forecasting-blogs

Zeitgeist: Millenials

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 23:28:22 +0100

1. The Millenials are an interesting breed with their roots in late 80’s early 90’s birth and upbringing. As a Gen Y member myself, I have a unique view on the cultural environment that is going on around me. Many events have shaped this view and are shaping the world we live in today.

Some dominating events of the last couple of decades include the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. This has definitely shaped my worldview and led to the increased patriotism growing up. There was a flag on every lawn and the war on terror began. This lasted for about 10 years when recently in 2011, Osama Bin Laden was captured. President Obama becoming the first African American President was also a major event. This to me symbolized how far we had come in fighting racism. Another dominating event recently was the wedding of Kate Middleton to Prince William. The wedding was highly publicized and her dress dissected. I think it’s every girls dream that a “commoner” could become royalty. Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games are some of the major book series that I have gotten into. I think almost every American my age would recognize the name Harry Potter, especially with the opening of the theme park at Universal in Orlando.

Some dominating ideas recently include the eco friendly craze. Finally something that actually benefits the environment! From bringing your own bags to Walmart to recycling, everyone can do their part. Zumba is an exercise craze that came around almost as a result of the obesity crisis in the nation. Another idea is that it’s ok to wear workout clothes everywhere (even at some churches) and it’s fine to look casual at work. This fashion idea is prevalent on every college campus.

There are many pop culture icons that dominate our social groups. Rebecca Black was most searched for on Google in 2011 with her hit song “Friday”. Where did she come from? Everyone had to find out. Other popular hits include Justin Bieber, Amy Winehouse, and Adele. These are the people the kids are currently idolizing? Can’t we go back to Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears? Oh wait, JT just married Jessica Biel this weekend…never mind. One death that hit the nation hard was Steve Jobs. He was a technological genius that designed several of the items that I use on a daily basis.

Speaking of technology, everyone wanted to know about the Ipad 2 and the Iphone 5 in 2011. I’m just lucky to have the 4 to keep up with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest…the list could go on. My generation is obsessed with constant communication and always being informed. Our technology makes these goals very easy, even if we’re on the go. A year ago I felt so left out without a smartphone, and now I can’t imagine my life without one. We have become dependent on technology.

These are just a few of the things that shape my worldview and our current zeitgeist today. A forecaster could use this map to think about what is popular now, and project into the future. The issues discussed are the keys to marketing to Gen Y.

Google Zeitgeist. Retrieved from http://www.googlezeitgeist.com/en/top-lists/us/overall/google-com-fastest-rising.

Kate Middleton. Retrieved from http://whatkatewore.com/.

Idea Chain - The Wedding Dress

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 23:24:51 +0100

The modern day bride almost always dreams of wearing a white dress on her big day. It is the tradition in America and many other countries such as England, Russia, and Australia. How did this fashion item get assimilated into the mainstream?

During medieval times brides wore expensive gowns made of fur, silk and other textiles. Extremely long sleeves were common. The extravagant style reflected the social status of the family. These dresses were then worn for other special occasions after the wedding day (that would be unheard of today). Blue used to be a popular color for the wedding day attire because it represented purity. The earliest white wedding gown documented was that of Princess Phillippa, daughter of Henry IV of England in 1406 (Italian wedding designer). Mary Queen of Scots also wore white for her wedding in 1559. White only became a color in widespread use after Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840.

At that time, and throughout history, wedding dresses have been modeled after the current style of dress. For example in the 1920’s brides wore short dresses, or ones with fringe like the flappers. Dresses were long for the 30’s and 40’s then some were short during the 1950’s. The 60’s saw a return to the long romantic style of dress. The 70’s was modeled after the long hippie child look, and the 80’s was all about wedding extravagance with huge sleeves and gaudy sequins. Today about 75% of all dresses are strapless because they are easy to alter and that is just a popular and flattering style. However, there has been a rise in the sleeved wedding dress started last year by royal Kate Middleton in Alexander McQueen. Ivanka Trump, Lily Allen, Princess Di, and Lauren Bush Lauren have all sported sleeves on their gown.

The white dress has now been cemented into our minds as typical wedding day attire thanks to movies such as Runaway Bride, Father of the Bride, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Today, white symbolizes purity in the sanction of marriage, although variations such as ivory, ecru, eggshell and pearl are common. The rise of primarily wedding dress designers has also helped the dress come into mainstream fashion. Famous dress designers include Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, and Lazaro. Even J. Crew has their own line, which leads me to believe what’s next? When will Target have their own line of designer wedding dresses? Popular TV shows such as TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress”, and David Tutera’s “My Fair Wedding” have helped to popularize the extensive process of purchasing a dress and what styles and designers are appropriate. Looking like a princess is still a popular dream for many women on their day. Surely whatever the dress chosen, this idea will never go out of style.

