E222 | The Death of Skinny Jeans: Who Actually Defines Fashion Trends?
Insight
Insight
The 'effortless' vibe reigns supreme,
and skinny pants have vanished from the best-sellers list
The market share of skinny pants is receding,Gen Zleans more towards 'effortless' styling. This isn't just an aesthetic shift; it's a reflection of economic cycles.
Significant decline in the share of skinny pants within activewear bottoms (2022-2025).
The more turbulent the economy, the wider the pant legs?
Similar to the 'Hemline Index,' during economic upswings, people yearn to show off their figures (tight fits), while in uncertain times, they lean towards clothing that is more forgiving and de-sexualized (wide-leg pants).
Mahua: Hello everyone, I'm Mahua, a special researcher for Tech 101. In this episode, we're going to discuss exactly what factors influence what you wear every day. Have you noticed that many brands in the malls have switched their pants entirely to loose cuts? Even Lululemon, a brand that built its reputation on yoga pants, has mostly switched to wide-leg pants for their summer collections, aside from the actual yoga pants.
Chi Ye: Retail intelligence firm EDITED noted in a report that as of Q1 2025, the share of skinny pants in activewear bottoms has dropped from 47% in 2022 to 39%. Google Search data also shows that global search interest for skinny pants has fallen to 40% of its all-time peak in December 2020.
Global Trend Data
Source: Google Trends & EDITED Intelligence
Mahua: Amidst this trend, The Economist published an article, and The Wall Street Journal also mentioned that Gen Z prefers that 'effortless vibe.' They aren't as obsessed with showing off their body curves anymore.
But just as skinny pants are fading from the trends, an item once considered 'fashion poison' has unexpectedly made a comeback—the lightweight ribbed down jacket. In Taobao Fashion's 2025 annual list, it became a new blockbuster hit.
So, what exactly is influencing fashion trends and our OOTD? If runways, magazines, and celebrities used to define the hottest items of the season, what fundamental changes have occurred in the logic defining trends today?
SPONSOR TIME
Just a friendly reminder, this episode was recorded in 2025. Actually, dressing comfortably and appropriately is a form of fashion, and having healthy hair is a fashion statement too. This episode is sponsored by our old friend, the professional hair growth brand,DAFEIXIN.
Targeting different body types and hair loss patterns in men and women, DAFEIXIN has launched Minoxidil liniments in 2% and 5% concentrations. Paired with their exclusive applicator, it's refreshing and convenient. The formula contains sodium thiosulfate to stabilize the Minoxidil activity and fight follicular micro-inflammation, making the experience more comfortable. Clinical data verifies that after about 8 weeks of consistent use, small fuzz will start to grow, and hair volume nearly doubles after one year of use.
01/ 'Comfort and Inclusivity' Replace 'Showing Off the Body'
Wide-leg pants become the new favorite
Chi Ye: Hello Old Ma, hello Industry Expert, why don't you two introduce yourselves first. Actually, the spark for today's topic came when a friend complained to me that he hasn't bought a new pair of pants in almost two years.
Mahua: So I went shopping with him.
Chi Ye: I said that's impossible, there must be tapered pants in the mall that fit you. But we went to a huge mall and found that no matter the brand, almost everything was wide-leg pants. So I want to ask Old Ma first, within Maris' summer collection, what is the percentage of skinny or tapered pants?
Old Ma (Maris): In terms of sales share, as our performance grows, it's definitely rising continuously. But its growth rate isn't as high as our wide-leg pants. In the beginning, Maris launched a concept called 'Wool Yoga Pants,' which was very hot in 2020. But in the last two years, we've found this category is just... although we're still making them, users clearly prefer wide-leg pants with more inclusivity.
Chi Ye: Just like in the fashion trend report released by Taobao Fashion this summer, popular summer items include: parachute pants, drape pants, casual slacks, horseshoe jeans, lazy plaid pants... but not a single pair is tight-fitting. Why has such a huge change occurred within just a few years?
Trending Items (The Loose Era)
- 01 Parachute Pants - Outdoor Gorpcore Style
- 02 Horseshoe Jeans - Extreme Silhouette
- 03 Slouchy Trousers - Lazy Office Style
Industry Expert: In our report this year, we indeed guided merchants to move towards loose, lazy silhouettes. There might be several reasons for this. The core keywords of the past two years were actually the 'shark pants' and yoga pants mentioned earlier. This is really a shift in aesthetic perception.
