfortable shoes, with luxury e-tailer Yoox reporting that its best-selling shoe of 2022 was the Boston Clog from Birkenstock.
The German brand, founded in 1774, has seen somewhat of a resurgence over the past couple of years. The once-beloved shoe of healthcare workers is now a favorite among celebrities and influencers, with fans including Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Sienna Miller.
With prices starting at £90, online fashion search engine Lyst said searches for the Boston Clog style rose 593% in the first six months of 2022. This marks the fifth time in two years it has appeared on the Lyst Index. Its tanned suede version was consistently sold out, with many showing up for over double the original price on resale platforms.
Meanwhile, Office and Amazon Fashion Europe reported Crocs as a top seller. In the Office, it was the black Crocs with a faux fur lining that performed best. Like Birkenstock, Crocs were once popular among hospital and hospitality workers. Founded in 2002, the brand enjoyed renewed interest during the pandemic. They were the second fastest growing brand in 2022, endorsed by everyone from Stormzy to David Hockney.
Comfort was also on trend at Primark, with two lounge items featuring in its top three products. High sales of the Snuddie – a £16 fleece-lined item that Primark describes as “an oversized hooded blanket” – perhaps reflect consumer concerns about energy prices. The description also mentions keeping “toastest” and “chilling in the bosom”.
Meanwhile, its seamless ensembles of crop tops, shorts and leggings are very similar to Skims – the hugely sought-after brand founded by Kardashian. Primark’s prices start at £3.50 for a ball, compared to £40 at Skims.
Elsewhere, a growing interest in workwear reflects a change in work environments as many return to the office.
According to property consultancy Remit, the average daily number of employees in England and Wales working from the office reached its highest level since the pandemic in October. In London’s West End, 57% of staff were back at their desks, while numbers were also high in Docklands, home to many financial institutions that objected to employees working from home.
Consumers took a mixed approach to dressing for work, perhaps reflecting a hybrid work situation. Pieces that can be worn for office days, then styled more casually for working from home or for the weekend proved popular. Both M&S and John Lewis reported strong sales across their clothing categories.
M&S sold over 400,000 of its tiered dresses ranging from £25 to £45 and available in a host of colors and prints. Featuring a plunging mid-calf neckline, she’s pictured on the website styled with formal boots, heels and casual trainers.
The £59 John Lewis Floral Print Archive Dress was a bestseller in green. It has since been redone in pink.
Meanwhile, Jigsaw reported strong costume sales, with the purple and velvet two-piece performing well. A black corduroy one-armed blazer (£278) was in Reiss’ top three bestsellers.
“Because of the cost of living, people don’t want to spend money on random parts. They want investment pieces and things they can wear that make them feel good,” said Jigsaw creative director Jo Sykes.
His purple tuxedo suit with satin-trimmed pants first hit stores in November 2021. This drop sold out in less than four hours. This summer, there was a waiting list of over 1,600 to arrive.
Sykes said sales of standout tailoring were up 30% year-on-year at Jigsaw and were outpacing classic clothing lines: “There’s a whole trend of wearing standout suits from day to night. Customers also style jackets and trousers separately.”
Google has reported that searches for “wide-leg trousers” reached their highest level on record in 2022. This is reflected in M&S, with over 190,000 sales of its side-striped version. Available in petite, regular and long, sizes 6 to 20 and in a variety of colors including gray and blue, they retail for £39.50.
The best-selling jeans at luxury e-tailer Net-a-Porter turned out to be high-rise with a straight-cut leg. Versions from brands including Khaite, Citizens of Humanity and Agolde were in the top five.
The front zip ankle boot from Row was a bestseller on both Net-a-Porter and Match Fashion. Debuting on the runway in her Autumn/Winter ’19 collection, the leather boot with a chunky rubber sole retails for £1,300 and has been regularly photographed on street style stars.
At the cheaper end of the scale, a pair of £89.99 flat-soled Chelsea boots appeared at leading Office retailers, while Clarks said it had sold over 1,000 pairs of its £130 Aprilia Chelsea boots in black alone november Her £135 Rixle lace-up boots were also popular.
As for sneakers, various retailers reported Converse, New Balance, and Veja as the best-selling brands.
As for bags, there’s been a return to shoulder styles, with Net-a-Porter and MatchesFashion citing the Loewe Puzzle bag as a top performer. At John Lewis, the Longchamp Le Pliage (£95) was a best seller. The retailer credits Gen Z unboxing videos on TikTok (the hashtag has over 7 million views) for renewing interest in the French heritage brand.
