The most in-demand product right now? This high-street cashmere jumper
Every quarter, the global fashion shopping platform Lyst compiles its infamous index, offering a data-led insight into to the most popular brands and pieces of the past few months. Its research is comprehensive, enlisting a formula that analyses and filters through more than eight million fashion items, taking into consideration social-media mentions and various metrics of engagement on the Lyst app.
The past few indexes saw the usual suspects secure places in the 20 Hottest Brands list, with Miu Miu, Saint Laurent, Prada and Loewe retaining their spots in the top five. But there was an surprise entry from the high street this quarter; Cos, which is owned by the H&M Group, attained its place as one of the Hottest Brands for the first time at number 17, sitting just above Ralph Lauren, Chloé and Toteme. According to the shopping platform, demand for the minimalist brand increased 16 per cent in the final quarter of 2024, with its autumn/winter 'Atelier' collection and 24-piece capsule collection with photographer Chris Perani proving particularly fruitful.
Chunky pure cashmere crew-neck jumper
But that wasn't the only win for Cos, with Lyst pinpointing its success to one particular product that gained fifth place on its Q4 Hottest Products list. The piece in question: a grey cashmere jumper. Though also available in beige, black, dark khaki and pink, it was the wintery slate shade in particular that had searches skyrocketing.
Cos has positioned itself well with its minimalist, 'affordable luxury' designs, bridging the gap between high street and contemporary brands, with pieces mostly sitting under a few hundred pounds. According to Lyst, demand for Cos' cashmere offering has increased by 319 per cent over the last three months, highlighting an opportunity for other brands to offer luxury fabrics at more affordable price points.
"It’s become a huge flex to find something that looks ultra-luxurious on a high-street budget," Lyst's VP of brand & communications Katy Lubin tells Bazaar. "The smartest shoppers can identify when the fit and the fabrication is just right, and the Cos cashmere sweater is a brilliant example of a piece that looks more expensive than it actually is.
"For some customers, it's a dupe for The Row’s eye-wateringly expensive cashmere sweater, but for many more shoppers, it's just a great, versatile sweater that delivers all the core benefits — premium material, timeless shape, accessibly priced."
Though Cos was the only high-street retailer to achieve Lyst's Hottest Brand status this quarter, other mid-priced names managed obtain a spot on its Hottest Products list, with Ugg's Classic Ultra Mini Boot coming in at number two, and Massimo Dutti's Penny Loafer making number 10. It was also a monumental few months for the mid-luxury brand Coach, who climbed 10 places on the Hottest Brand list to number five, while both its Brooklyn bag and cherry bag charm earned their Hottest Products placements at number one and four respectively.
If you're in the market for some new cashmere pieces, find our edit of the best cashmere brands here, and for inspiration on how to style your wardrobe staples, take a look at our round-up of the best winter outfits.
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