Between 2020 and 2023, yoga pants and shark pants were at their peak on our major e-commerce platforms. They fueled the nationwide aerobics craze and viral internet sports (like Pilates). These types of short-lifecycle viral influencers empowered these two categories to an extent. So, monitoring discussion posts on social media in the second half of these recent years, we find that the year-over-year volume of posts related to yoga pants and shark pants is declining. Thus, the industry direction we ultimately output to merchants is to move towards loose and lazy styles.
02/ A Centennial History of Jeans Evolution
From Gold Rush Workwear to Symbols of Rebellion
Chi Ye: Actually, in consumer behavior studies, shifts in fashion trends usually leave a trail. Specifically regarding the cooling off of skinny jeans and the rise of loose-fitting styles, I'd like to ask: how do you see these three factors influencing the changes in summer fashion trends?
Timeline: The Evolution of Jeans
Birth: Gold Rush Workwear
Invented by Levi Strauss. Designed for workers, featuring a loose seat for ease of horseback riding and manual labor.
Cultural Symbol: Cowboys and Rebellion
The Hollywood film "Rebel Without a Cause" turned jeans into a symbol of youth rebellion and decadence.
Extreme Aesthetic: Slim Rock (Slimane Era)
Hedi Slimane took the helm at Dior Homme, defining the ultra-skinny cut. Even "The Kaiser" Karl Lagerfeld spent 13 months losing weight just to fit into these clothes.
Return: Relaxation and Diversity
The rise of Hip-hop culture (Baggy) and Athflow. Comfort becomes the primary keyword, with skinny pants retreating to professional sports scenarios.
Industry Expert: First off, jeans were born in 1873, invented by Levi Strauss (the founder of Levi's), intended for gold miners. So, the fit at the time was slightly loose with some extra room in the seat to facilitate movement, horseback riding, and the like.
Moving on to the 1930s through the 50s, Western cowboy culture began to rise, and jeans became standard gear for workwear and cowboys. Later, the protagonist in the Hollywood film "Rebel Without a Cause" wore jeans, presenting an image leaning towards rebellion and decadence. This led the jeans category to transform from workwear into a symbol of youth rebellion.
At first, jeans were considered outlandish clothing, something weirdos wore. But as people slowly connected with the rebellious, defiant characteristics of jeans—which aligned perfectly with the characteristics of the Reform and Opening-up era—everyone began to accept them. It also happened to break the dull atmosphere of that time when the whole country was wearing work uniforms and factory clothes.
Fast forward to the year 2000, there was a fashion designer Hedi Slimane, who established the modern menswear style of "Slim Rock Aesthetic." He positioned the Dior Homme main line with ultra-tight tailoring. All the fits he designed were incredibly slender; only a very small percentage of people could actually fit into them.
"Even Chanel's 'The Kaiser' (Karl Lagerfeld), upon seeing his tailoring, asked: 'What would I look like wearing clothes designed by him?' So he spent about 13 months losing weight just to be able to fit into them."
This led young men at the time to diet frantically just to wear Hedi's designs. From the 2000s to the 2010s, skinny pants reigned supreme for a while. But subsequently, Hip-hop culture, Athflow, and the 'Sporty & Rich' style represented by Lululemon all arrived simultaneously, emphasizing straight-leg or even baggy pant styles.
03/ Economics and Social Psychology
The More Turbulent, The Wider the Pants
Industry Expert: Let's look back at economic and social influences. In economics, there is an index calledthe "Hemline Index". Its definition is: when the economy is booming, hemlines go up (skirts are worn shorter); when the economy is uncertain and risk factors increase, everyone wears their hemlines longer.
Skinny jeans represent periods of economic upturn, where people are confident, eager to show off their bodies, and hope to be noticed. Wide-leg pants, on the other hand, adapt to many scenarios and body types, offering extremely high value for money. They represent a trend ofde-sexualization and gender blurring. Because they obscure the characteristics of the lower body, they represent that people don't wish to receive too much social attention—"just let me be myself."
The last factor is pop culture. For instance, from the Hedi Slimane slim rock aesthetic mentioned earlier to the current sense of relaxation, these are all reflections of pop culture in clothing.
Actually, I'm a huge sneakerhead. From 2016 to 2020, sneakers were at their peak; basically, whenever something dropped, the price would go up. But this year, sneakers have pretty much hit rock bottom. You barely see things like AJ1 Highs blowing up anymore; everything is just lukewarm.
