PITTSBURGH -- Even though a lot of us wore sweats for most of 2020, a handful of fashion trends still managed to find their way to the top of people's shopping lists.
ShopStyle -- an online fashion discovery and shopping platform -- recently released its list of the top consumer trends people searched for online this past year, driven by cultural events. Here's a look back at which ones got people to open their wallets -- and could keep shoppers spending in 2021.
HANDBAGS IN UNUSUAL SHAPES AND SIZES
Ever since the rapper Lizzo carried a tiny handbag to the 2019 American Music Awards, people have been clamoring to find their own pint-size clutch. Will it stick around: Maybe, but with no place to go anytime soon because of covid-19 a cute-and-quirky handbag might not be needed just yet.
ALL-THINGS PEARLS
Online searches for pearls skyrocketed after Joe Biden tapped Kamala Harris to be his running mate. The website WhoWhatWear.com traced her love of pearl necklaces back 30-plus years through a series of photos, including one from her graduation from Howard University in 1986. In particular, ShopStyle reports that searches for pearl necklaces increased by more than 40%. Other popular searches were for headbands and earrings done in pearls. Will it stick around? Yes.
SHACKETS
Fashion in 2020 could be summed up in four words: work-from-home wear. We wanted to look sharp for Zoom meetings by day but feel comfy for binge-watching shows on Netflix by night. The shacket -- a cross between a button-down shirt and a jacket -- blended the best of both worlds. Searches for it online saw a 73% increase, according to ShopStyle's report. Will it stick around? Even once it's safe for people to start migrating back to the office, don't expect them to abandon all work-from-home wear. Things that can be dressed up, including the shacket, will likely be styled to go from the couch to the cubicle.
COATIGANS
This coat-cardigan hybrid rose in popularity this past year for some of the same reasons as the shacket. It's cool and casual, yet comfortable. Will it stick around? Kohl's, Old Navy, Target and Nordstrom all have their own takes on this silhouette. If it has reached these mainstream retailers, it's likely here to stay for a while.
TIE DYE
Tie dye took off during the covid-19 outbreak for several reasons. For starters, it translates well to sweat suits and socks, which people wore plenty of this past year. It's also a trend that can be replicated at home, for those looking for a do-it-yourself project during quarantine. In the United States, tie dye also seems to pop up during times of change and pushes for social justice, like in the 1960s. Will it stick around? For now, yes -- but a day will come when homemade tie dye apparel will return to the back of the closet until its next resurgence.