Societal Trend - Online Community gets Backlash

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 23:17:30 +0100

1. Ravelry is an online social networking site exclusively for knitters and crocheters. Recently the site has gotten flack because of one site members’ idea. Kimberli Smith was the first to think of the Ravelympics – a sort of competition for the sites members to complete tough projects while watching the Olympics. Everything was fine for 2008 and 2010, but for the London games in 2012, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USCO) stepped in asking them to stop. The USCO said it was disrespectful to the hard work the athletes put in by using the term Ravelympics. This, of course, caused a huge uproar in the knitting community.

This is not the first time the group has been contacted by the USCO. In 2010 they were awarding members with a pin of a dog wearing a knit hat and gold medal; this said badge infringed on intellectual property rights. The group stopped issuing them immediately. The new problem with the Ravelympics highlights the problem of copyright protection on the internet. Some patterns and projects feature symbols such as Batman or a sports teams’ logo. It was several Olympic themed items online that were also mentioned in the cease-and-desist letter from the USCO.

Now what’s really causing an uproar, even in the comments section of the article, is the fact that the letter sent to Ravelry members mentions that the knitting event insults the Olympic athletes. Many people are upset and outraged because the Olympics was once an event for amateur athletes only. One commenter, Dez Crawford, points out that sports such as “synchronized swimming and table tennis suffer insults from people who don't think those are "real" sports, and that is EXACTLY how insulted a knitter feels to read the content of the original cease-and-desist letter” (2012). Another commenter makes the point that the USCO probably hasn’t trademarked every use of the word Olympics, but she is more upset by the fact that Committee lost the chance for a great marketing partnership with Ravelry. In my opinion, this would have been a great opportunity to shine some light on a niche community of “amateurs”. Nike, Coca Cola and Visa, we’ve all heard of many times before, but it wasn’t until this article that I had ever heard of Ravelry. It seems like the USCO has really poked the hornet’s nest with this one though, because members of the site are up in arms.

So for a recap about this societal trend: the WHO, Kimberli Smith who coined the name “Ravelympics; the WHAT, USCO insulting a large group of knitters and the backlash; the WHY, knitting has exponentially grown in popularity; the WHERE, the online blogging community, Ravelry; the WHEN, following the 2012 Summer Olympics, and now when blogging and online communities are at a height. As to how this could result in a fashion trend? I’m predicting a rise in overall knitwear and crochet! This may very well lead to knitted partnerships too.

World Culture - Russia

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 23:17:19 +0100

Ok, all I knew about Russia can be summed up in three things: nesting dolls, Faberge eggs, and the animated movie Anastasia. Limited knowledge, I know. So my goal with this post was to educate myself (and you) on the traditional costumes of Russia, and how they have impacted fashion all over the world today.

Traditional Russian clothing was largely influenced by the Byzantine Empire in the early beginnings of the country. This included rich color, pattern, and cloth such as Byzantine silk. Trimming or a border around the edges of the garment was common as an interesting detail. The himation (like a toga) over a chiton, or tunic, was common. This style carried over into the historic Russian dress style. One aspect of women’s folk costume is the sarafan, a long trapeze shaped jumper dress. Most are simple and made from one piece, but elaborate brocade ones are for formal wear. A head scarf tied under the chin would complete the look, and the kokoshnik is the traditional headdress. It is usually tall crest shaped, and ties in the back with ribbons. It can be highly decorative with pearls or gold embroidery. This headdress was worn by peasant women on special occasions until the Russian Revolution. Shoes worn by the poor included the lapti made of bast fiber; they were not durable. Valenki are traditional Russian felt boots for winter wear. They are often worn with galoshes because the soles can wear out quickly.

Men wore a caftan with a belt, kosovorotka, which is a long sleeved, calf length skewed collar shirt, and a ushanka which is a fur trapper hat. The ushanka is stereotypically associated with Soviet Russia. Fabrics for all included wool, linen, and fur. These are perfect for the cool weather climate. Typical colors used were crimson, dark red, purple, and azure (Kies, 2007).

