Pinterest’s 2026 trend predictions are here — these are the ones we think are worth watching
The platform’s annual trend report spans fashion, beauty, leisure and more.
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The main food trend featured in Pinterest’s 2026 trend report is an increase in cabbage recipes. There were increases in terms like “cabbage dumplings” and “fermented cabbage.” How does this tie into larger food trends? Foods like kimchi and other forms of fermented cabbage have health benefits since they provide the body with probiotics — this could likely be rooted in an increase in focus on gut health, particularly from Boomers and Gen X. Additionally, this relates to this year’s wellness food trends related to prebiotic soda.
The most common thread in just about all of the trends Pinterest is predicting is maximalism in every sense of the word. The neutrals and all-beige-everything aesthetics are continuing to sail by, with Millennials and Gen Z embracing more colorful palettes for interior design, clothing, accessories, beauty and much more. The site saw substantial increases in several maximalist searches, such as “jelly candy aesthetic,” “maximalist accessories,” “circus interior,” “striped ceilings,” “eccentric makeup,” “weird makeup looks” and more. Gen Z and Millennials are trading in earthy tones of furniture, clothing and accessories for more vibrant ones.
Related to the return of maximalist aesthetics, gold and gold-adjacent jewelry and statement accents are also on the rise. This goes for not just interior design (“pendant lamps,” “brass aesthetic”) but jewelry as well (“gold cuffs,” “brooch aesthetic,” and “heirloom jewelry”). This means Millennials and Gen Z will likely focus more on investing in not only buying gold jewelry and accessories but also cleaning and taking care of their jewelry.
Millennials and Gen Z continue to be attracted to fragrance, but especially when it comes to mixing them and curating their own collections. Searches for “niche perfume collection,” “signature scent,” “perfume layering combinations,” and “scent layering” all increased significantly within the past year. For those without a sensitivity to scents and smells, finding a new fragrance personality will become a goal for more Millennials and Gen Z in the new year.
Millennials and Gen Z are turning to more old-school and traditional forms of communication, especially when it comes to letter writing and the use of stationery. In the past year, there were increases in searches for “cute stamps,” “penpal ideas,” “penpal letters,” “handwritten letters,” and “snail mail gifts.” This will likely go beyond traditional loose-leaf and manila envelopes and veer more into personalized stationery, like thank you cards and envelopes.
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Select, where I write about deals and sale events, home appliances, lifestyle topics, consumer trends and more. I also regularly track shopping trends throughout the year. I reviewed the information and data from the Pinterest Predicts trend report to write this article.
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