A new trend in Christmas décor says less about luxury brand names and more about a yearning for a better time amid political chaos and soaring costs, reports Fortune.
The minimalist ‘beige Christmas’, popularised in recent years by celebrities like Kim Kardashian, is giving way to ‘Ralph Lauren Christmas’. The aesthetic celebrates gold baubles, tartan patterns, rich velvets and nostalgia. For people looking for holiday cheer on a budget, Ralph Lauren’s festive glamour offers a template they can replicate without the designer price tag.
Social media users are sharing their own takes on the ‘90s-inspired look, sourced from thrift shops, dollar stores and chain discounters.
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Searches for the phrase ‘Ralph Lauren Christmas’ shot up more than 600 percent on TikTok and Instagram, compared to last year, and Etsy searches for related décor are up over 180 percent. Google Trends reveals that the small bump the phrase usually receives around this time of year surged to an all-time high in 2025. “This search trajectory suggests the trend has moved beyond niche interest into mainstream holiday planning behaviour,” Chase Varga, director of marketing at marketing analysis firm ListenFirst, told Fortune.
The appeal goes beyond aesthetics. Rising costs and uncertainty have left many people longing for the warmth and comfort of Christmases past. Whether drawing on childhood memories or Hollywood films, the feeling matters more than any brand name.
It embraces many of the hallmarks long associated with the holiday – warmth, comfort and family – with a dash of ‘old money’ glamour (another rising search term). The aesthetic beautifully blends timeless Americana with a nostalgia for the 1990s, an enduring trend that extends well beyond holiday décor.
