Our product development team makes it a priority to step out of the office and into the real world, studying store floors, market shifts, and consumer preferences to see which colors, patterns, and techniques are a fad today and which ones have lasting power to be a trend. Trend research is a key part of the design process, guiding designers to create designs that align with what consumers are buying, wearing, or aspire to wear. To make sense of this work, it’s important to understand the difference between fashion trends and fashion fads.
A fashion trend refers to a gradual shift in cultural, social, and aesthetic ideals and preferences that influences how people dress and accessorize. In contrast, a fad is a short-lived interest that quickly comes and goes. For example, a fashion fad has a shorter lifespan than a trend, as it is quickly adopted by consumers but fades away quickly, while a trend gains relevance and evolves over multiple seasons.
In 2025, the Infinity Her and Infinity Product Group teams invested in two major trend research trips: one to the MAGIC Young Contemporary Apparel Trade Show in Las Vegas and another to New York during Fashion Week (NYFW). These experiences gave us a front-row view of how brands are creating, adopting, and reinterpreting trends that have been building momentum over the past several years.
We believe these insights are especially valuable for distributors and decorators, offering both inspiration and practical examples of how today’s most relevant colors, patterns, and techniques are being applied across the marketplace. By sharing our research, we aim to spark new ideas and help you connect with consumers through decorating headwear that feels both timely and timeless. Here are just a few of the trends we spotted while researching the apparel and accessories market in 2025.
Trending Color Palettes
Color is often the most immediate way consumers connect with a product, and in 2025 and 2026 collections, we’re seeing palettes that strike a balance between depth, vibrancy, and wearability. Across apparel and accessories, the tones making the strongest impression fall into three key families: rich reds, grounding greens, and calming blue.
Many collections we came across in New York are centered around deep wines, rich reds, and moody mauves. Earth tones continue to thrive within the fashion industry, and olive greens continue to be used as main or accent colors. Balancing the earthy warmth are cool, refreshing hues. Icy blues bring clarity and calm to collections while navy, a perennial classic, anchors these palettes, providing depth, sophistication, and broad appeal across demographics.
Together, these palettes reflect the desire for colors that feel wearable yet enduring, tones that can carry across multiple seasons, and transition easily between casual and elevated looks.
Textures and Fabrics
In both Las Vegas and New York, one fabric detail stood out as a major player: quilting. Once reserved mainly for outerwear, quilting has expanded into handbags, hats, and other accessories, transforming simple silhouettes into elevated pieces.
Similarly, corduroy continues to make a strong statement. This soft, tactile fabric brings a sense of luxury and nostalgia while staying versatile and wearable. Both quilting and corduroy can be subtle and refined or bold and graphic—instantly adding dimension, texture, and value to a product.
Decoration Details that Elevate
When it comes to decoration, the difference between fashion-forward and forgettable lies in intention. Embellishments such as rhinestones, studs, gems, and charms are making their mark, but only when thoughtfully placed. The goal isn’t to overload with sparkle, but to use adornments as a way to add personality, depth, and perceived value.
This wave of decoration reflects a shift toward elevating basic items. An understated piece can be transformed into something that feels high-end and expressive with the right detail in the right place. It’s proof that small accents, when done well, can make a big impact.
From colors that balance richness with wearability, to fabrics that elevate everyday items, to decoration techniques that add just the right amount of personality, 2025 trends show that fashion is all about thoughtful details.
At Infinity Her, we study trends year-round so we can deliver the most curated, trend-driven collections of women’s headwear in the promo space. Our trend recaps are just one way we share these insights, giving you tools to stay ahead of the curve and inspire your clients with decoration techniques that feel both timely and timeless.
Check out our latest trend recaps and explore how our collections bring these ideas to life: www.infinityforher.com/resources.