Athleisure Beat Out Fast Fashion In 2015, According To Polyvore

Athleisure is a word that's been thrown around a lot in fashion lately — it's even Merriam-Webster official. It seems the hype is backed up by the numbers. Polyvore's annual Year in Review report reveals that Nike and Adidas were the most popular brands in 2015, according to user searches. Givenchy came in third, indicating an ongoing interest in high-low. The remainder of the top 10 brands searched this year also echoes this sentiment: Luxury fashion houses Fendi, Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Valentino, and Chloé shared the honors with footwear brands Converse and Vans. This is quite a shift from last year's results. Nine out of the 10 most popular brands in 2014 were fast-fashion retailers, with Topshop, H&M, and Forever21 topping the list. None of these names made the cut in 2015, though. In fact, Zara was the only fast-fashion brand to get a shout-out this year in the "Most Liked Brands" category, although it didn't factor into the top 10. However, these results don't necessarily signal the decline of interest in fast-fashion. Instead, it seems the tides are shifting toward a balance where athletic meets luxury, according Polyvore fashion editor Amy Wicks. “I think [the report] shows [shoppers] were infusing their wardrobes with affordable things and then also willing to splurge on Chanel and Givenchy, which is definitely what we saw last year,” she told WWD. The 2014 report broke the top searches down to apparel categories, with designers like Stella McCartney, A.L.C., and Rag & Bone ranking highly in both tops and bottoms. As part of this year's review, the social commerce site also ranked the most searched-for items from 2015 — and it paints a very different picture of what people are interested in than the athleisure-inclined top brands. Whereas sneakers and leggings are Nike and Adidas' bread and butter, the "Most Sought-After Styles" list reveals that Polyvore users love tulle skirts — so much that they were searched for 25% more often than the category's runner-up, gladiator sandals, according to Polyvore's blog. Other popular silhouettes include denim dresses, two-piece sets, and midi-skirts. Polyvore puts together these end-of-year lists based on what its users worldwide are searching for, from January 1 to November 15, according to a representative. On top of straight-up searches, it also takes into account how much love a brand has gotten on the site in the form of "hearts" or being included in users' sets. This report is part of Yahoo's Year In Review package, which includes search data from Yahoo, Tumblr, and Flickr. Tumblr's end-of-year rankings also put Nike and Adidas at the top of most popular brands on the site. Basically, Nike — also named the most popular brand among teens this year — is still the coolest kid on the block, so you're not alone if a fresh pair of FlyKnits is on your holiday wish list.