Homecoming Mums 2026: Texas Hot Trend Watch
I consider myself a mumologist (a word I made up), which is a person who studies the history and heritage of homecoming mums (a definition I made up). I’m genuinely fascinated by the origin story of mums and all the complicated reasons why the tradition continues to evolve differently in Texas than everywhere else.
What that means is while I am fascinated by mums, I’m not trying to sell you one. This frees me up to call it like I see it. So let’s get to it! Here’s WHAT’S HOT IN HOMECOMING MUM DESIGN RIGHT NOW…
Simply Mum Creations, part of The Couture Collection. Learn more at simplymumcreations.com/couturecollection
They’re so fluffy!
Homecoming mum and garter trends for 2026 in Texas are all about TEXTURE and incorporate gravity-defying braiding, loops, feather boas, bows, ribbon chains, and more to create density, movement and swagger. High end mums, particularly custom mums, are typically quite large, complex, layered, and sturdy. Not surprisingly, they’re also the most expensive.
Mum Top
Not your grandma’s mum: Texas homecoming mums haven’t been corsages made from live chrysanthemums for decades. Today’s mums and garters are anchored by a grouping of artificial flowers (starting with 1 up to as many as 25+), creating a mum top ranging from, say, 6” to 24” or more in width.
Mum Skirt
Layered ribbons and braids: Layered ribbons of varying lengths and widths make up much of the mum skirt, aka what hangs down from the mum top. There are so many techniques for combining and manipulating ribbons, like chains and loops, but braiding has all the rizz (if you want to see some great examples, visit the RG Mums webpage on braiding: rgmums.com/braids).
Lace and Bows: It’s a little too early to say if lace is on its way out, but bows are here to stay.
Boas: Fluffy feather boas lining both sides of the skirt are very popular as they add extra volume and movement without adding much weight.
Theme Mums
While theme mums can be fluffy too, what sets them apart is that they’re clearly based on a specific concept, hobby, fandom, brand, character, or cause.
Example of a Game of Thrones theme mum. Chosen for display in early 2026 at the new Institute of Texan Cultures at UT San Antonio.
Alt color palette: Theme mums are steeped in the wearer’s personal aesthetic as well as the theme itself. The color scheme of a theme mum, therefore, tends to reflect the motif rather than high school colors or fashion trends.
Alt materials: Besides color scheme, theme itself drives every choice related to the design of these mums including size, materials and shape. Note the feathers used in the Game of Thrones theme mum (pictured).
DIY roots: While you can hire a professional mum maker to create a custom theme mum, the genre continues to be highly influenced by DIYers.
Color me special
Senior mums are traditionally white, but I’m also seeing an abundance of senior mums dominated by a single “fashion color” or embellished with metallics.
White + metallic for seniors: Many seniors favor traditional all-white mums and garters paired with silver or gold accents, depending on the school’s traditions.
Pastels: Pink, lavender, baby blue, light teal and other “coquette” colors and embellishments (especially pearls and bows) have carried over from 2025 and are still popular in senior and senior-inspired mums.
Bold & bright: Vibrant colors are on the rise in 2026 for senior and senior-inspired mums. Think sunshine yellow, bold raspberry, turquoise, and citrus-y orange.
School colors for underclassmen: Freshman, sophomore and junior mum designs are typically smaller than senior mums and stick closer to school color combinations.
Sparkle of my Eyes
Sparkly Cricut-cut monograms and shapes, holographic elements, iridescent and “diamond dust” ribbon, and other light-catching custom adornments are hot, hot, hot. They also serve an important purpose. They reflect the wearer’s activities, interests, relationships, and personality.
Pearl lettering: Outlining monograms with faux pearl beads is a fresh accent in mum design.
LED lights: Integrating mini-lights give mums a glowing effect, especially after dark at the homecoming game.
Dye cuts: Thanks to the availability of Cricuts and other professional-level crafting equipment, mum makers are able to cut intricate shapes, letters and other custom design elements for the center of the mum top as well as splashed throughout the skirt.
Sparkly: If it shines bright like a diamond, add more.
A final note about traditions: Less than forty years ago, practically every high school student in Texas knew and followed the same unspoken norms related to mum size and colors: 1. the higher the class year, the bigger the mum (with senior mums being the largest); and 2. underclassman mums were in school colors and senior mums were all-white, or white plus accents of gold or silver. In 2026, we see that the ongoing normalization of highly personalized custom mums (like theme mums and high-end ones) is chipping away at more straight-forward traditions related to class year.
Want to learn more?
Visit my Mum FAQs at mumentousbook.com/faq or this blog story on fifteen (yes, really!) different styles/types of homecoming mums and garter mums: mumentousbook.com/blog/what-are-the-different-homecoming-mum-styles
What do you think?
Are you seeing other emerging trends in homecoming mum design at your school? Comment below!
