My Fashion Forecast for 2020
In 2017-2018, I was a senior in college taking a Fashion Forecasting class as a credit for my Apparel Merchandising minor. I loved every single one of my fashion classes, and every task, challenge, test or question seemed like second nature to me. But above every other class, I loved and felt most excited about my Fashion Forecasting class with Dr. DeVita at Baylor University than anything else. Anyways, one of our final projects for the semester was creating a forecast for the year 2020. She tasked us with finding movies that would be coming out, top places for travel, analyzing pendulum swings and fashion curves; and ultimately determine what we believed would be a major trend in 2020. At first the task seemed daunting, and IMPOSSIBLE. But after reading an article of Nashville, Tennessee being one of the top recommended travel destinations for 2018, I started to develop my theory….
Theme and Mood
The theme I have chosen is a “citified” western look. The inspiration came from Nashville, Tennessee, one of the music capitals of the country. Today notes it as one of the top 5 cities to visit in 2018. I believe this will affect the Zeitgeist for consumers in 2 years, after they have visited and toured the city and have gathered inspiration. Nashville is a buzzing, exciting city with an energetic nightlife. Looking at pictures it appears to have neon signs up and down the streets creating a countrified looking times square (maybe a slightly dramatic comparison), nonetheless, it looks very exciting. Nightlife appears to be so huge because of the city’s love for music and the number of performers that are going to bars attempting to be discovered and make it big. Nashville is very proud of its heritage and country influence. It is the home to the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Grand Ole Opry, and some of country music’s biggest stars. This is why I have chosen a citified country look as my theme because you can see Nashville native bloggers channeling the city’s life through garments such as these, and it is a fun way to show off a little bit of your country side without looking costume-y. It is a very sleek, edgy look and perfect for taking an outfit from day to night with some darker colors and edgier materials such as leather. I have not yet been to Nashville but it has definitely been one on my bucket list for quite some time. I am very excited to gather more inspiration from this vibrant city!
Wild Wild Dressed
Feelin’ Tennessee Frisky? Well you’re in luck! “Today” ranks Nashville, Tennessee as one of the top 5 places for any tourist to visit this year, but first you’re going to need a solid packing list. Some trends we see emerging from this music capital are western-inspired pieces. Nashville is a city with a booming nightlife, so you’re not going to want to show up in your cowgirl Halloween costume from a few years back. This western chic look is modernized with sleek and subtle statement pieces, leather, suede, fringe, silver studding, worn denim, and cool hats. Stick to a color palette of browns, tans, blues, and blacks and you’ll look like a true Nashville native! By 2020, everyone is going to want a little fringe vest or silver studded booties in their closet!
Color Palette
The colors I have chosen for my palette are: Asphalt (black), Cotton (white), On the Rocks (brown), Desert Rose (magenta), Tennessee Whiskey (dark orange), Burnt Sunset (orange), Nashville Neon (yellow), Desert Sky (blue). My theme derives from the Nashville lifestyle and culture so I have drawn inspiration for my color palette from the city itself as well as its western/country undertones. First I have chosen Asphalt (which is just black) because black is and will always be in and MUST be included in every line. However, I also believe Asphalt is needed because of the edginess the color insinuates and the type of garments that incorporate this color (leather, suede, hats, etc.). I decided to call this color Asphalt because of its use in “the city.” Asphalt is not seen in the desert and old western films, but it is seen in Nashville. Next I have chosen to call the color white “Cotton.” This inspiration came from ideas drawn from the “wild west” and the emphasis on cotton. Third is On the Rocks. Originally this inspiration came from the idea of dirt and sand in the desert, and the color of suede. However, I also noticed that the color whiskey looks when ice is added creates deeper brown hues which is how I came up with the name of this particular color. Fourth is desert rose; this color was inspired by a very particular embroidery thread I saw in one of my inspiration photos (I apologize I reused a photo from last week’s PowerPoint but because I specifically loved this color so much I HAD to include it on this particular slide). It is a very interesting shade that is not quite red, but is also a deeper, darker version of magenta. I originally just thought of the name because that’s the first thing that came to mind when creating the color. But just to make sure a “desert rose” didn’t exist, or if it did that it wasn’t an outrageous color I googled it and it did come up with a flower