Lao Ma: I know you're also a fashion blogger, so what are your personal preferences for daily outfits?
Industry Expert: These past two years, I've liked wearing outdoor styles. A style I really like is Athflow, which mixes some semi-formal clothes with casual items. A few years ago, I used to follow some bloggers and buy "Dad shoes" (chunky sneakers), but I've found that those shoes have now been shelved.
The Rise of "Rib" Down Jackets
The Perfect Conspiracy of Climate, Aesthetics, and Cost
The Warm Winter Effect
Traditional "puffer jackets" feel too hot and bulky during warm winters, making lightweight warmth the optimal solution for these temperature pain points.
From "Tacky" to "Effortless Chic"
Once considered a total fashion faux pas, the ribbed pattern has been redefined by outdoor brands like Arc'teryx and Japanese and Korean fashion influencers as a symbol ofGorpcoreand urban effortlessness.
Affordable happiness
Reduced down content directly lowers production costs, while the budget-friendly price point lowers the decision-making threshold for consumers, making it the new darling of fast fashion.
Silhouette Tweaks
Short, boxy cuts, drop-shoulder designs, and cinched waists have shaken off that traditional Uniqlo-style liner look.
┌ The Conspiracy of a Warm Winter and 'Chill' Vibes: Why is it a Hit? ┘
Speaker 1 (Host)
Speaker 3 (Analyst)
Speaker 1 It's trending because, in my impression, down jackets were considered really tacky by many people a few years ago, and were items completely devoid of fashion sense. I don't understand why they suddenly caught on?
Speaker 3 There are several reasons behind it. Undoubtedly, this year is a warm winter. Traditional puffer jackets have high down content and bulky silhouettes, whereas ribbed down jackets are in a state that perfectly adapts to current temperatures, addressing the pain point of the weather.
Speaker 3 The second factor is actually aesthetics. Ribbed down jackets used to be considered ugly, so why the change now? It's actually driven by trend bloggers and social media platforms. For instance, in street snaps from Instagram, Korea, or Japan, we see fashion-savvy people styling ribbed down jackets with a sense of “effortlessness”. Actually, this term didn't really exist in the first half of the year, but it suddenly exploded on social media in the second half. Later, with stars like Wang Yibo wearing Arc'teryx, the celebrity effect reinforced this point.
Speaker 3 The third point is cost issues. Since last year, we've heard from the market and users that they don't recommend merchants produce those heavy categories with extremely high down content. Ribbed down jackets provide warmth without requiring such high down content.
Speaker 3 The last point is design iteration. Originally, ribbed down jackets had that traditional H-shape silhouette you'd find on Uniqlo racks. Now, although the down content is lower, they are made into short, boxy silhouettes that are more fashionable and less stiff. They also incorporate drop shoulders or cinched waists, making the wearer look slimmer and more relaxed visually. Merchants are replacing high down weight with high fill power down, using less down to achieve better warmth while making it feel lighter.
Speaker 1 Right, I saw the recent trend insight report released by Taobao, and the top ten ribbed down items aren't particularly expensive; they should be attainable within the hundred-yuan price range. Because they are cheap, the decision cost for people to jump on the bandwagon and buy one is very low, which is also a relatively important factor leading to its explosive popularity.
┌ From Pilates to Parties: A Garment's 24 Hours ┘
Speaker 2 (Brand Owner)
Speaker 2 When mentioning multi-scenario needs, I think of our own product—we call it 'Milk Skin.' I believe it covers more diverse scenarios for users.
User Scenario Timeline
Morning Workout
Heading to the Pilates studio for a workout, throwing a ribbed down jacket over the top.
Commute & Office
During commute hours, serving as the outermost warm layer.
Social / Indoor
Lunch with friends at the mall; the indoor temperature is moderate, and the lightweight down jacket is just right—neither too cold nor too hot.
Pack & Go
Capsule wardrobe concept. Easy to stash in a tote bag, adapting to parties or other spontaneous scenarios.
Speaker 2 Our product design is also iterating. For example, the fabric is nylon, but the sleeves might use knit material or Fleece. This way, if I have underarm bulge or am wearing a slim-fit coat, the material splicing creates a slimming effect. By version 3.0, we added a hood; when wearing a coat and pulling the hood out, it does a great job of concealing rounded shoulders or a hunched back.
