UGC trends November 2026: what brands are casting for

The short version

This is the latest monthly edition, and it doesn’t change. The Trends page shows the latest edition.

November is the run-up to Black Friday, and shoppers are planning gifts and outfits early on social video while watching prices closely. Jewelry, holiday outfits and value-led Thanksgiving meals stood out, with livestream shopping, collectibles, experience gifts and seasonal nail looks close behind.

The top 3 trends are Jewelry and gold gifts (fashion), Holiday outfits and Christmas pajamas (fashion) and Budget Thanksgiving meals (food). UGCStars lists 1,165 fashion creators, 1,165 fashion creators and 1,065 food creators.

Trends in November

Ranked by the strength of the evidence. Each trend links to its report when there is one, and the niche links to the UGCStars creators for it. Why each one is rising, with its sources, comes after the table.

Why each trend is rising

Jewelry and gold gifts

Searches for gold jewelry and statement rings jumped on TikTok ahead of gifting season, so jewelry brands want try-on and gift-reveal videos that show pieces up close.

• US TikTok searches for "gold jewelry" jumped 1,134% and "opal rings" rose 825% in September month over month, TikTok said. (TikTok Newsroom, 14 October 2026)
• 22% of U.S. TikTok users expect to buy accessories, including jewelry, this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. (TikTok Newsroom, 14 October 2026)
• Sales for single IGA certified lab diamonds on TikTok Shop more than quadrupled from May to September. (TikTok Newsroom, 14 October 2026)

Content brands ask for: product reviews, unboxing, photography, product demos. Read the full report

Holiday outfits and Christmas pajamas

Shoppers are planning what to wear for the season early and clothing tops wish lists, so fashion brands want try-ons of party looks, matching pajamas and cozy layers.

• #christmaspajamas content spiked 297% month-over-month (August to September) on TikTok, and womenswear is a third of TikTok Shop fashion sales this year. (TikTok Newsroom, 14 October 2026)
• 44% of consumers would like to receive clothing this holiday season, second only to gift cards at 47%, in NRF's annual survey. (National Retail Federation, 20 October 2026)
• In TikTok Shop US estimates for 12 to 18 October, Menswear & Underwear grew fastest, up 24.9%, and Women's Tops rose 19.9%. (TokConnect, 20 October 2026)

Content brands ask for: product reviews, vlogs, photography, unboxing. Read the full report

Budget Thanksgiving meals

Hosts are reworking Thanksgiving shopping lists around price while keeping the full meal, so food brands want budget recipes, store brand swaps and make-ahead plans.

• Food prices are changing how 77 percent of U.S. Thanksgiving hosts and guests build their shopping lists, and forty-six percent of respondents plan to buy more store brands, per NIQ. (The Shelby Report (NIQ data), 21 October 2026)
• Among Wegmans customers planning to host, 87 percent are concerned about the cost of food and ingredients, while 72 percent say high quality matters more than the lowest price. (Wegmans, 19 October 2026)
• Aldi and Lidl introduced Thanksgiving bundles that feed 10 people for under $40, followed by Wegmans, Schnucks, Winn-Dixie and Price Rite meal deals. (Grocery Dive, 23 October 2026)

Content brands ask for: tutorials, product reviews, voiceovers, vlogs. Read the full report

Livestream shopping for Black Friday

TikTok Shop runs its Black Friday campaign through November with livestreams at the center, so brands need creators who can demo products live and answer questions.

• Black Friday and Cyber Monday run on TikTok Shop from November 11 to November 30, and US LIVE Shopping sales more than doubled in the first half of 2026, year-over-year. (TikTok Newsroom, 14 October 2026)
• During the 2025 Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend, sellers hosting livestreams on TikTok Shop saw 84% year-over-year sales growth across more than 760,000 sessions. (TikTok Newsroom, 14 October 2026)
• A $99 press-on nail listing was the #2 TikTok Shop US product for 13 to 18 October and made 70.3% of its 30-day revenue on LIVE, per TokConnect estimates. (TokConnect, 20 October 2026)

Content brands ask for: product demos, product reviews, tutorials.

Collectibles and squishy toys

Collectibles from trading cards to squishy toys are selling fast on social shops as gifts, so brands want unboxing and pack-opening videos that capture the hunt.

• Collectibles category sales on TikTok Shop have grown 230% year-over-year in October, and searches for "squishy toys" in September rose 149% month over month. (TikTok Newsroom, 14 October 2026)

Content brands ask for: unboxing, product reviews, vlogs.

Experience gifts

More shoppers plan to give experiences this holiday, led by younger buyers, so travel and leisure brands want creators to show trips, stays and outings as gifts.

• 27% of holiday shoppers plan to give an experiential gift, up from 19% five years ago, with Gen Z helping drive the category to a new high. (National Retail Federation, 28 October 2026)

Content brands ask for: vlogs, testimonials, photography.

Fall and holiday nail looks

Searches for seasonal nail ideas surged and press-on sets are selling on social shops, so nail brands want at-home application and holiday look tutorials.

• TikTok searches for "fall nails inspo" increased 251% and "fall nails" grew 333% month-over-month (August to September). (TikTok Newsroom, 14 October 2026)
• Handmade press-on nails sold an estimated $1.1M on TikTok Shop US from 13 to 18 October, the #2 product that week. (TokConnect, 20 October 2026)

Content brands ask for: tutorials, product reviews, product demos.

Campaign ideas

Concepts a brand could brief this month, each with the creators who fit it.

Gift reveal with a gold piece

Fashion · Three short vertical videos: a try-on, a stack and a filmed gift reveal. Hook: “I asked my sister to open this without telling her what it was.” Gold jewelry searches jumped this fall, and a real reaction shows how the piece looks and feels as a gift. Find fashion creators

Matching pajama morning

Fashion · One family vlog and two size-note try-ons, each under a minute. Hook: “Same set, three sizes, one very honest review.” Holiday pajama content spiked early, and size notes on real bodies answer the fit question before it is asked. Find fashion creators

Full Thanksgiving for less, step by step

Food · A recipe tutorial with voiceover and a short store brand taste test. Hook: “Here is the whole Thanksgiving table, and here is what it cost.” Hosts are reworking lists around price but still want abundance, so a costed, copyable plan earns saves and shares. Find food creators

Black Friday live demo hour

Business · A live product demo plus short clips cut from the stream. Hook: “Ask me anything about this before the deal ends tonight.” Livestreams sit at the center of the November sale campaign, and live demos let shoppers ask before they buy. Find business creators

On UGCStars

Brand activity on UGCStars in the 30 days before this edition, 2 October – 31 October 2026: searches on Find creators, casting calls posted and creator contacts, by niche.

How this edition is made

• The trends were researched on 1 November 2026 from public sources: search interest, industry reports, retailer and platform announcements, and news. Every trend links to its sources, and figures appear only as a source states them.
• Each source link was checked automatically when the edition was published on 1 November 2026. Trends without a working source were left out.
• Niches are the ones creators list on their UGCStars profiles. Creator counts come from UGCStars on the day of publishing.
• UGCStars doesn’t track hashtags, so editions don’t rank them.
• This edition doesn’t change after it’s published. Report a mistake.

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