Big pants are back!
Shoppers saying so long to thongs as they look for comfort
SKIMPY underwear has fallen out of fashion as shoppers are turning to bigger, comfy pants, according to John Lewis.
The thong was one of the products to fall out of shopping baskets in the past year, along with fishnet stockings, breadmakers and bookcases.
John Lewis has put together a list of what is in and out at the tills in i ts third annual review of the nation’s shopping habits.
On thongs, the firm said: ‘ We finally fell out of love with smalls in favour of big, comfy pants. No longer associated with Bridget Jones, the big pant is now beautiful. Fishnets had a sales peak in December, but not even the launch of Fifty Shades of Grey was enough to save them.’
The How We Shop, Live and Look study – looking at sales online and in the firm’s stores – found the Royal Family and celebrities have been leading the way with trends. Prince George’s outfits led to sales of boy’s navy knitted jumpers increasing 69 per cent while red cords were up 60 per cent, it said.
And Princess Charlotte’s christening in July saw sales of the John Lewis christening category up by 175 per cent. It said: ‘The appearance of the royal pram at the chris- tening sparked a 30 per cent rise in traditional Silver Cross pram sales.’
The firm said David Beckham’s birthday trip to Marrakech led to a rise in Moroccan tablewear, while Kate Moss’s plans to sell jam at Glastonbury festival were behind a 38 per cent rise in preserving kit sales.
John Lewis is also handling 53 per cent more wedding gift lists for same-sex marriage and civil partnerships than in 2013.
The firm said there has also been a clear trend towards healthlier living. Popular products included the spiralizer, which turns vegetables into a healthy alternative to pasta, and the NutriBullet blender, which makes smoothies. The report said: ‘Spiralized vegetables as a replacement for carbs took the nation by storm over summer. John Lewis Oxford Street was selling more than 100 spiralizers a day at its peak.’
There was also a 240 per cent increase in sales of Fitbits, the smartbands that allow people to measure their health and the effectiveness of their workouts.
The retailer believes a love for the 1970s will be cemented in 2016 and we could see the return of the pouffe, macrame cushions and minimalist wooden cabinets. In fashion, the company expects more knee-high boots, kaftans and ponchos, and suggests flares may push aside skinny jeans.
It also expects smart technology – such as heating controlled from a smartphone and fridges that prompt recipe ideas based on its contents – to be popular.