Consumer Color Preferences And Trends For Luggage And Bags

Consumer Color Preferences and Trends for Luggage and Bags

 

Consumers' color choices for luggage and bags are exhibiting a diverse pattern of "classic stability, trend iteration, and scenario segmentation". Classic colors like black luggage and brown luggage solidify the market foundation, while high-saturation and low-saturation colors see growth, and natural color systems and cultural theme colors rapidly emerge. Data shows that in 2025 Michael Kors luggage sales, black (22%) and brown (21%) accounted for nearly half of the share. The combined growth rate of high-saturation and low-saturation Morandi color systems exceeded 35%, becoming the core driver of consumption growth among young groups. This trend is driven by the combined effects of consumption demand upgrading, scenario diversification, and fashion cycle iteration, and it presents clear differentiation across different demographics and regions.

 

I. Core Color Trends: The Dual Pursuit of Classic and Trend

 

The core characteristic of the current luggage and bags color market is: "Classic colors firmly hold the base, while trendy colors explore the incremental market," forming a mutually complementary and coexisting structure.

 

(I) Classic Neutral Colors: The Irreplaceable Market Cornerstone

 

Classic neutral colors such as black, brown, and beige suitcase consistently dominate the luggage market, becoming the top choice for all due to their versatile nature and durability. Michael Kors 2025 data shows that black luggage and brown luggage collectively contributed 43% of sales, with beige suitcase securing a 7% share, entering the top five. Demand for black luggage (specifically the "black tote bag") shows a clear seasonal pattern, peaking at an index of 70 in August during the back-to-school season in 2024, and the "black cross-body bag" surging to 47 during the November holiday shopping season.

 

The brown color family saw an explosion in the 2025 autumn and winter seasons. The "Maillard color system," represented by caramel brown and chocolate brown, became a hot trend. Related luggage and traveling bags have extremely high resale value on second-hand platforms, with 67% of buyers not reselling within three years. These classic colors are not only suitable for business and commuting but also maintain stable demand across all age groups due to their practical attributes of being dirt-resistant and easy to match, acting as the "ballast stone" for brand sales.

 

(II) High and Low Saturation: The Two Extremes of Trend Color Breakthrough

 

High-saturation "Dopamine color systems" and low-saturation "Texture color systems" form the two ends of the trend, meeting the personalized expression needs of different consumers. TravelRE (China best carry on luggage brands TraveRE) ANIYA series' bright raspberry pink and sky blue, along with other high-saturation colors, drove the brand's monthly sales up by 67%, becoming viral hits on social media. Among the 2025 spring and summer popular colors, citrus yellow, vibrant magenta, and cobalt blue continue to warm up. These colors, through strong visual tension, become an "eye-catching accessory for travel" (traveling bags) for young people.

 

Low-saturation color systems dominate everyday scenarios due to their adaptability. Moss green, petrol blue, and cream beige suitcase (or beige suit case), which are popular in the 2025-2026 autumn and winter, have a 72% usage rate in commuting scenarios. In the Shanghai street tote bag color ranking, oatmeal, haze blue, and charcoal gray occupied the top three, with black dropping out of the top five due to its "low recognizability in photos". Low-saturation colors such as Morandi and gray systems convey a serene temperament through soft tones, becoming the first choice for consumers seeking refined style.

 

(III) Natural Color Systems: New Trend Favorites under the Environmental Concept

 

Driven by the concept of sustainable consumption, nature-inspired color systems are rapidly penetrating the luggage market. Among the popular colors for spring and summer 2025, natural tones such as sage green, olive green, sand, and terracotta occupy important positions, symbolizing a connection with nature. Data from Tmall Color Institute shows that Gen Z has a significant preference for natural color tones like yellow-green and blue-cyan. Online sales growth for luggage and bags with these colors is 2.3 times that of ordinary styles.

