Gen Zers and millennials are taking a break from last year’s hot girl summer trend for a more wholesome, simple, but similarly unapologetic lifestyle trend: “coastal grandmother.” The phrase has come to prominence on TikTok, overshadowing the hot girls with a hashtag that’s been viewed over 111.5 million times.

Instead of embodying Megan Thee Stallion’s hot girl aesthetic, it seems as though this year’s summertime fashion will resemble the aesthetic of a beautiful, older female protagonist in a Nancy Meyers movie.

Lex Nicoleta, 26, popularized the term “coastal grandmother” on TikTok in April. Per her guidance, you don’t have to be a grandmother to be a “coastal” one, and you don’t have to live on the coast to fit into the trend. Instead, think Martha Stewart or Diane Keaton’s character in “Something’s Gotta Give.” This trend is all about wearing loose, comfortable clothing like oversized long-sleeve shirts, woven hats, cardigans and tailored cargo pants, and sticking to earthy tones like green, white, beige and blue. A coastal grandmother’s style is effortless chic and premium simplicity.

While trends come and go, this may be one that the promotional products industry should take note of. Nancy Meyers shared an article that noted that coastal grandmother videos have been viewed a billion times on TikTok, Diane Keaton posted a funny video about the concept, and even Anne Hathaway shared a photo of herself in quintessential coastal grandma apparel.

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Taylor Borst, director of marketing events and public relations at Top 40 distributor American Solutions for Business (asi/120075), referenced the trend on TikTok when she reviewed Mercer + Mettle, the new collection from Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863), noting how pieces in the apparel line would be perfect for an aspiring coastal grandmother.

@taylor_borst Which fit is your fave? ✨ Mercer+Mettle collection from SanMar #grwm #brandedapparel #promotionalproducts #brandedmerch #coastalgrandmother #millenial ♬ Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) - Kate Bush

Taylor Borst of American Solutions for Business references the coastal grandma trend in a recent TikTok video.

Integrating what’s trending in retail into the promo product space is essential for distributors, says Borst. “Retail is influencing how our end-user customers make buying decisions. The better that we can connect and prove that what we are selling fits within that bigger picture of retail, the more successful we’re going to be.”

Even before the coastal, nautical aesthetic was popularized, suppliers have been producing products that fit this mold for years. Top 40 suppliers Charles River Apparel (asi/44620), SanMar and alphabroder (asi/34063) were doing coastal grandma before it was even a thing.

From left, the Mercer + Mettle shirt (MM2001) from SanMar, the women’s heathered fleece vest (5722) from Charles River Apparel and the Bella + Canvas relaxed jersey long-sleeve tee (B6450) from alphabroder all have coastal grandmother potential.

“It’s almost like this aspiration to old-money style and luxury, yet not ‘in your face’ kind of luxury,” Borst says of the trend. “We’re looking at this specific style from the viewpoint that you can still be chic and fit into that without actually being somebody who’s ever lived on the coast.”

Being a coastal grandmother transcends clothing – it’s an unapologetic lifestyle of leisure and comfort. The person who resonates with this lifestyle always has a bottle of Chardonnay on hand. They spend their days appreciating the beautiful, simple things and live a life full of small luxuries in their cozy interior-designed home. Gardening, taking walks and recreating Ina Garten’s Baked Shrimp Scampi constitutes most of their time. Blankets and picnic baskets from Picnic Time (asi/78065) or a custom wood wine box from A Plus Wine Designs (asi/30223) would be perfect additions for a coastal grandmother-themed kit.   

The rustic laser-engraved wood box with custom etched wine (GSE1) from A Plus Wine Designs and the Promenade Picnic Basket (203-20) from Picnic Time are an ideal fit for the coastal grandma aesthetic.

“The coastal grandma trend is fun because it’s counterculture in its radical wholesomeness,” says Kriya Stevens, director at econscious (asi/51656), a supplier that makes earth-conscious apparel and accessories designed to have a long lifecycle. “It answers a need for familiar, comforting landscapes, loving people and cherished objects.”

Founded in 2006, econscious has a sustainable brand story and classic aesthetic that would enthrall the model coastal grandma. The color palette of its products come from nature, with econscious drawing recent inspiration from “heritage colors punctuated by coastal colors,” Stevens says. “The combination feels modern but familiar.”

The heathered fleece raglan pullover (EC4505) from econscious is made from organic cotton and recycled polyester.

“Our customers like knowing that we have our pulse on emerging trends while taking it all with a grain of salt,” Stevens says. “The grandma trend seems to be saying exactly that: Be true to what makes you feel like you.”

As Borst articulated, drawing on real-world trends can result in stronger connections with customers and their brand. Stevens shares a similar sentiment.

“Promotions that capture the zeitgeist of the moment can result in products that capture people’s attention and feel more relevant,” Stevens says. “The goal is to make memorable products, which means pulling inspiration from all facets of life. If we can tell a compelling story about the choices we made and the inspiration behind them, our customers will feel more connected to the finished product.”

The coastal grandmother trend takes our desire for comfort, authenticity and appreciating the small things in life and translates them into a fashion and lifestyle aesthetic – which easily dovetails into products the promo industry already offers. Those in the promo industry who can make such connections will ultimately be ahead of their competitors.  

And besides, who wouldn’t want to channel their inner Nancy Meyers protagonist and grab some white wine – poured into a logoed glass from a bottle stashed in a custom box – while wearing a comfy, flowing long-sleeve tee (with a subtle left-chest decoration, of course)?

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