┌ Who Defines Trends: From Magazine Editors to Every One of You ┘
Communication Evolution
Speaker 1 The flop of skinny jeans and the rise of ribbed down jackets show us how the speed of trend turnover has shifted. From the print era and TV era to Web 1.0, and now the social media age, how has the way trends are defined and transmitted changed?
Speaker 3 I majored in Journalism and Communication. Actually, it can be broken down into three stages:
Speaker 3 Social media has now shattered information barriers. Everyone can access fashion. We gain insights into trends from multiple angles: top-tier professional agencies like WGSN, bloggers on Instagram and Xiaohongshu, as well as the outfits of everyday users at the grassroots level. Especially at the user level, aesthetics have become diversified; it's no longer purely top-down.
Speaker 2 As bloggers, we also watch Vogue and overseas fashion weeks. But I feel that Westerners' body types and silhouettes are different from ours. So, Japanese and Korean bloggersare better points of reference; they are petite and have similar skin tones. A good blogger constantly gathers information and then 're-creates' it by combining it with their own characteristics.
E-commerce is not just a shelf,
it is a trend manufacturing factory
Role Shift:
From 'Selling Goods' to 'Creating Trends'
Platforms use consumer data not just to predict what you'll like, but to actively design future trends by coining terms, interpreting styles, guiding direction, and igniting virality.
The cost of deep platform intervention: shortened trend lifecycles and converging styles.
"Externally, it is a guide to future fashion."
Platforms are not just marketplaces, but these four roles
Alright, the boomerang swings back to Teacher Chi Ya. Could you tell us what role e-commerce platforms play in today's fashion trends?
Actually, the roles e-commerce platforms play in trends nowadays are extremely diverse. Now, conversely, platforms use consumer data to predict what everyone will like, and some platforms even name the trends—using words that have 'seeding advantages' (marketing appeal).
Trend Creators (Creator)
When there is no vocabulary to describe a new style, they coin new terms (or adapt foreign ones). Through hashtag challenges and deduction, they push the style to consumers, creating a sense of urgency that 'if you don't wear this, you're out of style.'
Trend Interpreters (Interpreter)
Ordinary people can't understand runways or professional journals. The platform is responsible for translating this high-level information into product matches that the general public can understand.
Direction Guides (Guide)
Helping Taobao merchants gain insight into fashion changes for the next six months in advance, telling them which category of goods to 'bet on'.
Hit Product Miners (Miner)
Constantly grabbing hot memes on social media (like Brother Xun's sweater), capturing fleeting hotspots.
Basically, it's these four directions: the person creating trends, the person interpreting trends, the person guiding the direction, and the one helping them mine hit products.
Trend Reports: A Navigation Chart Connecting Massive Goods with Personalized Needs
The simplest example is that 'Fashion Trend Insight Report' you guys do. What exactly is that?
Actually, regarding trend insight, you can treat it as a product, a tool for merchants to plan their future merchandise assortment and provide guidance.
We face two challenges:
- First is the merchants' concern. Taobao launches hundreds of millions of new products every year, and merchants don't know what to sell;
- Second is the consumer experience. The volume of goods is too massive, making it hard to find clothes that fit their body type and occasion.
Hit Products Are Not Accidental: Precise Maneuvering from June Forecast to September Explosion
After you release a trend, like a white paper, what kind of interaction do you have with merchants and consumers?
For example, in the merchant white paper we released in June, we mentioned "Ribbed Down Jackets", encouraging everyone to follow this category.
Release White Paper & Course Training
Tell merchants what the "ribbed down jacket" is, why it's going viral, and how to sell it.
Product Tagging and Algorithmic Recognition
The platform's algorithm identifies products in the existing pool that match the "ribbed down jacket" characteristics, tags them, and completes the interpretation.
Qianniu Backend Push
In the merchant backend (Qianniu), this tag is sent as a core S-level business opportunity, prompting merchants to stock up.
Ad Placement and Hype Co-creation
Top merchants start listing new items, and the platform concentrates ad placements for this tag across all channels to build the buzz together, so consumers see screens full of hit products.
This surprises me a bit. I didn't realize the platform does so much behind a trend. The hit products are designed in advance, and even what I perceive as "what's popular" is pre-designed.
But I want to ask, if the platform gets too involved in guiding trends, will it actually cause a short-term...homogenizationof styles? Will it accelerate the process so a trend passes too quickly?