Imperial style in Russia began with Peter the Great in 1721. The court was extremely lavish from jewelry to furniture. Their rich jewels and opulent dress inspired many styles in and out of court. The Ballet Russes which ran from 1909 to 1929 under Sergei Diaghilev also inspired fashion trends. Costumes from the company were recently held in an exhibit at the National Gallery of Australia. Designers included Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. The Ballet was also the subject of a 2010-2011 exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Looking at today’s fashion, I can tell that Russia has left her mark. In 1976 Yves St. Laurent brought the Russian spirit to life in his collection. Chanel pre fall 2009 showed gorgeous outfits trimmed in fur and gold stitching. Other designers with Russian inspiration include: Vera Wang 2007, John Galliano 2009, and Alexander McQueen with the beautiful Faberge egg handbags in 2008. I can see the culture inspiration even for this fall with brocade and heavy ornamentation being popular trends. You too can look like Russian royalty in the winter with a fur cap on!

Style Icon - Johnny Cash

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:27:46 +0100

“The Man in Black”, a nickname that is almost synonymous with Johnny Cash. He was a little bit country and a little bit rock n’ roll. His gravelly, soulful voice resonated with so many people and still does today. In the same way, his well tailored style is still classic and relevant 50 years later.

Johnny Cash was born and raised in Arkansas, and started writing songs at the age of 12. Cash garnered popularity in the 1950’s, at the start of his career with many singles. He worked the Tennessee music circuit, running with the likes of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. His career started at the birth of rock and roll which has roots in folk, gospel and blues. Some of his most popular songs were “The Ring of Fire”, “Jackson”, “I Walk the Line”, and “Folsom Prison Blues”. There was a decline in popularity when he eventually earned a bad boy image due to his drug use, relationship with June Carter, and support of prison reform. Who else would dare to perform live at Folsom prison? His fame spiked again in the 1970’s after he married June and became a reformed Christian fundamentalist.

His clothing choices supported his brooding, outlaw stage presence. Early in his career, Cash wore black because that was the only color shirt that he and his band had to match. Eventually his famous moniker stuck because Cash purely enjoyed wearing black onstage and in his personal life. Near the beginning of his career in 1957, he performed at the Grand Ole Opry “all in black where the other performers were decked out in flamboyant, rhinestone-studded outfits” (Erlewine, 1). His simplicity makes him stand out from other singers of his time. His famous look is “that of a poet turned country singer and songwriter” (Style icon, 1). He wasn’t careless with fashion, like other country stars. Rather he wore well tailored and refined pieces, including black shirts, pants, and leather jackets. He knew who he was and never strayed from his personal style. Cash wrote the song “Man in Black” to express his views on his peers: “We're doing mighty fine I do suppose / In our streak of lightning cars and fancy clothes / But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back / Up front there ought to be a man in black”.

You might say that Cash’s style was precursor to goth, or that he likes the funeral look, but his masculine turned romantic fashion is emulated around the world. Whether it’s by a kid on Halloween, wannabe rock stars like Nick Jonas, or tailored black suits at Dolce and Gabbana, men seek to imitate his clean look because it is classic. To achieve Cash’s look for yourself, invest in some finely tailored black pants, shirt and leather jacket. Armani makes many clean cut leather jackets. For a twist, add some country details such as fringe, boots, or a bandana. With these details, you too can look like a brooding “woman in black”.

Style Tribe - Rockabilly

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:43:50 +0100

Find them at vintage car shows, drive in movies, or burlesque clubs. Who is this interesting subculture with an abnormal interest in the 1950’s? Rockabilly. Urban Dictionary says that “Rockabilly is not a style it's a way of life.” This is a subculture comprised of men in women ranging in all ages that strive to remember and recreate the 1950’s, including music, dress, and cars.

Rockabilly has its roots much deeper than just modern day. The word itself is a portmanteau of “rock” and “hillbilly”. Rock and roll was birthed in the early 1950s, and had its roots in bluegrass, country, rhythm and blues, gospel, and soul. Memphis, Tennessee was home to many young rockabilly stars, including the ultimate icon, Elvis Presley. Other influential artists in the movement include Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Eventually the craze died down, and in the late 1970’s people began to be interested in the genre again. It has been garnering interest and a following to this day.

As I mentioned, this subculture is all about living the 1950’s lifestyle and it’s more popular than I imagined. How many people out there are dressing like pin up girls and Danny Zucko? Apparently quite a lot. Some are all about the music, some about the fashion, and some about both. The female members sporting the rockabilly style look like a “bizarre hybrid of Betty Crocker and Bettie Page, trying to be part 50's housewife and part pinup model” (yourscenesucks.com). They love full dresses, pencil skirts, pedal pushers, short shorts, high waist jeans, a pin up hairstyle, and lots of makeup. True to the 50’s style, they love polka dots, stripes, and a palette of red, black, and white. They desire the sensuous looks of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Jayne Mansfield. Younger men and women usually have body ink, sometimes including the ubiquitous sailor tattoo. Men show off their style through jeans with massive turn ups, white t-shirts, leather jackets, vintage western, bowling, or American football shirts, and boots, brogues or creepers on their feet. And we can’t forget the greaser hair, styled to pompadour perfection.

