It appears we’ve reached peak Hypebeast culture this holiday season. Stylight, an online shopping platform, recently released an extensive study that examined the spending habits of 12 million visitors—the study also took in a survey of 2,000 people to find out what gifts people plan to buy this year. Combined, more than half of the respondents said they were “likely” or “highly likely” to buy accessories or clothing as gifts.
More interesting than that, Stylight also predicted which brands and pieces were most likely to end up in shopping carts, based on the site’s most-searched products. As you might have already suspected, the holy trine of streetwear labels topped the list, including pieces from Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh, Adidas tennis shoes, and those infamous Balenciaga sock sneakers that Cardi B immortalized in her song “I Like It”.
Photo: Courtesy of Stylight
If you would never dream of buying someone sneaker socks, you’re not alone. The study found that 34% of people avoid buying “fashion-related merchandise” because they don’t want to “mistake the recipients’ style or wants.” Another 25% said they preferred giving timeless gifts, rather than a trendy, “of-the-moment item”.
Do you think Hypebeast culture has peaked, or would you happily unwrap a pair of must-cop sneakers this year?