Have you dreamed of working in fashion? Maybe you want to be a stylist, or a fashion buyer. Whatever you want to be, trendspotting might be a helpful tool for success. Trendspotting, or trend forecasting, can be pretty hard, so I'll share 5 tips to always knowing what's up and coming.
But before we get started, you should know the difference between trend forecasting and trendspotting. Trend forecasting is predicting what will be in style before they are. Trendspotting is seeing something that everyone is wearing and recognizing it as a trend, which is easier than trend forecasting.
1. The 20 year rule
A youtuber that goes under the name "Modern Gurlz", mentions the 20 year rule. Basically, something is most likely going to be in style, then hideous, then indifferent, in about 20 years. Though she mentions that with the rise of fast fashion, it's most likely going to turn into the 10 year rule. For example, 2020 took a lot of inspiration from the late 90's and early 2000's, launching the Y2K aesthetic. In 2021, we'll be taking more elements from the 60's and 70's, which are a couple cycles back.
2. Closet check in
This is a little activity. First, look through your closet. Notice common colors or styles that you've seen other people wear too. Then, look at old clothes and pictures from the last couple decades. I noticed clean lines but with bright colors. But if I traveled back in time, I would probably be wearing bootcut jeans with tops studded with rhinestones and ombre animal prints. So basically, Lisa Frank. I wouldn't wear all of those because I'm not only a lover of pastels, but I'm also older. You can see your style evolve and change as you let go of trends. So analyzing current and past fashions can help train your eye.
3. Reading up
If you have trouble trendspotting, reading articles can help. For example, I read an article about how to wear bubblegum pink. I not only learned that bubblegum pink is a trend, but how they found out. To be honest, I don't love looking at fashion shows and then figuring out trends. I you've seen pictures, most of the time the clothes are really out there and you won't be able to wear them on a daily basis. Plus, there's so many looks! For me, reading these articles is a way to see what's on the runways without looking at them all.
4. Luxury brands
On the other hand, luxury brands are a great way to find out what's next. They don't follow the trends, they make the trends. Whatever luxury brands, large businesses, and pretty much whatever is at the top of the train make will slowly trickle down to us. They'll eventually come up with much more affordable options and the public will buy it. Then when too many people have it, it'll go out of style and something new will be made at the top of the tower. The process will repeat over and over again. One fashion show that I think predicts a lot of trends is the Miu Miu Spring/Summer collection. Like all shows, it's out there, but I think a lot og the more wearable elements of the show will trickle down.
5. Celebrities
This is a classic, but it's worth mentioning. After a designer creates pieces, they might not take off immediately. More often than not, a celeb wears an item and then it's everywhere. For example, take the brown puffer jacket. Until Kendall Jenner wore it, it wasn't really considered fashionable. But as soon she was photographed wearing it, boom, it's everywhere. And, the original North Face jacket she wore went up for hundreds of dollars.
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