"Autumn Wedding Peak Season and New Semester Bring 'Guest Looks and School Outfits' into Trend"

Increased Search Volume for Zigzag and Abley Products
Outdoor Activities Rise After Endemic Transition... Growing Interest in Outfits for Going Out

As the endemic phase (periodic outbreaks of infectious diseases) settles in, autumn is ripening. With an increase in wedding demand and the arrival of a new school semester, the fashion industry has seen a rise in demand for outing clothes such as so-called 'haggak look' (guest attire) and 'deunggyo look' (school outfit).

'Abley' presents outing items such as 'New Semester School Look' and 'Autumn Guest Look' for the full-fledged autumn season
Photo by Abley Corporation

According to Zigzag, a style commerce platform operated by Kakao Style, the transaction amount for guest attire items such as jackets and blouses sold between July 1 and August 27 this year increased up to five times compared to the same period last year. This is interpreted as a result of wedding demand, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, concentrating in the peak season of autumn.

In Zigzag's own search ranking, many guest look-related keywords ranked high from August 13 to 19. The search volume for 'haggak look mini dress' rose more than threefold (252%) compared to the previous week, while 'haggak look jacket' (160%) and 'summer haggak blouse' (157%) also increased.

Since July, the transaction amount for guest look-related products also jumped more than twice (104%) year-on-year. In particular, the transaction amount for summer jackets suitable for formal occasions increased more than fivefold (474%) compared to the same period last year. With the release of summer jackets in various materials, the transaction amount for 'tweed jackets' also rose by 61%.

Dresses and blouses, considered representative items of the guest look, also gained popularity. During the same period, the transaction amount for 'short-sleeve dresses' increased by 159%, the transaction amount for 'tie blouses'?a set of blouse and tie?doubled (137%), and the transaction amount for 'square neck blouses' rose by 57%.

A Kakao Style official stated, "With many weddings taking place this year, sales of guest looks have surged even in midsummer, so it can be said that the wedding peak season now lasts almost all year round, with more people seeking guest attire regardless of the season."

'Guest Look' Items Presented by Zigzag for Autumn
[Photo by Kakao Style]

Ably Corporation’s style commerce platform 'Ably' also introduced school outfits for the new semester and guest looks as items receiving great attention.

Analyzing Ably’s big data over the past two weeks from August 14, the search volume for keywords including 'school,' such as 'school bag' and 'school hoodie,' increased by 80% compared to the same period last year, and searches for school outfits rose by 85%. The search volume for 'jersey' products surged more than fourfold (305%), and in anticipation of middle and high school autumn sports festivals, searches for 'sports festival team shirts' soared 8.3 times (730%). During the same period, 'cardigans,' which are useful for the large temperature differences in the day, were searched over 100,000 times in just two weeks.

With the increase in wedding demand, searches for 'autumn haggak look' rose 5.5 times (450%), and 'haggak look' searches increased by 70%. Tweed material products, mainly used for winter clothing such as 'autumn tweed jackets' (140%) and 'tweed dresses' (100%), also ranked high in Ably’s real-time trending search terms, gaining popularity as guest looks. The company analyzed that considering the autumn wedding season, which usually lasts until early November, there is a purchasing pattern focused on clothes suitable for early winter wear.