Pinterest: Tooth Gems And Space Buns Will Be Big in 2022
● Pinterest Predicts dishes on next year's trends based on search growth. And it has a new feature to help cement them.
Big hair and whole body accessorizing will be among the top trends for 2022, according to Pinterest's latest datadriven prognostications, which were announced Monday. But if a given user isn't interested in that, a new personalized recommendation feature will suggest ones that are more fitting.
The annual Pinterest Predicts forecast draws from platform and search data on a global basis — in this case, between October 2019 and September 2021 — to pinpoint hot areas of search growth. But big-picture analyses of this sort may feel too universal or detached to be genuinely inspiring for the average user.
Enter personalization. The platform is planning to roll out a new in-app feature for individualized trend recommendations in the coming weeks. “Pinterest Predicts: Your 2022” will traverse historical data, including ideas users have loved and fads they tried first, and suggest a new one from the report to try next year.
So someone may not be into tooth gems, which surged more than 85 percent in searches over last year. But a penchant for creative eye looks could pinpoint crystal eye makeup, which soared above 110 percent, as a better fit for the person.
Larkin Brown, head of core research at Pinterest, indicated that the predictions, now in its eighth year, are possible because of the volume of data coursing through the platform. The company serves more than 400 million monthly users globally, who have collectively saved more than 300 billion “pins.”
“[They] plan what to do, try, buy next, and then we can analyze what they're searching for, which helps us get these early insights and then helps us define for consumers, advertisers and creators what's coming next,” she explained in a briefing. “And something we're kind of proud of with this report is the accuracy: When we look [at] last year, 80 percent of what we predicted actually ended up trending on Pinterest in 2021.”
In this edition, the company clocked a “celebration” mindset, with consumers looking to mark milestones and hold blow-out parties. The flashy theme apparently translates to personal adornment. Year-over-year growth fueled searches for “pedicure with rhinestones” (more than 150 percent), “dermal piercing unique” (more than 145 percent) and “ear curation,” which grew more than threefold over 2020, in addition to tooth gems and crystal eye makeup.
“We see Gen Z driving a trend toward accessories that go way beyond the basic earring, layered necklace or cuff,” said Jenna Landi, Pinterest's head of brand insights. “They're getting creative and accessorizing the whole body.”
Pinterest's hair search tool also yields a trove of data. People are looking to celebrate their natural texture, it said, feeding a big hair craze for 2022.
Search for “short natural hair styles” spiked more than 185 percent and “high puff” topped 165 percent, with “natural hair bun styles,” “space buns natural hair” and
“two puffs natural hair hairstyles” breaking 160 percent, 100 percent and 65 percent growth, respectively.
For apparel, the report highlighted louder themes with vibrant colors.
“From rainbow dresses to electric blue outfits, 2022 fashion will be all about feel- good fits with an electric kick,” the company stated. Checkered patterns will rule and a return to “Goth” looks, even for business wear, will pick up steam. It also proclaimed the end of joggers, to be replaced by silky loungewear.
Pinterest also covered trend predictions for food, home, travel and mental wellness. It also noted that, as more people look for ways to “catify” their homes, searches for luxury dog and cat rooms more than doubled and tripled, respectively. With fashion platforms increasingly expanding into the pets and home categories, that may offer some food for thought.