Birkenstocks, sweatpants and seamless workout sets were three of the top-selling fashion items in 2022. For those who like to keep up with what’s on trend, Boxing Day sales can be fruitful, offering many of the most popular pieces.
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While many seem to want to continue to enjoy pandemic finds like comfortable shoes, luxury e-tailer Yox reports that the best-selling shoe of 2022 will be the Boston Clog from Birkenstock.
The German brand, which was founded in 1774, has seen a bit of a resurgence in the past two years. The once popular healthcare worker shoes are now popular with celebrities and influencers, with fans including Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Sienna Miller.
Starting at £90, online fashion search engine Lyst saw a 593 per cent increase in searches for the Boston clog style in the first six months of 2022. His version of the sweater sold constantly, with many showing up on resale forums for more than double the original price.
Meanwhile, both Office and Amazon Fashion Europe reported Crocs as top sellers. In the office, the best performers were black Crocs with a faux fur lining. Like Birkenstock, Crocs were once popular among hospital and hospitality workers. In the year Founded in 2002, the brand gained renewed interest during the pandemic. They were the second fastest growing brand in 2022, confirmed by everyone from Stormzy to David Hockney.
Comfort was also trending at Primark, with two loungewear items featured in its trio of products. The high sales of the Snudi – a £16 fleece-lined item Primark describes as an “extra snuggly hoodie come blanket” – probably reflect consumers’ concerns about energy prices. The description also mentions “roasted” and “chilling”.
Meanwhile, the seamless collections, featuring crop tops, shorts and leggings, are very similar to Skims – the highly sought-after Kardashian-based brand. Primark prices start from £3.50 for a crop top, compared to £40 for Skims.
Elsewhere, the demand for workwear reflects changes in the work environment as many return to the office.
The daily average number of workers working from offices in England and Wales has reached its highest level since the outbreak of the pandemic in October, according to property consultancy Remit. In London’s West End, 57% of workers returned to their desks, and the number was even higher in Docklands, home to many financial institutions.
Consumers have taken a mixed approach to dressing for work, perhaps reflecting a hybrid work environment. Pieces that can be worn for office days and then casually styled for work from home or on weekends have become popular. Both M&S and John Lewis reported strong sales in their clothing categories.
M&S has over 400,000 dresses ranging from £25 to £45 and available in many colors and prints. Featuring a round neckline and mid-calf drop, she was pictured on the website with casual boots, court heels and casual trainers.
John Lewis’s £59 floral print archive dress in green was a bestseller. After that, it was repeated in pink.
Meanwhile, Jigsaw reported strong suiting sales with both magenta and velvet two-pieces performing well. A single-breasted black velvet blazer (£278) was in Rees’ top three best-sellers.
“Because of the cost of living, people don’t want to spend money on daily necessities. They want investment pieces and things to wear that make them feel good,” said Joe Sykes, Creative Director of Jigsaw.
The magenta tuxedo suit with satin-trimmed trousers hits stores for the first time in November 2021. That fall sold out in less than four hours. This summer, more than 1,600 were waiting for him to arrive.
Sykes said that sales of Jigsaw’s stylistic tailoring were up 30% year-on-year and that classic collection lines were performing better: “There’s a trend towards completely different outfits from day to night. Customers are also making jackets and trousers separately.
Google reports that searches for “wide leg pants” will reach their highest level in 2022. This is reflected in M&S, which sells the side-mounted version for over 190k. Available in petite, regular and tall, covering 6 to 20 and available in a range of colors including gray and blue, they retail for £39.50.
The best-selling jeans on luxury e-tailer Net-a-Porter featured a straight-leg high. Brands including Kite, Humanity Citizen and Agolde were in the top five.
The zip front ankle boots were top sellers on both Net-a-Porter and Matches Fashion. First seen on the runways of the Autumn/Winter ’19 collection, the leather boots retail for £1,300 and are regularly seen on street style stars.
At the cheaper end of the scale, a pair of £89.99 Clyte single Chelsea boots have appeared among the office’s top sellers, but Clarks said it sold more than £1,000 worth of £130 Aprilia Chelsea boots in black in November alone. His £135 lace up Rixle boots were also a hit.
Sneaker wise, various retailers report that Converse, New Balance and Veja are the best selling brands.
As for bags, there was a return to shoulder styles, with both Net-a-Porter and MatchesFashion citing the Lowe’s Puzzle Bag as a top performer. At John Lewis, Longchamp Le Pledge (£95) was a bestseller. The retailer credits unboxing videos by Gen Z on TikTok (the hashtag has more than 7 million views) for rekindling interest in the French heritage brand.
