As winter approaches, the fashion industry is seeing a shift away from plain minimalist styles toward patterns and colors that express individuality. Rather than dressing head to toe in flashy outfits, consumers are adding a single eye-catching item in a bold pattern or color to their everyday simple looks.
This approach, dubbed "accent maximalism," is emerging as a key fashion trend this winter, allowing people to stand out with small changes while maintaining an understated style.
According to industry sources on Sunday, transaction value of paisley-patterned products on fashion platforms Musinsa and 29CM rose 54 percent and 73 percent, respectively, last month from a year earlier.
On 29CM, sales of Fair Isle products, featuring traditional Nordic winter knit patterns, jumped 237 percent. Other patterned items also posted double-digit growth, including leopard prints (97 percent), polka dots (64 percent) and jacquard designs (51 percent).
At W Concept, searches for patterned items such as paisley and polka dots increased 10 percent over the same period.
Growing interest in bold patterns is also evident on other fashion platforms. Zigzag, operated by Kakao Style, saw a sharp increase in searches for floral-patterned products last month.
Searches for jacquard floral skirts surged approximately 35-fold from a year earlier, the largest increase among all products surveyed. Searches for velvet floral skirts also rose about 17-fold. Those for paisley bags jumped around 14-fold, while searches for paisley jackets more than tripled.
Statement pieces add flair to basic winter outfits
Demand is also growing for patterns traditionally associated with winter. Searches for Nordic-patterned beanies featuring traditional Scandinavian motifs such as snowflakes and reindeer more than tripled.
Searches for Cowichan sweaters, made with thick wool yarn and featuring nature-inspired motifs such as bears and birds, rose about 2.7-fold. Argyle V-neck sweaters featuring diamond-shaped patterns also saw searches increase approximately 2.8-fold.
From floral prints typically associated with summer to Nordic and argyle patterns suited to winter knitwear, a wide range of designs is attracting attention regardless of season.
This trend is taking shape through the use of one or two statement pieces, such as bags, skirts and knitwear, rather than filling an entire outfit with bold designs.
Pairing patterned items with existing wardrobe staples, such as neutral-colored coats or basic knitwear, allows consumers to create a fresh look without spending heavily.
Key winter colors
The fashion industry is also focusing on changes in color and texture. Rich shades such as chocolate brown and burgundy are emerging as key winter colors, while products highlighting the textures of materials such as leather, shearling and corduroy are becoming more diverse.
The idea is to maintain basic designs and silhouettes while emphasizing one element, whether color, pattern or material, to express individuality.
"More consumers are moving away from the minimalist trend that has dominated for several years and looking to express their individuality through clothing," a Kakao Style official said. "With winter clothing becoming increasingly expensive, consumers can change the mood of their outfits while making use of what they already own. We expect maximalist fashion to remain popular even in winter, when wardrobes tend to become monotonous as people prioritize staying warm."
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