Homogenization is the fashion industry's "sweet burden"
With the platform's deep involvement, homogenization is definitely accelerating. This leads to a shortening of the lifecycle of trends. Everything tastes about the same; you eat it twice and then probably forget it.
Diagram: After e-commerce intervention, trends peak faster but interest also fades more rapidly.
But actually, society's overall trend now is "anti-involution." Later, people will shift to looking for expressions that suit them, have more texture, and are more unique. So I think this homogenization might just be growing pains within a short cycle.
Brand Philosophy:
Be a stubborn rock in the flood of trends
Don't be a porter of trends
A real brand shouldn't just "do whatever is hot." A brand needs to be like a chef, treating external trends as raw ingredients, and performing secondary processing, to stir-fry up their own unique flavor.
👩 ➡ 😌
Women are starting to pursue ultimate comfort and self-pleasing
👨 ➡ 🦚
Men are starting to try medical aesthetics and bold outfits
Some things are like "secret codes", only understood by insiders (this is called deepening); but if it has emotional value (like an ugly-cute doll), it can break down walls and be liked by everyone (this is called generalization).
A true brand treats fashion trends as material for secondary processing
Host
34:45Then I have to ask Old Ma. Brands need to be bound to a certain style to some extent to increase recognition and differentiation. But if a brand is tied too strongly or closely to a style—like Victoria's Secret back in the day or Lululemon—once that style goes out of fashion, the brand is in danger.
But if a brand just drifts with the current, chasing whatever is hot, doesn't it just become a general store?
Maris
Brand DirectorI think merchandise needs to combine with the market to give the design department some inspiration. But this topic is something for a product-focused team to think about.
I don't split it into two teams, like one online product team and one offline. But in terms of design ratio,the online e-commerce team weights current trends higher, while the offline team weights the brand's self-identity higher. That's how it should be balanced, OK.
So when a certain trend is popular, or a fashion wave is changing, how you handle the relationship with the trend is what's beneficial for long-term development. I think our understanding of trends should undergosecondary processing.
For example, when jeans are in vogue, or when ribbed down jackets are popular, we need a unique styling method so users see both the trendy elements and our brand's own mark.
"To put it bluntly, a brand can even be a bit ugly—ugly enough to have its own character—but it cannot just follow whatever is hot."
Information cocoons make people obsessed with their niches, but emotional value can break down barriers
Analyst
Data ExpertFirst, internet speeds in our era are very fast, and information iterates very quickly. There exists an issue ofinformation cocoons, and platforms will aggravate the existence of this problem.
Analysis of the Niche Phenomenon
-
01/
Niche Deepening (Deepening) For instance, if you like subculture outfits, the platform algorithm will frantically push related visual symbols and Icons to you, making you dig deeper into this rabbit hole and become more knowledgeable.
-
02/
Pan-niche Diffusion (Broadening) This is lateral. If something possesseshigh inclusivity and resonance in emotional value, it can break out of its circle. Take Jellycat, for example. It was originally in the designer toy circle, but because its "ugly-cute" image healed everyone's social anxiety, combined with celebrity endorsements, it became a social currency liked by everyone.
So at this stage, users pursue two things: either gaining extremely deep identity recognition within their small circle, or chasing this kind of emotional value that resonates with everyone.
Maris
Regarding staying in the circle or breaking out, I think it should beholding fast to the style, but breaking through with the crowd.
If a brand loses even its own distinct propositions, it basically becomes fast fashion. If I firmly believe slim-fit pants will make a comeback in the next five years, that is my proposition.
But you have to break out of your echo chamber. Whether it's livestreaming or shelf-based e-commerce, the goal is always to guide merchants toward expanding their customer base. How do you do that? By using oursignature DNA itemsto attract new customers, and then educate them through styling. For example, people wouldn't usually think to pair a suit jacket with a hoodie. Suits are for commuting, hoodies are for leisure. But when we combine them, we're educating them on a new lifestyle.
Female consumption is returning to comfort and self-pleasing, while male consumption is beginning to pursue aesthetic expression.
Analyst
Trend InsightsActually, fashion used to impose aesthetic pressure on women, but that's changed. Women are now focusing more on beinghassle-free, versatile, and durable. Once they accept a style, they might stick with it long-term—like classic wool sweaters or overcoats that can be worn year-round.
Conversely, men are slowly breaking out of that 'long-termism black-white-gray' mindset and want to try more things related to 'beauty.' The market for male medical aesthetics and the concept of men caring about beauty are slowly trending upward.
