It is the final month, universally recognized as the time to dive into festive preparations. So what is it to be this year? A humorous garland using brussel sprouts? Very now ornaments resembling designer packaging and snack bags? Or are we thinking a understated all-white look?
Wrong, wrong and mistaken once more. My front door wreath – it went up early since I’m a Christmas superfan – is large and traditional, adorned with a checkered loop the size of a serving platter. Standing by wooden nutcracker soldiers the size of toddlers beside the mantel. When I put my tree up over the coming days, it might buckle under the weight of old-fashioned round baubles.
There has been a holiday trend change: dubbed Ho-Ho-Home Alone. After all, the quintessential clan of 2025’s holiday season are the characters from Home Alone, of the beloved holiday tale which is a universal favorite. One style expert, a home decor influencer, remarked that youngsters in nightwear dashing about evoked the film”.
The style dominates: think plaid sleepwear, festive caps, stockings lined up by the fireplace. Major retailers report that red and white swirl decorations along with festive ribbon accents have been seasonal hits. The feeling is cosy, and unashamedly jolly. Forget everything you have learned about Scandinavian minimalism; summon Will Ferrell in Elf levels of enthusiasm to your decorating. Let me put it this way: should your staircase remain visible, it's time for pine garlands around them.
The Digital Sensation: The Posh Grandma Aesthetic
"Ralph Lauren Christmas" has become a major digital trend, with millions of searches on TikTok prior to Halloween. This sounds like a blatant marketing stunt by the label, except that there is no official endorsement of this look offering no statement. Instead, it has been named and adopted by gen Z, who have fallen hard with an ideal holiday season the brand has long projected.
Christmas with Ralph Lauren resembles a visit to an elegant elder: an abundance of knitwear, a toasty interior, maybe an outing to a Nutcracker matinee. It feels refined, without being cold or austere – and importantly, while it feels abundant and splendid, it can be achieved affordably. The key pieces are budget-friendly. Simply require festive cord draped liberally (easy to do, cheap as chips), good lighting (a common dislike is disdain for the main ceiling fixture) and a tree (even a crooked one suffices once you carpet it with decorations). Fluff your scatter cushions to complete the look.
This Nostalgic Appeal of a Timeless Christmas
I don’t actually need to spell out: this year’s fashionable Christmas essentially resembles the picture you imagine if you close your eyes about the holidays. And this is precisely the appeal. It channels yearning for a time from a hazy past, a warmly remembered past seen in old albums. It takes the heartfelt pillars of Christmas – family, comfort, abundance – and wraps them up perfectly. As it happens, this is what all of us want.
Boomers and gen X are tired of being shamed for not remembering the difference between niche aesthetic trends. Another generation are moving past certain color trends. The latest generation, who often favor has mostly centred on skepticism, have suddenly discovered sincere enjoyment. To paraphrase a streaming giant: Everybody Wants This.
A Nineties-Fueled Vision with US Origins
This ideal for the holidays which resonates most today originated not in Victorian Britain, in America. That iconic movie came out over three decades ago; the brand's iconic style ruled the decade, preceding later trends. The diva's holiday anthem hit the airwaves years ago, and its glossy Coca-Cola reds and maximalist decor, the current trend channels a spirit of America timestamped less by modern conflicts but with the optimistic, positive vibe from that decade. Amid today's tensions, the appealingly simple elegance of that period is highly sought-after.
British Houses Adopt this Festive Spirit
Domestically, one iconic name embraced the holidays this year. It fits because its ethos aligns with that American brand, embodying wearable design over avant-garde trends, appealing to all ages and quintessentially yet openly UK. The brand’s creative lead dressed an enormous fir in a luxury hotel, revealed at a star-studded party. An iconic TV personality – firmly in character as her 1990s persona – features in their festive film, hosting a festive party. The campaign mixes of imagination and nostalgia you feel like you’ve already lived”.
No discussion of the festive season here is complete without discussing the much-anticipated ad, the release of which is basically a modern ritual. The new ad also has retro vibes. The concept a young person transporting his dad to the music he enjoyed with a classic track of that time. Through using a 90s record, the brand is aligned with the popular mood. A company executive confirms that they're {“seeing that timeless, luxurious
