The apparel market is widely considered female territory, with colors, textiles, and trends changing to reflect the female appetite. However, as the prices of men’s sneakers and men’s clothing begin to rise to reflect a growing demand for male fashion, the landscape is clearly changing — and fast.
For the first time, men are spending more time and money shopping for clothes than women. With a desire to show their personality and stand out from the crowd, men are taking more care when putting their outfits together. One trending style in men’s streetwear, which shows how men’s clothing is finally coming out of the shadows to be more expressive, is the male apparel trend known as Gloomy Hippy.
Table of Contents
Is it a good time to go into the men’s clothing business?
What is the Gloomy Hippy apparel trend?
What are the top trending Gloomy Hippy garments?
Conclusion
Market Overview: The Resurgence of Crochet Fashion
Crochet clothing has experienced a remarkable resurgence in recent years, evolving from a niche craft to a mainstream fashion trend. The global crochet dress market alone was valued at $1.68 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $2.2 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 3.9%. This growth reflects the broader popularity of crochet across various apparel categories.Several factors contribute to crochet’s current popularity:
- Nostalgia and Retro Appeal: Crochet evokes a sense of nostalgia, tapping into the ongoing trend of vintage and retro-inspired fashion. Its association with the 1970s bohemian aesthetic resonates with consumers seeking a connection to the past.
- Handcrafted Authenticity: In an era of mass production, crochet items offer a handmade, artisanal quality that appeals to consumers seeking unique and authentic products.
- Sustainability and Slow Fashion: Crochet aligns with the growing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly fashion. Its handmade nature and potential for using natural or recycled materials make it attractive to environmentally conscious consumers.
- Versatility in Design: Modern crochet has moved beyond traditional patterns, embracing bold colors, intricate designs, and innovative silhouettes. This versatility allows it to cater to various style preferences, from bohemian to contemporary.
- Social Media Influence: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have played a significant role in popularizing crochet, with influencers and DIY enthusiasts sharing tutorials and showcasing stylish crochet outfits.
- Celebrity Endorsement: High-profile celebrities like Taylor Swift have been spotted wearing crochet, further boosting its popularity and mainstream appeal.
- Comfort and Tactility: The textured, cozy nature of crochet appeals to consumers seeking comfortable yet stylish clothing options, especially in the wake of the pandemic’s shift towards more relaxed dressing.
From luxury fashion houses to fast-fashion retailers, crochet has found its place across various market segments. Its ability to blend tradition with contemporary style has cemented its position as a versatile and enduring fashion trend, appealing to a wide range of consumers seeking unique, handcrafted, and stylish clothing options.
What is the Gloomy Hippy apparel trend?
Gloomy Hippy is an apparel trend that has exploded onto the scene as social media fashionistas look back to the 1960s-1990s for inspiration. Born out of an exploration of mysticism and an admiration for circular fashion, this new fashion trend combines a multitude of microtrends and core values:
- Celebrating individuality: The Gloomy Hippy style has emerged from social media, and predominantly from TikTok, meaning it has been shaped by a variety of like-minded teens from across the globe. Each of these GenZers, although looking to be part of a group with aligned values and tastes, also strives to be individual and stand out. This fusion of individuality with group mentality has led to a blend of many microtrends, such as goblincore, naturecore, craftcore, and cryptidcore, to create one group: the Gloomy Hippies.
- Celebrating the music culture of the 60s and 70s: One of the main influences on this trend is the music culture of the 60s and 70s, with its new sounds and free fashion sense. This is something that is recreated through the colors and designs in the clothing — from tie-dye T-shirts and jumpers covered in spirals and nature motifs, to bandanas, socks, wide-bottomed trousers, and dungarees.
- Championing lower-impact processes and materials: In parallel with the celebration of the 60s and 70s music scene comes a championing of sustainability and a wish to get closer to nature. Today’s youth are much more aware of issues such as fast fashion and climate change, and this is something that is shown through their clothing choices. It may have been a pauper’s choice in the past, but today circular fashion apps like Vinted are exploding with customers from all different economic backgrounds. These young and aware customers are looking for vintage or customized pieces that are made using sustainable practices (such as crafting, patching, and dying clothing) and materials (such as bamboo fibers and hemp). In addition, circular fashion no longer means a low price tag — as vintage and retro clothing increase in popularity, so do the prices.
What are the top trending Gloomy Hippy garments?
With the Gloomy Hippy fashion trend being a conglomeration of multiple microtrends and a celebration of individuality, it stands to reason that there should be great variety in its garments. However, with the importance of color, fabric, circular fashion, and style at its core, a few garment types have come out on top to be the most trending Gloomy Hippy garments.
- Homespun sweaters: Sweaters that look like they could have been made at home are taking center stage, with oversized knitted jumpers, mohair sweaters, and sweaters with psychedelic or nature motifs being grabbed up by the new, young hippies of the 21st century. The most common material used is wool, as it is natural, durable, and warm. However, this wool comes in all types of colors and color combinations, from bright pink and blue to darker browns and blacks.
- Craftwear: When thinking of patchwork or colorful knitted designs, one usually thinks of a tea cozy or a grandma. However, as demonstrated by the popularity of Olympic Swimmer Tom Daley’s knitting, it is now cool. Gloomy Hippy embraces craftcore to the full, with patchwork shirts and bucket hats, cool towel-embroidered trouser designs, and knitted and crocheted sweaters being all the rage. Craftcore can be made from any material, depending on the item. Shirts made from various pieces of cotton fabric combined with denim are common, for example. These fabrics often also have creative designs on them, words emblazoned over them to portray a message, and other decorations, such as sequins and sparkles.
- Tie-dye style: Tie-dye is a trend that has never really disappeared from view, but with Gloomy Hippy it is retaking center stage. These personalized garments are especially popular when applied to repurposed clothing as they highlight the idea of recycling. Tie-dye can be applied to any garment, from hoodies, jumpers, and T-shirts, to trousers and shorts. Tie-dye clothing usually requires a plain, white or light-colored cotton T-shirt, hat, or another garment, alongside many colorful dyes. Natural fibers take the dyes better than synthetic ones, and the dyes should be very brightly colored to give rainbow vibes!
- Nature-inspired fabrics: In an attempt to find the balance between fashion and nature, Gloomy Hippy embraces those garments that are processed as little as possible, or that pollute the least. Cotton, hemp, recycled materials, and bamboo fabrics are some of the nature-inspired fabrics most favored. These items are often quite plain, making them perfect for customization and making craftcore designs. The usual colors for these clothing types are also quite plain, ranging from white and beige to greens and browns.
- Psychedelia and surreal designs clothing: As a celebration of the 60s and 70s, Gloomy Hippy would not be complete without its psychedelic prints and out-there designs. These vary from camo or nature-inspired prints in crazy colors to mind-bending hoodies and cool, flashy pants. In addition to clothing, Gloomy Hippies also embrace funky wall hangings, as music and style need a backdrop. These designs typically include bright, glow-in-the-dark or fluorescent images of smiley faces, peace signs, mushrooms, geometric shapes, swirls, or nature- and animal-themed images. The vibrancy of color is key for these items!
Conclusion
Men’s fashion has often been overlooked, but with Gloomy Hippy things have changed. Its popularity and eye-catching styles mean that the men that subscribe to it stand out from the crowd while conveying a core set of values to their friends. This importance of expressing oneself through clothing, either one’s values or individuality, is clearly more important than ever to men — as shown by the rise in expenditure and time spent on clothes shopping.
In a time when global warming is at the front of many minds, especially young ones, styles that encourage sustainability, such as the Gloomy Hippy fashion trend, are only likely to become more popular.
