Trendalytics: Consumers are Hot for Denim Accessories This Summer

The denim accessories that landed in stores earlier this year are finding their audience as consumers shop for back-to-school.

Retailers are making room for denim footwear, bags and jewelry, according to a recent report by Trendalytics. “Denim reigned supreme in the early aughts and has been making a comeback within the market, especially in footwear and accessories,” the trend intelligence platform stated.

The seasonless fabric adds an instant cool-factor to classic items like shoulder bags. Trendalytics said searches for denim shoulder bags are up 161 percent compared to last year. Interest in the bag style is rising as brands across tiers drop their versions. YSL and Balenciaga have several quilted options with chains shoulder straps as well as Zara, which sells denim totes and crossbody bags.

Denim backpacks are also on the rise, up 257 percent in market saturation to last year. Gen Z-oriented brands like Stradivarius and Pull & Bear are leaning into the trend with acid wash backpacks, while Stoney Clover Lane offers a simple zip-up style as a blank canvas for their stick-on patches. The bags are likely more durable than this season’s other major bag trend, clear backpacks, which average over 30,000 weekly searches.

As consumers embrace head-to-toe indigo looks, denim footwear is a safe bet for back-to-school. Searches for denim footwear are up 142 percent to last year, and the options are plenty. Vince Camuto, Jessica Simpson, Cole Haan and Steve Madden are among the accessible brands touting footwear with indigo uppers.

Trendalytics noted that brands are “testing out” denim boots, which are up which are up 186 percent to last year in market adoption. Denim especially suits the unwavering cowboy boot trend, which is trickling into the men’s category in a more meaningful way this year.

Consumers are finding more subtle ways to add denim to their looks. Searches for denim chokers are up 176 percent compared to last year. Denim is a popular choice for styles adorned with another big 2023 trend: fabric rosettes. Interest in denim belts is also climbing, with searches up 57 percent compared to last year.

Outside of accessories, denim is having an impact in children’s back-to-school fashion. Searches for patchwork denim jackets are up 58 percent. Searches for girls’ denim skirts are up 22 percent. Trendalytics noted that styles with embellishments are in greatest demand.

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