Trend forecast 2020: windy with a touch of 1973

Entering a new year and a new decade we’d like to present to you what we call a small fashion forecast. Not for the decade though, that would be way too cocky? I mean who knew 2010 that in ten years Instagram would take over for both fashion magazines and what back then were looked at like regular advertisement? Wow if I had known that uploading my first instagram image back in 2013. It probably wouldn’t have on a coffee mug with an inspirational quote.

Anyways, here is what one could have in mind going into this year.

Cards on the table

The fashion business has always been spending, producing and creating like money (or the environmental issues) wasn’t a problem. Guess what? It is and it has been for a long time. The past decade we have been creating so many channels where brands and costumer can connect I can’t even begin naming all of them. But what they have done is something unique to the fashion business: they have made fashion democratic. Whether anybody disapproves or not. And where has that lead us? To a place where no-one can hide and pretend everything is fine anymore.  

You can see this everywhere really. In how small new-gen brands show their transparency in production leads and ethics. And in how big legacies doesn’t necessarily leads to sales anymore. You can also see this in how most paper magazines that was doing great 10 years ago are now being forced to shut down. The power has changed and big names don’t mean as much anymore. 

Vogue Italia went out yesterday and said that their January issue of the magazine will be image free, to put light on how much money, resources and work it takes to put an issue together, which I bet we’ll be seeing a lot more of in 2020.

“All of the covers, as well as the features of our January issue, have been drawn by artists, ranging from well-known art icons and emerging talents to comic book legends, who have created without travelling, shipping entire wardrobes of clothes or polluting in any way. The challenge was to prove it is possible to show clothes without photographing them.”
– Vogue Italia January 3rd 2020

Vintage

is the way to do it

This feels almost silly to have in here since it’s so given for me that one shouldn’t buy all new. But this is something that we all must remind ourselves everyday. Just existing today, walking out your door in the morning, we get encouraged to shop and shop new. Like the clothes, furniture or even food we got isn’t good enough. I am not saying second hand food is the best option every time but I think you know what I mean when I say that the shiniest red apple in the basket isn’t always the best option. And the same goes with anything. 

So, think twice before you shop something new. Or before you shop at all really (not here to judge though). No much nice clothes already exist and even though it’s harder to find those gems, I bet you you will feel better wearing them if they gave you a hard time finding them. Easy come, easy go goes for clothes too. 

The Polo Shirt’s Big Awakening

I feel like the polo shirt deserves its own headline!!!! because I am so happy this is happening (I didn’t say I would be partial in this). The Lacoste Spring 2020 show is probably one of my favorites from fashion month last fall and I will adept the whole style for sure.

This for sure has something to do with my love for big collars. So I’ll squeeze in a more general reconnaissance here too: big collars in general. On everything from sportswear to shirts and coats. The bigger and pointier the better. 

Got business in Bermuda to do? You lucky son of a Bee. Last years biggest bubbler almost got its own headline here but let’s just slow down for one second. Why? Because next to Bermuda is Hotpantsville and Shortstown too somewhere in-between. The short pants has had a rough decade but it’s time for revenge. Skip the miniskirt and go for shorts. It’s easier to bike in too. The Danes love it. 

Leather

This trend is probably the one that fit the least into fashion’s big ”Let’s go sustainable” campaign. We all know the animal industry and the way the leather later on are being processed is a big villein in the drama. However, there are so many good options for vegan leather today that I won’t count this out immediately. Vintage leather is an even better option though. 

“But yes, this is one of the brightest shining trends of 2020“

Speaking of Leather: The Leather Coat 

And if you only buy one thing, let it be a leather coat! It will be a hero piece and likely to update any look. It’s your new trenchcoat only there is actually a real season for it (and if you live in Scandinavia that season is all year around).

