Bomber jackets top fashion search term on Google

The bomber jacket is one of the leading fashion search terms on Google, as  interest for the style has surged in the US and UK, says the search giant's recent trends fashion report.

Both regions showed great search interest in military chic, free-spirited and ready-to-go outfits.  Off-the-shoulder tops and dresses are also trending, along with flower-child styles like boho dresses and kimonos. Among materials, lace and denim top the charts for Internet searches.

Google gathered data based on the most searched phrases during the last year in the US and UK for its trends fashion report that focuses on the trends that were popular during 2016.

Search interest for bomber jackets has been growing steadily for years, but it recently surged, starting in London late last year. Since then, it has spread to most major cities across the US and UK. In April, searches for bomber jackets grew 297 per cent year-on-year in the UK and 612 per cent year-on-year in the US. People also searched for more springtime colours and materials like satin, silk, pink, florals and embroidery.

The Google report says: “How people search for bomber jackets reflects its style evolution from military to mainstream. While it's often searched with words like ‘flight’, ‘army’ and ‘MA1’ (the traditional style), ‘David Beckham’ and ‘Kanye West’ are also common, reflecting the influence celebrities have had on the trend's adoption. General terms like ‘mens’, ‘womens’, ‘petite’ and ‘plus size’ suggest interest has made its way to the average consumer. ‘Kids’, ‘baby’ and ‘toddler’ are all top-associated terms.”

Another hot search trend is the off-the-shoulder look, which grew in both markets from December 2015 to May 2016 by 261 per cent in the UK and 347 per cent in the US. The comfortable, stylish and adaptable look is associated with keywords like ‘dress’, ‘bikini’, ‘wedding’ and ‘beach’. People are also looking for ‘maternity’ and ‘baby’ versions of the style, highlighting its cross-age appeal, adds the report.

Jumpsuits, rompers (called playsuits in the UK), two-piece dresses and co-ords are all one-stop styles on the rise. While British consumers led the romper/playsuit trend in 2013, Americans embraced it two years later in a much bigger way. In the US, interest in the romper/playsuit has seen steady growth between 2014 and 2016.

The trends fashion report also says that terms like ‘boy’, ‘girl’, ‘baby’ and ‘toddler’ were commonly searched for together with the trends mentioned above. Gender lines are blurring as men and women are adopting similar styles. Consumers are also searching for different takes on the trending styles and are looking to wear them everywhere.

“Whether it is a romper for a festival, an off-the-shoulder bikini at the beach or a lightweight floral bomber jacket for spring, consumers are searching for items by occasions and activities. They are both looking to adapt trends to the moment and find styles that can go anywhere,” says the report.