that was actually this particular shade of red/magenta (crazy coincidence). Next is Tennessee Whiskey. I knew I wanted that deep dark orange to be a part of my palette and determined the name from the color of whiskey and my theme is Nashville, therefore Tennessee Whiskey was a perfect fit. Burnt Sunset is still a more reddish color orange and does in fact represent the color of a desert sunset. However, my inspiration for this color in particular came from the Nashville neon signs. Which is also what inspired me to include the color Nashville Neon. The two colors together look amazing and are seen in almost every neon bar sign up and down the streets of Nashville. Finally, Desert Sky is exactly what it sounds like. It is that crystal blue sky seen in a desert climate. No clouds, just a fair shade of blue that almost appears to have an ombré effect up against the mountainous terrain. This color I saw was exactly the color I saw in several western theme photoshoots. Most of these colors I loved particularly from phots I drew inspiration from and used the “color drop” to achieve these exact colors. For my main colors I have chosen Asphalt, Cotton, On the Rocks, and Tennessee Whiskey (this color can be an accent but could also be a neutral I think). And for my accent colors I have chosen Desert Rose, Burnt Sunset, Nashville Neon, and Desert Sky. I have chosen these as accent colors because they would be more attractive on a smaller scale through embroidery details, buttons, smaller accessories—more “accent” pieces. I have chosen the remaining as the main colors because of their basic tones that are generally neutral and can be used for larger pieces such as jackets and pants. For example, black pants are widely accepted and purchased by the mainstream, however selling magenta or bright orange pants would be a challenge. Main colors would be the larger basic pieces and accent colors for details, added accessories, tees, etc.
Wild Wild Dressed
Now that you have seen a few of the upcoming trends of 2020, it’s time to add a little color! Our color forecast is inspired by the beautiful natural colors of the desert with “On the Rocks,” “Desert Rose,” “Burnt Sunset,” and “Desert Sky.” These colors come directly from the barren desert dirt, radiant evening sunsets, and crystal blue skies. They look amazing on suede and corduroy and are paired great with more basic colors like “Asphalt” and “Cotton” and accentuated with brighter more playful colors like “Nashville Neon” or “Tennessee Whiskey.” These colors are inspired by the amazing neon lights and party lifestyle of Nashville, Tennessee. All of these colors are a must in your upcoming 2020 merchandising lines and are essential when channeling that “city-western” trend that everyone will be wearing by the end of 2020.
Pattern and Textiles
The three patterns I have chosen are paisley (specifically a bandana pattern), pinstripes, and snakeskin. All have subtle western inspiration without looking too costume-y. The textiles I have chosen are leather (a skin), denim, and chambray. A chambray shirt looks great when paired with denim creating that “denim on denim” look, and leather for that edgier styled western look. Corduroy and suede are also fabrics I would include in a western inspired line.
Wild Wild Dressed
Time for the Yee-Haul of fabrics to begin constructing your 2020 western-inspired lines. Some essential fabrications to include would be leather (skin) to create edgy leather jackets adorned with silver studding a cool fringe. You’ll also want to have some chambray and denim in your line to create that effortlessly cool “denim on denim” look that you’ll see all the trendiest cowgirls rocking in 2020. Some patterns inspired by this upcoming trend would be bandana paisley, pinstripes, and endless amount of snakeskin. All can be printed on a simple button down shirt and paired with denim, leather, or corduroy pants, or printed on the pants themselves for the more fashionably daring!
Shopping List
To channel this “western-chic” trend in 2020, there are 10 essential items every buyer and consumer must have in their line or closet. The first is a suede fringe bag. Fringe is the most fun, effortless way of interpreting this city-western style. Some accessories you will want to include are the bolo tie necklace, a modernized cowboy hat, and a large buckle belt. All are simple pieces that go a long way in channeling this western trend. You’ll also want to include some fun and trendy footwear! Include a pair of buckled or snakeskin print booties to your list. Another fun accent would be a bandana print neck scarf! Some apparel items you will want to include are an edgy leather jacket, some fun flares in either suede, corduroy, or denim. Denim is a must, but since this is something already included in most closets already, put a fun twist to it by making them flare or into an oversize denim jacket. All of these pieces can be worn together to really go for that Nashville look, or wear them all separate as just subtle western inspired accents.
I can’t tell you how gratifying and excited it makes me feel that this was one of the top trends of 2020! I hope you enjoyed reading!!