Spring summer 2022 trends : the occasionwear comeback

Key takeaways 

• Fewer lockdown normcore styles: high heels and occasionwear are increasing in leader’s brands assortment
• Leading brands are adapting to the consumers needs for dopamine dressing by increasing the number of slip dresses, cutouts and the use of bold colors

As calendars are finally being filled up by social events after lockdown periods, SS22 trends are all about being daring and provocative, both with styles and colors as a way of making up for the lost outings. How are leading brands reacting to trends such as dopamine dressing, revenge shopping and the surge of occasion attire?

Nowadays, fashion trends are continuously developing and changing to meet consumers' insatiable demand for novelty. Therefore, it has become essential for brands, who want to remain competitive and relevant to seek support from Al tools. With Retviews, the automated benchmarking platform, you are able to keep track in real-time of how your competitors are leading successful strategies, monitor their price positioning and discount strategies, as well as detect trends and identify new opportunities.

Comfort vs. occasion dressing

After having been one of the categories which was hit the hardest by the Covid 19 pandemic, as lockdowns had cut down the desire for buying shoes - footwear is bouncing back. This is depicted by the Q1 Lyst index, within which 60% of the hottest products were footwear. 

For men sneakers and loafers formed a significant share of the footwear assortment within leading mass market brands, as demand rose compared to last year. Retviews data shows that there is an increased presence of dressier shoe styles in brand assortments, both for womenswear and menswear YoY, harnessing the trend of occasion dressing. 

Regarding womenswear, brands are enhancing their focus on high heels compared to the same period last year. However, consumers' appetite for stylish pieces that don’t compromise on comfort remains, so brands are still showcasing a high assortment share for flat sandals.Retviews’ real-time data indicates that this pattern is also visible within the share of assortment for stiletto heels. Although the amount of stilettos within mass market brands’ high heel collections has increased by 3.8% YoY, wider heels still account for 53% of the assortment mix.

Retviews, the competitive analysis platform for fashion provides your brand with accurate, real time and actionable data to help your brand avoid missing out on the hottest fashion trends and pinpoint the right assortment, pricing and discount strategies .

The lowdown on hemlines

Miu Miu was the pioneer of the mini-skirts trend after releasing them in their Spring 2022 collection. Thanks to its micro mini-skirt set, which broke the internet, Miu Miu conquered the 10th position in the Lyst 20 top brands list, as there was a 400% increase in searches for the brand in just three months. As demand for mini skirts skyrocketed, reaching a three-year high, brands responded to this by increasing the amount of the skin-baring looks in their collections. 

Using Retviews data, it is possible to see how brands planned their assortment, giving a major focus to mini skirts, rather than midi skirts - which are losing traction this spring summer 2022. Moreover, taking a closer look at Retviews’ data, it is clear that compared to last year, the usage of denim for skirts decreased by 4.5% leaving the way for dressier fabrics, such as silk, satin, sequins and fringe to make up a larger portion of the skirt assortment mix. 

Staying on top of industry trends is essential when planning your brand's next collection. Retviews, the automated benchmarking platform, can support your brand in mastering its assortment strategy each season, keep track of your competitors’ strategies, and drop the relevant collections at the right time. 

The dress to watch out for

Leading brands are responding to the appearance of "revenge shopping", which is the demand for consumers to increase their purchase of occasion wear as they get back to a life with plenty of social events, by increasing the amount of slip dresses and cut out dresses in their assortments.

Looking at the in-depth data on leading brands’ collections with Retviews, it is clear that brands are decreasing their focus on long dresses and leaving the floor to short dresses, which encountered an increase of 6% in leading mass market brands’ share of assortment within the European and US market. Moreover, as shoppers are seeking more colorful, playful and mood-boosting styles, brands are increasing the use of bold colors in their assortments. 

Your brand can also get an in-depth look at your competitors’ data in real-time. Stay ahead of the curve, identify the ideal assortment mix, and nail the right pricing strategy - tackling the current fashion trends with confidence, thanks to Retviews. 

Reducing waste whilst capturing demand for trends

Fast and ultra-fast fashion brands are accelerating their inventory turn, in order to meet demand for new trends, particularly among younger shoppers. Yet, companies that rely on these business models are being scrutinized more closely for their environmental impact and working conditions. 

Retviews, helps you tackle the challenge of a rapidly shifting demand, as meeting the demand for new styles does not always imply adopting bigger assortments. By taking advantage of Retviews, the automated competitive intelligence tool, companies are able to plan their assortment with  greater thoughtfulness, as they can rely on accurate and real-time data, to plan demand-driven product launches, that allows the brand to confidently release a collection that will sell, and reduce waste from unsold products that do not fit the consumer demand. 

Dive into Retviews’ latest report to get all the in-depth data behind SS22 trends and see exactly what lies behind leading brands’ womenswear and menswear collections in the post-pandemic reset.