Google fashion trends are the latest big data goldmine to emerge from search giant

27 Apr 2015

Big fashion has met big data, whether you are into skinny jeans or tulle skirts. According to the first of a new bi-annual fashion trends report, searching fashion trends is chic and no longer geek.

“By categorising past apparel-related queries based on similar search-demand patterns, we were able to distinguish between the trends to watch and the trends to forget,” explained Yarden Horwiz and Olivier Zimmer in the inaugural Fashion Trends Report for Spring 2015.

“And by looking at geographic data along with co-search behaviour (such as words and phrases being searched alongside a particular fashion), we can get consumer insights into fashions that will be hot this season.”

So what’s hot for Spring 2015?

google fashion trends, rising

google fashion trends, rising

According to trending Google apparel searches, tulle skirts are growing in popularity just in time for spring fashion, up 34pc from January 2014 to January 2015.

With the trend seemingly originating on the west coast of the US, the tulle skirt trend is making its way across the US, according to Google searches. Consumers are seeking this skirt in all colours of the rainbow (and even in rainbow), but the most popular colors are the classics: black and white.

The research also shows that consumers are making their own tulle skirts, with more than 20,000 tulle skirt tutuorial videos watched on YouTube so far.

Jogger pants are also a top search trend for men, women, boys, girls, and even toddlers, indicating mass appeal for this apparel item.

The most-searched style? Emoji jogger pants.

A trend being revived from the 1960s is the midi skirt – not quite a maxi skirt and definitely not a mini skirt.

Recently brought back into fashion in the UK in 2013, the trend is making its way back to the US. While lower in search volume than tulle skirts or jogger pants, the midi skirt has seen a nine-times growth in searches over the past three years—and is still in its early stages of growth within the US market.

On the way out in Spring 2015, however, are  one-shoulder dresses, skinny jeans, vintage clothing and corset dresses.

Google Fashion trends 2015

Google Fashion trends 2015

Tulle skirt image via Shutterstock

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com