Why Are Google Searches For "Romance" So High Right Now?
Analyzing the rise of romance and what it might mean for fashion in 2026.
The interesting thing about using data and analytics to understand fashion trends is that, sometimes, the numbers can surprise you. As I’ve previously written, it’s not just about whether the data proves me wrong versus right—that a trend is, in fact, rising or falling as expected—but rather how strongly a trend is moving in either direction.
Like last summer, when white tank tops were trending (not groundbreaking), and I found that their popularity was actually around 160% higher versus the same time the previous year (pretty groundbreaking). Or, when it seemed those Hervé Léger and Alaïa bandage dresses were having a comeback, and the data showed they’d risen over 600% in popularity in just one month (whoa). Because while it’s great to have assumptions proven right, often the strength of a trend can be more interesting to observe than the very trend itself.
So, imagine my contentment when, last week, I wanted to uncover if romanticism was trending in fashion. There have been many recurring motifs of romance and the Romantic era in both style and popular culture around us, so I was curious if the numbers could back it up. And, thanks to the data, I found not only that romanticism is in style…but actually by quite a lot.
According to Google search data, searches for “romance” worldwide are at a five-year high, and around 27% more popular in 2026 so far versus the last five years on average. And this didn’t necessarily come out of nowhere either, as searches have been steadily and consistently increasing around 8% annually since 2021.
Whenever a fashion fad emerges atop such a strong foundation, it suggests that it is likely not a micro trend; that it could be built to last for some time. So, romanticism is here, and it could actually have an impact across fashion in 2026. But, what does it even look like for romanticism to show up in style? And how did we get here???
EVERYTHING IS…ROMANTIC?
While there are many interpretations of what romance or romanticism in fashion could look like, here are just a few examples of how it’s currently appearing.
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