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• Blazers, knitwear and outerwear are the categories to look out for.
• Fall tones have taken over in early fall collections.
• Puffer and bomber jackets are for the second year in a row the hottest style for outerwear. 

As we are jumping into the fall season, there’s an evident shift in the colors present in retailers’ collections. So, what are the hottest colors in leading brands’ collections so far this season?

As shown by Retviews’ data, the share of black within leading brands’ collections grew by 19% in the past month. Vivid shades of red are also showing prominent growth, with a 14% increase in assortment share this past month. This season, neutral fall hues of brown, burgundy and beige have also made their way into the most prominent colors in the past month. 

Pink was one of the hit colors of the summer and is still among the most prominent colors for AW22, for luxury players. However, it has not found its place in mass market brands’ assortments, and has been replaced by a shade of burning red. The mismatch between mass market and luxury brands’ representation of vibrant shades of pink clearly reflects the shift in consumer behavior, following the increase in consumer prices. 

Although the bold shade of pink caters to luxury shoppers’ desire for social events and dopamine dressing, red is a relatively wearable option for mass market shoppers. As lower-income consumers are cutting back on discretionary spending, neutral colors are a strategic option for mass market shoppers, who are spending more money on essentials that can be used for different occasions, rather than trendy pieces. 

September means that fall is here, cold temperatures are creeping up, and people are going back to work. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the four most prominent categories in leading mass market brands’ fall collections are: accessories, blazers, knitwear and outerwear.

Blazers are the category with the highest increase in assortment share within the womenswear sector, increasing by 14% more than the second most popular category, accessories. Within accessories, the most prominent category is bags, making up 29% of the collection, followed by jewelry, which accounts for 25%.

Taking a closer look at menswear, outerwear and blazers are proving to be popular in early fall, as their assortment share increased by 23% and 22%, respectively. 

are the outerwear piece to have in your collection for Fall 2022. First seen on luxury brands like and FW22 catwalks, they have become one of the hottest trends of the season and are also widely present in mass market collections.

As shown by Retviews’ data, puffer and bomber jackets account for 26% of leading brands’ outerwear assortment. Of those 26%, bomber jackets make up 30% of the assortment, clearly reflecting what we’ve seen in AW22 runways. Casual jackets and coats make up 22% and 16% of leading brands’ outerwear assortment, respectively. As winter approaches, should we expect to see a larger share of coats? Will the ultra-long coat trend that we saw on the runway be equally as popular in mass market assortments?

Consumers are cutting back on apparel spending due to the hike in consumer prices and the higher cost of living. However, spending cutbacks are not split evenly across apparel categories. First Insight's report on inflation shows that shoppers are cutting back more on casual wear than on professional attire. Consequently, the number of blazers in womenswear assortments has increased by 23% YoY, and by 40% YoY in menswear, within leading brands’ assortments. Blazers serves both the need for back-to-work attire and the demand for more elevated styles in post-pandemic dressing. But how do blazer fabrics differ between brands?

Mango, Zara and Uniqlo adopt a similar strategy when it comes to the blazer fabric mix, whereas Massimo Dutti strongly differs. Retviews’ data shows that polyester is the predominant fabric for all brands aside from Massimo Dutti. While only 16% of Massimo Dutti’s blazers contain polyester, 62% of Zara’s blazers contain polyester – highlighting the vast difference in strategies for the two Inditex brands. 

Zara has been elevating its collections, but when it comes to blazers, does the increase in prices reflect the quality of their fabrics? Massimo Dutti has the highest share of wool in its blazer assortment, 16% of its collection containing the fabric. 

Which new trends should we expect in the following months? Pinpoint the hottest trends, optimize your own fall collection, make better decisions and improve your performance with Retviews.

Discover how an automated competitive intelligence tool provides companies with real time and accurate data to spot the hottest trends and adjust their collection with ease to remain ahead of the curve. Benefit from the data gathered with Retviews, the automated competitive analysis platform, to elevate your brand strategy and stay on top of the competition.