 

Sustainable brands are the core drivers of natural color systems. Stella McCartney's eco-friendly bags mainly feature sand and light brown. Verage recycled material suitcase (or luggage bag) focuses on natural wood and light gray, conveying a low-carbon lifestyle attitude. The binding of natural colors with eco-friendly materials not only satisfies consumers' pursuit of "texture" but also aligns with their expression of social responsibility, with a 15%-20% higher premium compared to ordinary colors.

 

II. Segmentation Dimensions: Color Differences by Demographics, Scenarios, and Regions

 

The realization of color trends shows distinct segmentation features, with consumers across different demographics, scenarios, and regions forming differentiated preferences.

 

(I) Demographics Segmentation: Preference Divergence by Age and Gender

 

Gen Z has become the core consumer group for trendy colors, accounting for over 70% of buyers of Dopamine and vintage color systems. They favor both Dopamine colors like raspberry pink and sky blue, and vintage tones such as wine red and cognac. Related "seeding" notes (product recommendations) have an annual growth rate of 128%. Consumers aged 35-45 focus more on quality, with classic color systems like brown luggage and black luggage accounting for over 60%, and their demand for material texture is higher than for color trends.

 

Gender differences remain significant. Female consumers prefer soft or bright tones like pink, purple, and Morandi colors. The penetration of pink and green luggage and bags continues to increase among young women in the Thai market. Male consumers mainly choose black, dark gray, and brown, focusing on simplicity and stability in color. Middle-aged men contribute 43% of tote bag sales, with the core demand being "versatile utility".

 

(II) Scenario Segmentation: Functional Demands Dominate Color Choice

 

Commuting scenarios favor low-saturation, versatile color systems. Oatmeal, haze blue, and charcoal gray tote bags are popular because they "fit workplace outfits + look good in photos". Longchamp recycled polyester tote bags with these colors achieved rapid inventory clearance. Outdoor scenarios favor high-saturation and fluorescent colors. Brands like Toread and Posa use fluorescent straps and contrasting color designs for their hiking backpacks. This meets both the safety warning demand and the "outdoor style commuting" trend, with related topics on Xiaohongshu exceeding 100 million views.

 

Business scenarios adhere to classic color systems, with black suitcase (or black luggage), dark brown, and navy blue accounting for over 80%, emphasizing a professional image. Social scenarios pursue personalized expression. Gradient colors and contrasting designs are favored. Ferragamo uses contrasting stitching to accent brown leather bags, and Tom Ford pairs gold hardware with dark bag bodies, creating a strong visual memory point.

 

(III) Regional Segmentation: Local Culture Influences Color Preference

 

The Southeast Asian market shows a characteristic of "high saturation and classic coexistence". Vietnamese consumers favor bright colors like purple, red, and yellow, while maintaining a stable demand for classic colors like black and white. In the Thai market, black dominates, but fresh tones like pink and green are gradually increasing in penetration among young women. Due to the tropical climate, the Philippines has a higher acceptance of light colors like white and pink, which are easier to match with daily outfits.

 

The Malaysian market seeks a "balance between classic and personalized". Black, white, and brown dominate, while niche texture colors like purple and gray become new choices for the young generation. The Chinese market shows a rise in "Guochao" (National Trend) colors. Brands like Li-Ning and Anta incorporate blue and white porcelain tones and traditional pattern colors into their designs, achieving 68% acceptance among Gen Z.

 

III. Trend Drivers: Dual Empowerment of Consumption Logic and Market Environment

 

The evolution of luggage color trends is essentially the comprehensive result of consumption demand upgrading, social communication changes, and fashion industry iteration.

 

(I) Consumption Upgrade: From "Practical Adaptability" to "Emotional Expression"

 

Consumer demand for luggage has shifted from mere "functional carriage" to "style expression and emotional resonance". Gen Z is willing to pay a 15%-30% premium for colors with a "cultural narrative". "Guochao" and vintage color systems achieve value enhancement through cultural identity. The popularity of the "Maillard color system" stems from the warm and stable emotions it conveys, while the Dopamine color system satisfies young people's psychological need for optimism and vitality.

