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Chuck out your white and silver holiday d\u00e9cor, because this year it\u2019s shaping up to be a \u201cRalph Lauren Christmas.\u201d The term \u2014 which harkens back to a nostalgic holiday, filled with rich, cozy colors and textures like red tartan and deep green velvet \u2014 surged more than 600%<\/strong> on TikTok and 831%<\/strong> in Google searches this fall.<\/p>\n Also referred to as \u201cHome Alone Christmas,\u201d in reference to the sumptuous style of the family home in the iconic holiday film, the trend has less to do with actual Ralph Lauren products and more to do with the brand\u2019s signature aesthetic<\/strong>. The trend\u2019s upsurge is being seen as backlash, not just to several years of minimalist and \u201ccoquettish\u201d holiday aesthetics, but also to our chaotic, complicated times; a longing, similar to what is happening in fashion, for the bold, oversized comfort of the late-\u201980s and early \u201990s.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this climate of chaos, people are gravitating toward comfort and going back to the basics,\u201d said Emily Butler, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Karson Butler Hospitality Co., which operates the Ah Louis<\/strong> gift shop in San Luis Obispo, Calif. \u201cThere\u2019s something classic and timeless about this trend.<\/strong> I mean, there\u2019s been tartan and plaid in holiday d\u00e9cor for decades, but it\u2019s just getting a little bit of a dressed-up look,\u201d she explained in an interview with Retail TouchPoints<\/em>.<\/p>\n Ah Louis isn\u2019t the only independent retailer leaning into the trend, as evidenced by search data from B2B marketplace Faire<\/strong>. From September to October, searches for related products skyrocketed: plaid (up 54%<\/strong>\u00a0month-over-month), nutcracker (up 103%<\/strong>), vintage Christmas (up 90%<\/strong>) and velvet (up 47%<\/strong>).<\/p>\n \u201c[This jump in searches] shows just how quickly independent retailers are embracing this classic, heritage-inspired holiday trend that\u2019s gained momentum this season,\u201d said Jen Burke, Chief Revenue Officer at Faire in comments shared with Retail TouchPoints<\/em>. \u201cOne of Faire\u2019s superpowers is helping brands and retailers jump on emerging trends overnight, and we\u2019re watching this one unfold in real time as small businesses curate nostalgic, meaningful shopping experiences for their customers.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n Ah Louis hasn\u2019t had to make many changes to be on-trend this year, given that \u201cfor us, plaid is a neutral; it\u2019s always been part of our DNA,\u201d said Butler.<\/p>\n Located in the historic 151-year-old<\/strong> Ah Louis building in \u201cthis magical little area halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles,\u201d the store has the same name as the Chinese immigrant who ran his business out of the building in the late 1800s, although the character of the shop has changed quite a bit over the past century.<\/p>\n The shop began life a century and a half ago as a general store, and throughout the years the building has served as a gathering spot, an unofficial bank and a post office, but in more recent times was vacant.<\/p>\n Nine<\/strong> years ago, Butler and her twin sister Amber Karson opened their shop, which they refer to as an \u201centertaining general store,\u201d selling everything from hostess gifts, candles and stationery to wine and gift baskets. The shop is an offshoot of their event planning and design business, Karson Butler Hospitality Co., which the twins have run together for 20<\/strong> years.<\/p>\n Those entertaining chops come into play every holiday season, when the Ah Louis store is closed for two weeks to undergo a full Christmas transformation.<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s a strategy not many retailers do, but it has just gotten bigger and better every year,\u201d said Butler. \u201cIt\u2019s a gamble, closing to several weeks of sales, but historically [November and December] are our busiest two months of the year, and we build buzz all year long<\/strong>. I take customers along the journey with me \u2014 when I\u2019m at markets, I\u2019m doing polls, asking what ornaments I should carry, what other kinds of products they want to see.\u201d<\/p>\n This year, that transformation took place at the end of October, and the Ah Louis Holiday Shop is now open for business, decked out in full \u201cRalph Lauren\u201d style and showcasing hundreds of ornaments and gifts for everyone. Singing door greeters will be joining the mix for Small Business Saturday.<\/p>\n The result is that Ah Louis has become a \u201choliday flagship\u201d in the community \u2014 and beyond.<\/strong> Butler recounted a recent visit with two women who stopped in last week on what has become an annual holiday pilgrimage from LA, a three-hour drive each way.<\/p>\n As sometimes happens in the rapidly shifting landscape of online trends, Ah Louis found itself on-trend without any major effort.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t change any strategy [to jump on the Ralph Lauren trend], we\u2019re just on-trend right now,\u201d said Butler. \u201cLast year, though, we didn\u2019t have any plaid nutcrackers. This year, the new Nutcracker design is plaid, so we showcase those in our windows. We do a style guide every year for our employees, and this year we\u2019ve really leaned into the red tartan plaid. So we have cute dresses with big black bows and red tartan plaid that we wear on Saturdays.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve also leaned into the look through plaid gift wrap, cozy textures and classic holiday layers throughout the shop,\u201d Butler added. \u201cAnd of course, we like to make the trend our own: while the rest of the world gears up for Black Friday, we celebrate Plaid Friday, which feels especially fitting this year as it also marks our ninth anniversary. It\u2019s a fun, festive way to embrace a timeless look that resonates deeply with our community.\u201d<\/p>\n And while Ah Louis may not have had to work hard to meet consumers\u2019 aesthetic expectations this year, being on-trend will only help the company with its larger goal: \u201cOur word of the year is \u2018joy.\u2019 How can we add more joy to our community?\u201d said Butler. \u201cWhether or not you step foot into our doors, we want to make sure that you feel a little happier when you drive by our store.<\/strong> There\u2019s so much negativity happening right now that I think people are leaning into the local shops where the shop owners know their name and they feel welcome in a non-pressured environment.\u201d![\"Ralph](\"https:\/\/www.retailtouchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ralph-Lauren-Christmas-TikTok.png\")
Retailers Jump on the \u2018Ralph Lauren Christmas Trend\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Reimagining a Historic General Store as a Modern Gifting Shop<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Making Holiday Shopping an Anticipated Event<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Ah Louis Finds Itself Happily in Line with This Year\u2019s Holiday Trend<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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