Curating Holiday Magic: Colorways and trends for the 2026 holiday season
As seen in Holiday Shop 2026.
Retailers now have their sights on Q4, and it’s quickly becoming clearer what designs, colorways and trends this holiday season will bring.
As consumers navigate an ever-changing world marked with uncertainty, they turn to the holidays to remind them of home, of childhood, of those near and dear. Thus, nostalgia and vintage-inspired décor is slated to do well, as are fresh colorways that inspire individuality.
“Holiday 2026 brings together nostalgia, joy, comfort and a touch of the unexpected,” said Gina Cullen, vice president of product development at Mud Pie.
Retailers should lean into the emotional pull of the season while also making room for self-expression, whimsy and out-of-the-box takes.
THE NEW NOSTALGIA
Nostalgia continues to lead the way heading into the holiday season. While the aesthetic has been building for a few years, brands are now evolving their vintage-inspired assortments with updated color palettes, textures and motifs.
Kirsten McDonough, president of The Whitehurst Co., said the company is leaning into a “nostalgic combined with modern” look via its newly introduced collaboration with designer Eddie Ross. Dubbed “Main Street Merriments,” the collection exudes small-town charm.
“It features vintage-style molds but with a modern twist and color scheme,” she said. “It’s very simple yet elegant and brings back happy memories of yesteryear.”
Social media also plays a role, with “nostalgic Christmas” searches up across platforms. The trend incorporates photos from Christmases past — often two-plus decades back — filled with warm, non-LED lighting, homemade cookies and décor, and an overall return to a slower, lived-in holiday look.
“We’re seeing ‘Ralph Lauren Christmas’ trending all over social media, and I think that has a lot to do with nostalgia and people wanting to get back to basics,” said Kendra Gerwig, creative director of product development at Primitives by Kathy.
“Our new quilted Christmas collection is all about nostalgia. Think, Christmas at Grandma’s. This is perfect for the consumers that want to take a walk down memory lane,” she said.
BEYOND RED & GREEN
For decades, Christmas followed a familiar visual story — reds, greens and metallics, with only subtle shifts from year to year. While that look remains timeless, new holiday palettes inspire individuality.
Pastels, saturated hues and unexpected combinations are rising in popularity, giving retailers more flexibility in how they build out their holiday assortments.
The 2026 standout? Pink.
“Pink Christmas is emerging as a standout color story for holiday 2026,” Cullen said, noting that Mud Pie pairs the shade with pops of blue for a nostalgic-yet-modern feel.
Whitehurst expects the same customer movement. “We’re going to see a lot of pinks and reds together versus just red and green,” McDonough said, noting an evolution of traditional palettes as opposed to a complete departure from them.
Additionally, Primitives by Kathy noted other expanding colorways for the year. “Pastel and moody are still going strong, but we’re also seeing bright, colorful palettes increasing in popularity,” Gerwig said. Across categories, she added, “a lot of consumers are shifting into color stories for their home décor.”
For Stephen Brown of Glitterville, this shift reflects his company’s core philosophy. For decades, Glitterville consistently showed that Christmas can extend well beyond red and green without losing its sense of festivity and occasion.
The brand has built its identity on an anything-but-traditional take on holiday since its early days, leaning into pinks, pastels and whimsical color palettes long before the broader market began to follow. Early showroom visitors often arrived with a specific expectation for traditional red and green holidayware — which didn’t quite match what they found.
“In 20 years’ time, people no longer think of Christmas as just red and green,” he said.
More broadly speaking, holiday décor has shifted toward self-expression rather than merely tradition.
WHIMSY & CHARACTERS
As color expands, so does the nature of the product itself.
One of the clearest shifts is the rise of character-driven product. Instead of generic motifs, customers are gravitating toward pieces with personality — figures that are expressive and downright delightful.
Papa Noel, Mini Madame and cupcake-topped nutcrackers are holiday staples at Glitterville.
“For me, it’s always [been about] the characters,” Brown said. “A house is not a home unless it’s got people in it, and I think the same is true of the giftware line. You have to see those characters and they bring it to life.”
Ultimately, Brown hasn’t just created an aesthetic through his brand — he’s built an alternate, whimsical world, one where holiday magic is palpable, immersive, unexpected and a bit otherworldly.
Mud Pie also cites the rise of playful, fanciful motifs in holiday.
“We’re seeing a strong pull toward the unexpected with fresh color stories, whimsical touches and products that feel crafted and meaningful,” Cullen said. “There’s also a resurgence of nostalgia, from classic icons like nutcrackers to playful, joy-sparking designs for kids. … Across the board, categories that blend practicality with a touch of whimsy always perform strongest, and we expect that momentum to continue into the holiday season in 2026.”
HEIRLOOM-QUALITY & THE COMFORTS OF HOME
Christmas has long involved elements of tradition — ornaments passed down, décor reused year after year, cookie recipes from Grandma — and today’s customer is actively building their collections now to pass down. They’re often returning to stores not to replace their holiday décor, but to add to it.
Thus, collectibles and heirloom-style pieces will likely gain traction as customers increasingly value durability and craftsmanship over quantity — particularly in an uncertain economic landscape.
Primitives by Kathy expects continued momentum in “high-quality items that they can pass down generations,” Gerwig said.
As more people opt for more meaningful at-home gatherings, items that bring comfort are likely to do well in the upcoming holiday season.
McDonough believes the lifestyle shift is rooted in how people are gathering. “People want to be in their home for the holidays, entertaining a more intimate group of maybe 20 people — not 80 people,” she said.
Mud Pie sees cozy materials playing a major role: “Comfort is another defining theme, with cozy sweaters, brushed fabrics and warm neutral tones.”
SELLING HOLIDAY
Instead of merchandising by category alone, the best holiday displays in 2026 will take on a storytelling structure, complete with holiday scenes, cohesive colorways and well-defined aesthetics.
“Window design is one of the biggest things that we preach,” Brown said. “If it doesn’t look attractive from the street, you’re never going to get them inside.”
Ultimately, 2026 consumers are predicted to expect quality and emotional resonance from retailers. Whitehurst sees sentiment as a key driver for the upcoming holidays; sometimes price matters, but “that might be overridden with sentiment and thoughtfulness,” McDonough said.
Thus, for the upcoming season, balance is key.
Wholesalers recommend retailers stock shelves with classic holiday nostalgia, but don’t shy away from color-forward stories, lighthearted characters and crafted details that spark delight in customers. Blending practicality with sentiment invites shoppers to commemorate the season in their own homes in personal ways.
“This is the year where you should play into something for everyone,” Gerwig said. “While we are seeing that the classics are popular, there will always be those out-of-the-box thinkers that want to stray from the norm. I recommend offering a little bit of everything. … They’re looking for a sense of safety and calm in a world of chaos.”