Where can you find these stuck in the past fanatics? Really any cool town with a decent music scene, including Nashville, Memphis, Austin, and Chicago is home to the Rockabilly crowd. They are far and wide throughout the US, but stay close through weekend shows and gatherings.

The 1950’s was literally the time of all things American classic, so of course the style is still influential in mainstream fashion. Design houses such as DSquared, Betsey Johnson, Balmain, and Burberry have all been influenced by the rock chic look. How can you look like a modern day pin up girl? I’m so glad you asked. Your wardrobe should include these key elements: leather jacket, tight pants, cheetah print, polka dots, a red bandana, lipstick, and heels. For the cherry on top, fix your hair with a pouf or curls, and voila – modern day rockabilly sex kitten.

Coolhunting in Austin, TX - Cosmicpolitan

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:23:47 +0100

Hey trend followers, how cool are you? If you were really cool, you would already know what I was going to be talking about and you would be wearing it right now. Since you probably aren’t, I’ll play nice and let you in on my little secret. Spotted on the streets of Austin, off Guadalupe and South Congress, on a mild weathered UT game day Saturday, I saw…galactic t-shirts. That’s right, planets! All the shirts spotted had a black background with a cosmic image printed on the front. The images depicted purple and blue stars and planets. I chose this trend because no one at Baylor has caught on yet! Another girl I saw in Austin had on a Star Wars t-shirt, which was a similar concept but the wrong execution. I have yet to spot any outer space themed accessories, but hopefully those will crop up soon. So jump on this space shuttle to cool before everyone else does!

Color/Textile Forecast - S/S 2014

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:21:30 +0100

As we all know from watching The Devil Wears Prada, color and textile trends do not reach saturation overnight. As the sharp tongued Miranda Priestly pointed out, color trends such as cerulean start out in designer collections then eventually trickle down to the bargain bin at the Gap. This careful planning is why forecasters have to work years in advance to plan trends. Designers must have time to incorporate the new “it” colors and textiles into their collections. When you see one color everywhere – home goods, swimwear, packaging, beauty, it isn’t just a coincidence. That was a carefully executed brainwash by forecasters and designers. Now it’s time to look ahead at the color and textile trends for Spring/Summer 2014.

The title for my color story is Universe; it is based on the bold colors of space. The free form, enmeshed colors of space allow women to achieve a look that is natural rather than artificial. The target market for my forecast is women aged 18-35. An inspiration for this trend is from recent cool hunting in Austin, TX. Several young trendsetters were seen sporting t-shirts with a galactic motif. I thought this would carry over well into a Spring/Summer color story. Monaco Blue is the color for spring 2013 according to Pantone, and looking ahead it is all about pinks (Pantone, 2012). I have selected a darker pink, Supernova, and a lighter pink, Cosmos. Stardust is a purple with a hint of grey for a neutral. Shimmer is an interesting pop of yellow green. Deep space is a teal that rounds everything out. All colors can be paired well with black and white as a base, or metallic for a dressier vibe. The can be worn alone or together for a look that you think won’t match, but amazingly does. All colors are pulled from images of the universe.

Textiles that would pair well with this color story are silk, organza and chiffon for a elegant diaphanous look that mimics the sheer smattering of stars in the galaxy. Man made materials are good for this trend because they can produce a shiny finish. Of course cotton is always a must for summer because of the breathable nature of the fabric.

Women will gravitate toward this color palette because the colors can be mixed with what they have in their closet. The direction has gone past global and reached far out to universal. The night sky resonates with every person, and is a part of nature, just a different one than is usually focused on for spring/summer. The zeitgeist is moving in a direction of knowledge, empowerment, and others focused; these elements are inspiration. The watercolor affect and organic prints on clothes are a beautiful step back from color blocking. This palette can also translate into home goods, menswear, packaging, and paint colors. Kitchen appliances would be a unique way to use these colors. The colors are basic enough that they could be around for several years and not look out of place.

Dempgraphic Group - Baby Boomers

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:47:42 +0100

Maybe you know someone who’s going through a midlife crisis; your dad just bought a corvette, your next door neighbor bought a boat, and your friend’s divorced mom bought herself a right hand diamond ring. Baby boomers across the country, born 1945-1964, are at the ripe age to experience this strange phenomenon. That would in 2012 put them between 48 and 66. This is a group that has with time reshaped America – more divorces, less retirement, and they’re still spending. Let’s take a closer look at the boomer demographic.