Current Consumer Psychology: The Great Gender Reversal
Data indicates trends only; not precise statistics.
Basically, you can understand it like this:Women have shifted from an 'other-perspective' to a 'self-perspective,' whereas the male market feels that staying unchanged is too boring, so they're starting to actively experiment.
Host
You mentioned something earlier—last winter, 'gross outfits' were huge among girls. It was all about whatever's comfortable, whatever's quick, with zero regard for how others see it.
Analyst
Right, there's another term called 'Old-School Humans, Old-School Winter.' Like those quilted pajamas known as the 'Hunan provincial uniform,' or military coats worn over thermal underwear. This is huge on Xiaohongshu. It's an evolution of the 'gross outfit' concept—focusing on being real and staying warm.
Maris
From a merchant's perspective, I think the male and female domains are completely different. Men used to focus more on functionality, but with increasing social pressure, they're starting to becomeemotional. They need an emotional outlet. Meanwhile, as there are more female leaders now, a very important indicator for them has actually become rationality.
Trends cycle every five years,
Should brands jump on the bandwagon?
Fast Fashion vs. Slow Brands
E-commerce platforms cravefast-pacedturnover of viral products, but brands rely onslow-pacedDNA to accumulate value. A truly mature brand maintains a slow core style while moderately introducing seasonal fast fashion elements.
SPEAKERS
- Host: The Moderator
- Old Ma: Brand Expert
- Chiya: Trend Expert
SCROLL TO READ
This might be different from what I imagined. I thought brands would want trends to move slower. Because I have to re-pattern and re-design everything... maybe by the time I've designed it and just started selling, the trend is already over?
Brands hope for slow, but e-commerce brands move fast. However, within their product mix, their DNA products remain and exist permanentlyHost
Old Ma
Host
Chiya
The Standard of Long-termism
:Can it withstand the test of zero influencer promotion?
Chiya
Chiya
"Based on the current societal status quo of long-termism, this is the standard. If the societal status quo changes in the future, the judgment criteria might change too."
Old Ma
Host
Expert Notes: Three Rulers to Measure Trend Vitality
01/
Example: Gen Z thinks Y2K is cool, while Millennials (post-80s) think it's ancient history.
02/
Trends must respond to the current social mindset.
For example: The popularity of Y2K is because people, in an uncertain environment, crave the "optimism, flamboyance, and happiness" of that era.
You can't completely copy old styles, nor can you fabricate something out of thin air.
Formula: Classic Items (Archive) + Modern Tech/Demand = New Vintage.
It's not just people paying lip service to it or treating it like some metaphysical concept. We can use the Y2K example you just mentioned to illustrate...
The Extremity of Fashion:
The middle class seeks stability; the old and young seek novelty
Old Ma, how do you see this? What do you think is the reason behind the cycle of fashion?
I think it relates to the economy, culture, religion, beliefs, and even... take wool skinny pants not being popular for the past five years. I think that's because from '19 to '24, we went through the pandemic era and economic changes, creating a need for platforms to capture this information and feed it to consumers.
I've always had this wild theory that maybe 'Fashion' as a whole is just a trendy person. They pick a style, and maybe the style they picked five years ago just happens to match the one they pick five years later?
I've discovered a very interesting perspective regarding the choice of certain colors and silhouettes. It's like how we say this year "Old Money Aesthetic" (Old Money) is very popular. The popularity of the Old Money aesthetic actually comes from two groups of people. We're actually talking aboutyoung women and older men. Conversely, in the mature women's price range, they don't wear the Old Money style.
This is the second point regarding color. Some colors are dull. Like when we think of Max Mara's 101801 coat, it has to be camel. So I realized fashion exists at two extremes. Like bright colors, big reds—my mom loves wearing red sweaters too. These colors, and the silhouettes, are actually a "cut off the head and tail" relationship. The core 45-year-old demographic in the mature women's price range has its own unique style.
The "U-Curve" of Age vs. Fashion Boldness
Diagram: Middle-aged people seek stability (the bottom), while those retired and those young are more willing to express themselves (the two high ends).
Oh, so I can understand that maybe a fashion style is something that, when I hit 40, I think 'Hey, that looks good again' and start wearing it again. It's a cycle based on age groups.
When people reach middle age, the social responsibilities and pressures they face lead to different consumption and dressing habits. But when I retire, I might prefer wearing things that better express who I am.
