The interesting thing about using data analytics to track and understand fashion trends is that, often, it’s not just about what is trending (not always groundbreaking), but by how much something is trending (sometimes can be groundbreaking).
Take, for example, how florals rise in popularity every spring. Which, much thanks to The Devil Wears Prada (2006), is perhaps one of the most famously obvious fashion trends one can observe. So, this spring, after analyzing online search traffic, I found the data did demonstrate that florals were, once again, popular. Shocker.
However, identifying that florals were trending was just one part of the story. Interestingly, this year, they were actually trending by a lot. Specifically, florals were around 36% more popular this April versus the same time last year. Huh.
What does this mean? Why were people, like, really into florals, and more so than before? Was this reinforcing the rise of romanticism we’d been seeing across broader culture in 2026 so far? Were consumers finally beginning to prefer bolder and louder fashion, rather than the minimalism and restraint that dominated style in 2025?
The answer is, probably, yes and yes, and you can read more about this analysis below:
So, as we headed into summer, it wasn’t surprising to see more seasonal (read: non-groundbreaking) fashion trends rise in popularity once again. Summer fashion staples like flip-flops, and bikinis, and linens. However, when I took a closer look and (just like with florals for spring) noticed by how much these summer fashion fads were growing, there seemed to be a different story at play. Let’s get into it.