Within RTW, dresses account for 17% of the range. The piece is loosing shares compared to the previous year (-3pts%), but promises to increase towards high summer drops and the season’s occasion ranges that are set to boom in 2022. The dress category is closely followed by trousers (15%) and t-shirts & sweats (15%). Top-wear, including shirts, blouses, t-shirts and sweaters, adds up to a total share of 33,5%.
Trousers gain +2pts% from last year, with joggers loosing shares and flared pants, on the other hand, increasing. Talking about bottoms, skirts gain +1pts% and represent a total of 5% within the global RTW mix. Here, short skirts are clearly leading the way, showing +10pts% increase compared to last year.
T-Shirts have grown by +4pts% compared to SS21 and indicate that comfort and the display of individuality via placed graphics propose a strong component of collection narratives for Spring 22. 

The accessories range of Spring 22 represents average 25% of the global assortment. Bags and Shoes are certainly statutory products, accounting for 52% of the mix, they certainly help to enhance the brand image for many premium players. Small leather goods and soft accessories compose 28% of the range, leaving 20% for accessories, bijoux, perfums and eyewear.

For vegetal fibers, fashion’s overreliance on cotton has led to steep price increases as well as environmental and political impacts. Retailers are relinquishing their reliance on cotton as prices inflate, reflecting the growing demand for other plant-based materials and energy-efficient fibers like hemp, bamboo, flax and jute.
The water and energy use associated with conventional cotton has simultaneously led to more conscious alternatives this season. Products described as having organic cotton components have seen a +17% growth YoY, mainly for T-Shirts. Recycled cotton is not yet as widely adopted but has seen an even more significant increase of +125% YoY. For denim manufacturing, water-saving techniques have seen a considerable investment, with related styles growing +32% YoY.

Fashion’s most popular and problematic fabric, polyester, accounts for 51% of the global fiber range. Of polyester products, 11% are described as recycled, growing +5% to a year ago. Despite the levels of overproduction and textile waste, most recycled polyester in the market come from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and not recycled garments. These can not be recycled at scale and still cause micro-plastic shedding, damaging waterways and marine life.
The market for synthetic leather is expected to reach $42.74mn by 2028 and provides a more affordable alternative to animal leather. With micro-plastic issues and big investment in recycled polyester, consider incorporating this material in products that do not need to be washed, such as handbags or footwear. Innovations in mushroom, apple, grape and cactus materials have dominated headlines across the industry. However, the bulk of vegan products in the market contain synthetics, indicating there is still work to be done in scaling zero-plastic sustainable leather.

For the European premium market, the global average price of ready-to-wear decreased by -3% compared to last year. Collection average price were at 210 € for 2021 and went down to 203€ this season.
The quite constant pricing is showing that the premium market still has room for its margin and is able to keep fairly stable price tags, from ready-to wear to bags, shoes and accessories.

However, a substantial change in pricing strategy is underway, with actions and initiatives varying across different brands. Before setting your own strategy, have a look at your price dashboards on Livetrend Analytics.

High Street market shows global average prices for ready-to wear of 37€, while the average price for premium brands finds itself at 203€. This difference does not only trace back to the different clientele but the product range proportions that strongly differ between the two markets.

For womenswear, dresses and tops have seen the largest price increase, comparing 2021 to 2022. Y2K essentials, including tanks and cami tops,  become more affordable than last year as retailers address their assortments towards Gen-Z. The pricing on all other analyzed styles has inflated compared to the past two years.
While the dress category was rocky during the pandemic, it heated up as restrictions ease. This allows retailers to reposition their prices this season and capture the spending of today’s dressed-up consumer.
Coming back from sweat pants, jeans are now showing a came back, growing +4 pts% in average price.

For accessories, bags and shoes have seen their prices increase and footwear has shown +11pts% difference and bags +9pts% compared to 2021. Jewels are another category to show a distinct price rise of +6pts%.

After the increase in petrol, gas and electricity prices, you have to plan your price strategy with more accuracy to retain the best price but increase your margins, aiming to produce less but better.