From: Michel Monopoli
In case you missed it, Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week took place from July 3rd-sevene, and has seen celebrities, influencers and fashion fanatics from around the world congregate to see some of the most innovative and daring designs ever to hit the catwalks. Although the event does not focus on trends, fashion houses such as Balenciaga, Fendi couture and Christian Dior are working to change the way we wear fashion forever.
As a lifelong fashion enthusiast, I’m understandably very interested in how trends influence our personal styles and spending habits. I remember in high school driving to three different stores just to find the pair of Nikes everyone was wearing at the time. Fashion is often associated with individuality and self-expression, but for others like me, it can also mean fitting in and feeling like you belong.
We answered a few questions from our latest Omnibus survey of 1,500 Canadians to get an idea of current style and accessory trends in Canada.
Have you ever looked at someone’s outfit and thought to yourself, “Man, that looks really uncomfortable.” Well, chances are it is. When asked if feeling comfortable or looking good was more important to them when considering buying clothes, 76% of Canadians chose feeling comfortable. Interestingly, that leaves 24% of us who value looks more than comfort. I guess for this band, looking good is feeling good.
But what looks good? We’ve all looked at old photos and recoiled from our outfits or hairstyles. But remember, at one time, that’s what the style was all about. When we asked Canadians which style they felt was most popular today, most chose the casual style (49%). Next come streetwear (22%) and vintage (11%), followed by chic (5%), bohemian (4%), preppy (3%) and gothic (2%) styles.
We now know what style is trending, but what exactly are Canadians wearing? We presented Canadians with different fashion pairs and asked them to select the one they thought was currently the most popular. Canadians currently prefer sneakers (82%) to loafers (18%), affordable brands (80%) to luxury brands (20%), flats (79%) to heels (21%) and loose cuts (64%) to fitted cuts (36%). Interestingly, Canadians are significantly less decided on things like small bags (58%) versus large bags (42%), or bright colors (56%) versus black and white (44%).
Continuing the pairings, we also asked Canadians to share some of the most popular brands across multiple fashion categories. When it comes to shoe brands, Canadians are keen on Nike (44%) with a clear lead. Next come Adidas (14%), Skechers (9%) and Clarks (5%). When considering the different brands of handbags/leather goods, Canadians rate Gucci (21%) as the most popular, followed by Coach (18%), Michael Kors (11%) and Louis Vuitton (10%) .
However, fashion trends are not just about looking good. Our survey reveals that 27% of Canadians (or the equivalent of 10.2 million) bought a product because of its popularity rather than its interest or personal tastes, which shows how trends directly influence buying habits of Canadians.
RESULTS
The right outfit can turn any day into a great day, and trends undoubtedly play a major role in the outfits we choose. From celebrity culture to royal influence, there’s always something making waves in this ever-evolving industry.
But, at the end of the day, trends come and go. With nearly a third of us saying they bought something because it’s popular, rather than out of personal interest or taste, I just want to remind everyone that it’s always better to buy things because you like them, not because they’re trendy.
METHODOLOGY
The survey was conducted among 1,500 Canadian adults from July 11-17, 2022. A random sample of panelists were invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the exchange platform Lucid. These partners are typically double-opt-in survey panels, combined to manage potential biases in data from a single source.
The margin of error for a comparable probability random sample of the same size is +/- 2.6% 19 times out of 20.
The data was weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample corresponded to the population of Canada by age, gender, education level and region. Totals may not add to 100 due to rounding.
This survey was funded by Abacus Data Inc.
Abacus Data follows CRIC’s Public Opinion Research Standards and Disclosure Requirements which can be found here: https://canadianresearchinsightscouncil.ca/standards/
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