Full Denim

Denim too is not the most environmental friendly material we got. But it is one of the most durable materials we use for everyday clothing. Now that we talk about it, so is leather. So in the long run, using these serviceable materials for clothes instead of materials that break down after too many washes and uses can’t be bad? Well, durability only counts if you actually keep these garments and use them. So, think twice before you invest. Will you use these garments until they fall apart? 

To get less political on you, denim is huge this season. Raw denim, vintage wash denim, light wash denim (but just one though: the lighter the denim, the more water were used to produce them, ok now I’ll stop). And wearing it together, American Workwear Style is the way to go. 

70’s are the new 80’s 

Ok, I won’t rush into things here. The 80’s is still very present, but 1970 is slowly (not that slowly) catching up. 

We will see it in suiting, flare pants, deep Vs, big collars, big glasses (finally I am getting tired of seeing things in tiny lenses) and strong colors and patterns. Let’s call it an anti movement to the next headline. 

The New Minimalism

I am calling it the new minimalism because to me minimalism is all too much jeans and t-shirt and this is actually all but that. 

Brands like Toteme, Khaite, Bottega Veneta and The Row master this oh so well. Ever since Pheobe Philo’s exit from Céline there has been many brands who has fought over the Most Popular in Minimalism titel (congratulations Bottega Veneta) which has lead us to new wave of minimalism. This wave has gotten almost as big as it was in the beginning of the last decade (or is it only because it’s all over Instagram now that I think so?). So denying that layering, maximalism and pattern mixing has gotten a real enemy 2020 would be trend violation (horror). Even though those trends aren’t dead at all.  

The kind of minimalism that breaks the internet – Katie Holmes wearing Khaite cashmere bra and matching cardigan while catching a cab in New York. Let’s just say it kind of defines this headline.

Hey 80’s You Left Your Mini Dress 

The rise of the mini dress was a fun thing to experience last year. I love watching garments who everyone thought were so out of style they would never come back make appearance! It’s what makes fashion still fun, don’t you agree? Now I am just waiting for the velour Juicy Couture to come back in a non-sarcastic way!!!! I only have my entire life to wait. 

I wrote that the 80´s left its mini dress but that was kind of giving the 80´s too much credit since there were a hell lot of legs sticking out under dresses in both the 60s and 70s too. 

Minidresses today feels more like a movement to me. It’s the comeback of the party girl who has tried to be enough sophisticated not to be mixed up with Paris Hilton and the Simple Life era. Now that everything can be sarcastic and therefor fun we are not as afraid anymore of what people think of us. 

…And Your Boxy Blazers with Matching Pants (AKA Suit)

The New It- bag: The Hobo

There is a new it-bag in town and it has handles! Yes! Clutches are great, but are they though? I can never seem to actually carry them in a non awkward way.

The latest bag that has earned the label IT is the Bottega Veneta Hobo. Not a chock, right? But the Hobo? I cannot remember in the last time I saw the Hobo style was in highschool when everyone wanted the Fendi Spy bag or ir I actually have seen one after that.

The Hobo bag will be huge this season so hurry up and get your vintage version to a better price via eBay, Vestiaire or whatever vintage hub you are on before they increase in price. Because trust me, they will.

The Knee High Boots

The age of the ankle boots is behind us! Not completely but it’s time for the short shaft boots to take a step back and make room for their friends in need of extra leg space. 

A lot of the pinpointed trends in this story can be tracked back to the 70’s and also 80’s so I guess I could have just talked about those two decades and be finished a lot quicker with this. But I really wanted to highlight the biggest players in this 2020 game.

Everything in this story has something to do with one another. It’s not an understatement to say that we are very inspired by the 70s right now. But that doesn’t only apply to how we dress, but how we think and act too. We think about the environment more, we are very spiritual, we engage more in groups and are more political than we were 10 years ago. So of course that goes for how we dress as well, it’s not a surprise that the big spender 80’s are being switched for the more humanistic 70’s.

In other words great news, you can get all of this into your outfit everyday by shopping the decade that is trending second hand right now!