Animal Prints, High-Heels and Bright, Light Colors set to Dominate Summer Sales Demand

With the summer sales season well underway, consumers across the nation are making full advantage of the offers as discretionary spending decreases. But what items are most likely to make it out of the wish list and into the shopping cart for checkout? What are some of the key trends and essential wardrobe pieces that are in demand this summer? 

To help brands and retailers answer these questions, Lectra, a software and solutions provider for the fashion, automotive, and furniture industries, studied real-time data from its AI-powered solution Retviews and created a trend report listing some of the most popular items. 

“In an industry that moves as quickly as fashion, it is crucial for fashion brands to explore potential scenarios and adapt their strategies accordingly to stay relevant, meet consumer demands, and scale their business operations,” said Antonella Capelli, President EMEA of Lectra, in a statement. Here, we share three of the main trends from Lectra’s Retviews. 

1. Preppy & Edgy looks dominate summer capsule wardrobes

Driven by returning 2010s trends and the surge in popularity of racket sports like padel, pickleball, and tennis, polo shirts are making a strong comeback this summer, showing an increase in demand of 28 percent in 2025 versus 2024*. According to data from Lectra, brands channeling classic preppy style, such as Aimé Leon Dore, Kith, and Ralph Lauren, are experiencing strong growth, especially in men’s fashion. The preppy revival has also brought back rugby shirts and collegiate-style long-sleeved polos for women, which are more and more popular among spring outings and cooler summer evenings.

Simultaneously, there has been more interest in bolder, more rebellious looks, with trends like “mob wife” and “indie sleaze” taking center stage this spring and summer. Animal prints exemplify this edgier direction, with sales jumping 33 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year. The Adidas x Wales Bonner leopard sneakers perfectly reflect this trend, commanding a 196 percent resale premium globally and ranking among the fastest-selling designs in recent years. Next to the classic leopard, zebra, and tiger prints, cow print pieces are also emerging as another popular pattern choice this summer.

2. The return of sleek, minimalist, and elegant footwear, aka ballet flats, loafers & kitten heels

The return of the preppy look has also made its way over to footwear. Styles like ballet flats, loafers, and kitten heels have quietly been making a return over the last two years, with current sales volumes tripling in comparison to 2023, according to data from Retviews. Further cementing their status as a wardrobe staple for this summer, classic styles like Mary Janes and bow-tie flats are the stars of collections from high-end labels such as Miu Miu, Simone Rocha, and Sandy Liang. In particular, Alaïa’s designs have helped push mesh ballet flats into the mainstream, with Retviews data showing 13 percent growth in European sales and 16 percent growth in US sales year-over-year.

The data also shows that the footwear market is shifting away from sneakers toward dressier options like loafers and high heels. Kitten heels are also making a strong comeback, fueled by nostalgia for ’90s and 2000s fashion and an expanding resale market, with their presence in European collections surging 127 percent compared to last year.

3. Butter yellow, pink, & burgundy are the key summer colors

Butter yellow is becoming a major color trend this summer, appearing everywhere from high-profile events to fashion runways and now mainstream retail. In line with the typical seasonal pattern, where brands and retailers embrace brighter hues as warmer weather approaches, Retviews data confirms the shift toward softer colors. Interest in the color candy pink is up 32 percent, and yellow is up 18 percent compared to 2024, while neutral shades are also gaining ground. 

Meanwhile, darker colors are losing favor this summer, with gray dropping 546 percent and black falling 267 percent. Interestingly, burgundy is one color defying seasonal norms by appearing in summer collections despite its traditional fall association, showing a remarkable 140 percent year-over-year increase.

“In this context, we at Lectra believe that technology is a powerful ally for brands that, through real-time AI-based insights from Retviews, can gain a strong competitive edge,” added Capelli. “With these tools, they can identify market shifts and trends to make smarter business decisions and strengthen their positioning.”

*Note, all percentages compare January 1 to May 1, 2025, against the same timeframe in 2024.