In the second half of this year, the "Grandmacore" concept is extremely hot. As soon as it came out... plus G-Dragon just made his comeback recently, wearing grandma-style silk scarves wrapped around his head every day. It's like style is a treasure chest, and someone periodically picks things from it. Actually, the person picking definitely has logic behind it. Through these influential points, they finally decide to pull this style out for you.
Future Predictions:
The "Effortless" vibe recedes, Neoclassicism takes the stage
Got it, I think that's really interesting. So finally, let's all play prophet: which trend do you think will make a comeback in the future?
Actually, when we were doing insights for 2026, we kept finding thatslim-fit proportionsare definitely coming back next year. But in what form?
It's not a return that sacrifices comfort. It might be that the thigh circumference has some allowance, giving you space for comfort, expansion, and movement; or using lace or straps to cinch the ankles, looking a bit like that quality style from before called harem pants.
The trend wind vane has changed:
- Past few years: Baggy Jeans, oversized silhouettes, and a completely "lying flat" effortless vibe.
- Future Trends (2025-2026): Runway brands (like Celine, Prada, Gucci) are starting to do slim-fit.
- Key Difference: It's not those uncomfortably tight skinny pants from before, but rather "looks slim, wears comfortably".
Anyway, we think Baggy Jeans have already peaked. Many major brands on the runway are releasing items with slim-fit proportions. Celine is releasing them, Prada too... it might really come back next year. But the extent of the comeback is uncertain because the general direction is still the pursuit of comfort. It might just be the top-tier people, those Icons, wearing them first.
And another point I've observed is a very retro trend making a comeback on the runway—the Napoleon jacket. The reason it's hot is that when Dior released their AW collection late last year, there were quite a few Napoleon jackets in it. After they released it, in the second half of this year, some Icons like P brought this piece back to their stages. I watched a Mayday concert recently too, and a Napoleon jacket was one of the looks.
If the future direction shifts from that effortless, "lying flat" vibe to me needing toreconstruct my aesthetic order, or rather that I crave some sense of ritual. It returns in the name of Neoclassicism.
Right now, everyone is into the minimalist style, but could that change in the future?
Slim fits are going to make a comeback. It’s not just limited to yoga pants or skinny jeans; we’ll likely see upper-body silhouettes shifting from the previous oversized looks to something much more fitted. We actually saw this trend starting to emerge on the runways as early as last year.
So we believe that moving forward—aside from some of the lingering negative sentiment—people are gradually beginning to,be willing to show off their figures again. The outdoor and athleisure styles that were so hot over the last two years are shifting. Even if we aren't losing weight, we're more willing to express ourselves and go back to wearing slimmer cuts. It shows that we aren't 'lying flat' or slacking off in the workplace; we still have hope for the future, and that’s why we’re seeing silhouettes starting to tighten up.
Actually, speaking of the Baggy Jeans trend—that wave led by super wide-leg pants domestically—Balenciaga was huge in China, right? Everyone just really follows that sense of novelty, so it blew up. But after he moved to Gucci, the Spring/Summer '26 collection he released was all about slim proportions. It’s like he completely abandoned his previous aesthetic concepts; it’s totally different now.
Right. But the materials themselves will actually be more relaxed. That makes product development much harder: you have to ensure quality and structure, but still maintain that sense of ease and relaxation.
So it’s still different from the skinny jeans of the previous generation. I need to hurry back and tell my friends the news. Alright, well, that wraps up our recording for today.
Thank you both, thank you.
Actually, no matter how fashion trends shift, they really act as a reflection of consumer psychology evolving alongside social, cultural, and economic changes. Finally, a big thank you to the professional brand Dafeixing for supporting this episode. Those interested can click the link in our Shownotes to claim a discount, and don't forget—we’ll be drawing 5 lucky listeners in the comments to receive a gift from Dafei.
That’s all for this episode; thank you everyone for listening. Listeners in China can follow us on Xiaoyuzhou and Apple Podcasts, while overseas listeners can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or by searching for 'Silicon Valley 101 Podcast' on YouTube.
Related Episodes
E226｜聊聊DeepMind创始人哈萨比斯：一个科学家与失控的AI竞赛
E224 | Deep Dive into Clawdbot: Why is it the First Phenomenal Product of 2026?
E223 | The Year of AI Application Explosion: Discussing Model Evolution and Commercialization
Your Catchy English Title
Tesla vs. Waymo: The High-Stakes Battle for Self-Driving Supremacy