December 3, 2024 New Research from Stitch Fix Reveals Generational Divides and Style Stress Around Holiday Dressing

The holiday season is upon us, and calendars are filling up with the annual flurry of festive events - from office parties to gatherings with friends and family.

This year, Stitch Fix is making it easier than ever to navigate holiday dressing. We've expanded our seasonal assortment with more holiday party looks and recently rolled out enhancements to our client experience to make it even more seamless for clients to discover the styles they will love.

But, we know the pressure to dress appropriately - and stylishly - can be stressful. We recently surveyed more than 2,000 consumers to understand the challenges men and women face around holiday dressing and discovered nearly half (45%) admitted to feeling uncertain or overwhelmed when choosing what to wear.

One of the most common stressors? Dressing for the office holiday party.

• There are a variety of challenges to finding the perfect office holiday fit. The top three are dressing age-appropriately while staying stylish (36%), not dressing up enough (34%) and standing out too much (27%).

• Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to skip the party if their outfit isn't right. Nearly half (45%) of people have considered skipping an office holiday party due to outfit stress and that number jumps to 57% for Gen Z and 53% for Millennials.

• For Millennials, it's all about making a great (professional) impression. Two-thirds (66%) of people view holiday parties as a chance to make a positive impression, with that number rising to 73% among Millennials.
• Work parties are when people break out their (more) formal wear. 63% of people reported dressing more formally for holiday work events than they normally would. Separately, we partnered with LinkedIn and found that over half (53%) of people struggle to find the right balance between formal and festive.

And, outside of work events, different generations also have well, different, takes on how best to approach holiday dressing.

• Boomers are not fans of novelty. Novelty wear wasn't highly popular with any generation, as only 28% of people enjoy dressing up for themed events. That said, Gen Z (37%) and Millennials (34%) were more likely to go all out, with Boomers being the least likely (12%).
• Festive colors aren't universally loved. Only 30% of people prefer holiday tones (think red and green), with Gen Z being the most likely age group to embrace them at 36%.
• Women lean into the classics. Over half (54%) of women prefer timeless styles - like black, satin or velvet dresses. And, 33% of people favor glam looks with that number jumping higher among Millennials (40%) and Gen Z (39%).
• Gen Z men love a festive accessory. Classic button-downs and sweaters are the go-to for many men (50%). In addition, 35% of men overall opt for festive accessories like themed ties and shoes with that number increasing to 47% for Gen Z.
• Younger generations experiment more. While half (50%) of those surveyed were open to trying new styles when dressing for the holidays, this willingness jumps to 60% and 61% among Gen Z and Millennials respectively, showcasing their more adventurous approach to holiday fashion.

At Stitch Fix, we believe holiday dressing should be joyful, not stressful. To provide some extra support, we are hosting an "Ask Me Anything" session on Tuesday, December 10 at 11 a.m. ET on Reddit's r/fashion subreddit, where our Stylists will be ready to answer holiday outfit questions, from navigating dress codes to making a standout impression. Because, whether it's through expert styling advice or discovering looks in each client's personalized shop, Stitch Fix is here to make holiday dressing as festive and fun as the season itself.

Methodology
Unless otherwise stated, all insights shared in this post are from Stitch Fix data, including a survey fielded to general consumers in November 2024.
Total responses: 2,055

LinkedIn insights in partnership with Stitch Fix were fielded via a LinkedIn Poll to the platforms community in November 2024.
Total responses: 2,959

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