 

The shift in consumption concepts drives the upgrade of colors from "versatile safety" to "distinct personality". Individuals preferring color are 21% more likely to purchase high-priced products than those preferring black and white, confirming the influence of emotional value on purchasing decisions.

 

(II) Social Communication: "Photo-Worthy" Dominates Trend Diffusion

 

Social media has become the core communication ground for color trends. The logic of "Aesthetics equals traffic" drives brands to prioritize the visual expression of colors. The core reason for black luggage (tote bags) dropping out of the hot list in Shanghai streets is that "the bag shape is unclear in photos, and no one clicks like on posts". TraveRE's Dopamine color luggage and natural-colored eco-friendly traveling bags (or luggage bag) both achieved sales bursts through "seeding" notes on platforms like Xiaohongshu, with related notes having an annual growth rate up to 128%.

 

Live commerce and short videos further amplify the influence of color. On the Douyin platform, GMV for co-branded luggage and bags (including unique colors) surged by 230% year-on-year. The intuitive visual display allows consumers to quickly perceive the charm of color, accelerating trend penetration.

 

(III) Environmental Protection and Fashion Cycle: Dual Dimensions Shaping Trends

 

The environmental concept drives the rise of natural color systems. Recycled material luggage often uses sand, light brown, and natural wood tones to highlight the texture of the material itself. These products show a 3% reduction in return rates and a 5-fold increase in spontaneous notes on Xiaohongshu. In 2025, natural color systems accounted for over 60% of eco-friendly material luggage and bags, becoming an important vehicle for brands to convey sustainable concepts.

 

The fashion industry's cycle iteration also influences color trends. Pantone's Color of the Year and seasonal popular colors guide the market direction. Citrus, serene blue in spring/summer 2025, and the Maillard color system in autumn/winter are all derived from the transmission of the global fashion cycle. Brands maintain market competitiveness by quickly following the fashion cycle and launching seasonal color products.

 

IV. Future Outlook: The Integration of Personalization, Scenarization, and Technology

 

Future color trends for luggage and suitcase will deepen into three main directions: "customized expression, cross-scenario compatibility, and technological empowerment," further breaking boundaries and strengthening value.

 

(I) Customized Color Schemes Become a Niche Growth Point

 

As personalized demand upgrades, color customization services will gradually become widespread. Brands may introduce a "basic style + color module" combination model, allowing consumers to independently select the colors of the shell and accessories. This satisfies the exclusive "one person, one item" demand. It is expected that by 2028, the market share of customized color luggage (or black suitcase, brown suitcase, beige suit case) will increase from less than 5% to 12%.

 

(II) Cross-Scenario Compatible Colors Are Sought After

 

The demand for a single color to adapt to multiple scenarios will drive the development of "neutral trendy colors". These colors meet the minimalist requirements for commuting while possessing the visual tension for social scenarios, such as low-saturation haze blue and olive green. Brands will strengthen the "scenario compatibility" design of colors, reducing consumers' decision-making costs.

 

(III) Integration of Tech-Inspired Colors and Functionality

 

The development of smart bags for travel will give rise to tech-inspired colors, such as coated colors with reflective effects or temperature-sensitive color change. This both enhances safety during night travel and adds a trendy attribute. Posa's reflective strip design on hiking backpacks has set an example, and in the future, these "functional colors" will be widely applied in outdoor and commuting luggage and bags.

 

Consumer preference for luggage color is essentially an external manifestation of their lifestyle and consumption philosophy. The adherence to classic colors reflects a return to pragmatism. The iteration of trendy colors highlights the demand for personalized expression. The rise of natural colors indicates an awakening of environmental awareness. In the future, with further market segmentation and technological innovation, luggage color will become a core carrier connecting function, aesthetics, and emotion, driving the industry toward a more personalized and value-driven direction.