The boom started right after WWII when families began to settle down, and lasted until the invention of the birth control pill in 1964. This generation grew up listening to The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and Johnny Mathis. They loved Gilligan’s Island, Happy Days, and Love Boat. Their formative years were during the 1960’s and early 70’s when so many ideas and views were shifting. Civil rights, women’s rights, free love, rock music and drug experimentation all played a part in shaping their youth. The boomers are a very well educated group; “about 88.8 percent completed high school, and 28.5 percent hold a bachelor’s degree or higher”. This in turn has an impact on their interest in voting. Boomers seem to swing conservative; “in the Election of 2000 and the Election of 2004, seniors thought highly of President Bush” (Baby boom generation). This group is now hard working, responsible and pays their taxes. There are many issues that boomers see as important, retirement being one of them. Many have lost value in investments due to the economic crisis and are therefore delaying retirement or deciding not to retire at all. Home ownership, health and fitness, and social security are some other important issues to boomers. Some influential boomers of today are Barack Obama, Condoleezza Rice, Bono, George W. Bush, Cher, Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey.

Today in the United States, they are the largest economic group. Currently there are 77.3 million boomers still living and reaching the retirement or empty nest stage. This can lead to more spending on discretionary items or a mid-life crisis caused by stressors. With extra time on their hands, boomers are beginning to travel, go to the theater, and eat out more. The boomers continue to influence fashion, with Michelle Obama being a great example. She is a fashion forward boomer who likes to mix high end and low end. They also enjoy shopping from home, with HSN being a favorite. Retailers would be wise to market to this group: “the average consumer age 45 to 54 spent about $1,900 on clothing in 2010, and the consumer age 55 to 64 spent about $1,500” (Connor, 2011, p.1).

Don’t discount the boomer group; they’re still here, just older and wiser. If you want to target them, they watch television and read the newspaper more than any other age group. They’re also not brand loyal. So grasp this important market segment while you can, especially if you’re selling Happy Days DVD sets.

Zeitgeist - 1920's

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:51:25 +0100

The ‘Roaring Twenties’; what comes to mind when you hear that term? Jazz, liquor, and rolled stockings are just a few of the things I immediately think of. That’s surface level thinking; if you really want to understand the zeitgeist of the era, you have to dig deeper and take a look at events, ideas, social groups, attitudes, and technology of the time. I’m taking a closer look at the 1920’s to really understand the spirit of the times.

To set the stage for the 1920’s is the end of World War I. This began a time of wealth, extravagance, fun, opulence, and change; the decade was a celebration! Only at this party, liquor was outlawed through the Prohibition in 1919. I know that would never fly in 2012, and it didn’t go over well back then either. This led to the popularity of the speakeasy – an illegal drinking and dancing club. People came to listen to jazz and dance the Charleston. Another important amendment to note is the 19^th which gave women the right to vote. Women felt unrestricted and bold; this new woman was known as “The flapper”. She cut her hair, danced, smoke and drank. The radio, automobile and sewing machine were widespread at this time.

Drastic changes in fashion were slow coming however. It wasn’t until 1925 that the public fully accepted new changes in fashion. The flappers wanted a boyish, slim figure and wore shapeless dresses decorated with fringe and beads. The hemline rose to above the knee and the waistline dropped; this change allowed for freedom of movement. The bob haircut, lipstick, and the cloche hat are all styles of the flapper. Designers of the time included Madeleine Vionnet, Paul Poiret, Coco Chanel, and Jean Patou. Coco Chanel really embraced a fashion change when she designed pants for women out of her famous jersey knit. More women were working after the war, and it was practical for them to wear pants. She also popularized costume jewelry with her signature string of pearls. Fashion icons of the age included Joan Crawford, Anita Page, and Clara Bow who all had a very glamorous look. Another important movement to note is Art Deco. Geometric shapes, sweeping lines, and symmetry appeared not only in fashion, but also architecture, art, and interior design. A geometric motif can be seen in this dress by Vionnet with beautiful beads.

Many styles from the 1920’s are still popular today. Some trends for fall such as fur, and extreme embellishments stem from this decade. Geometric prints fit in with today’s obsession with pattern play. Costume jewelry is still a great alternative for women who want to look sumptuous without breaking the bank. Women wearing pants, and men’s classic suits are both still acceptable in today’s society. The Great Gatsby remake set for 2013 has already got the fashion world buzzing about the splendid costumes. This excitement will spillover to the mainstream – what modern woman wouldn’t want to emulate Daisy Buchanan’s style?