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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Maine chapter.

Although 2020 was not the greatest year, it did bring us some great fashion. Since we were cooped up all year long, we have been dying to wear our best clothes out once this pandemic is over. Spring is always an exciting era of fashion. We finally get to take off our coats and unleash the outfits that lie underneath. We can always expect spring fashion to be a wave of fun colors and prints, as well as the usual; florals for spring (groundbreaking). Will fashion trends from 2020 roll over into 2021? What new trends will 2021 bring us in the fashion world? 

Fashion forecasting is a science that people in the fashion industry have perfected over the years. Designers understand the cyclical nature of trends and make clothing to predict what will be trendy in the upcoming seasons. Fashion designers all seem to come to a conclusion that a new trend will emerge at the beginning of every season. Designers and manufacturers create trends so that they can sell their products in mass quantities. When a designer wants a certain color to dominate the season, you will see that color on runways and eventually in stores and on social media. Trends do not happen by chance, as there is a cycle to trend prediction. Even still, trends hit differently around the world. A trend that sticks in Tokyo may not in New York City. It may hit one major city, and then it moves across other major cities where it becomes a worldwide trend. Typically, trends emerge back every 20 years. For example, 20 years ago was the early 2000s, hence the trend of Y2K fashion becoming more and more popular. However, I’m skeptical of bringing back low-rise jeans. Although 20 years isn’t always a perfect predictor, there are many trends that are new and never seen before.

Then there are seasonal trends. There are obvious indicators of seasonal trends; winter has coats, summer has shorts, fall has sweaters. Trend prediction is used to tell us what types of these clothing items are going to be popular that season. Like how in 2016 you couldn’t escape the off the shoulder trend. 2020 brought us sweatsuits, which happened to be my favorite trend of the year. Trend predictions tell us that this is likely something that we will bring into 2021.

Basic sweatsuits are perfect for lounging around at home, but also super cute to go out into town with. This is a trend that I’ll be wearing for the foreseeable future. For spring, we’ll see more matching sets. Matching sets are becoming even more popular than they were last year. Casual matching sets are great for everyday wear, and they were even more perfect for the pandemic so we could feel put together even when we were just wearing sweatpants. But matching sets can be dressy as well.    

Although florals are always expected for spring, we’re also going to see a lot of basics. Style experts predict that we’re going to be wearing a lot of  “second skin” clothing. Meaning items that we can wear every day with everything. (Not advised to wear every day though, laundry needed). There are also color experts who predict which colors will be the most popular in the coming year. Last year we saw a lot of green. 2021 will be the year of bubblegum pink.

Another factor that we have to consider is the fact that we have been in a pandemic for the past year. Although global pandemics are thankfully few and far between, there have been some similarities in fashion and lifestyle after pandemics have happened. In 1918, there was the Spanish Flu – afterward, it brought us the Roaring 20s. There have been fashion predictions that say we will see a resurgence in 1920s-inspired fashion because in a way we will be mimicking the events that took place 100 years ago. In this decade and especially this year, we’re going to see a lot of bling. When we’re allowed to go out again, we’ll be eager to be bold with things like jewelry. Accessorizing is on the rise.

For more 2021 Fashion Trend Forecasting, check out Who What Wear. 

 

 

 

I'm Eleanor, a business student with a minor in legal studies. In my free time you can catch me playing with my dog, listening to Harry Styles, shopping, or watching Netflix.
Quinn is an incoming fourth-year student at the University of Maine with a double major in Journalism and Political Science. She currently serves as a Campus Correspondent for the UMaine chapter as well as holding the position of editor in Chief! Outside of her involvement in Her Campus, she is involved in the dance department at the University of Maine and performs in the showcases each semester. Quinn enjoys writing articles focused on politics, government, and current events, and in February of this year published her Capstone research on political polarization in the American government. Upon graduation in the spring, she hopes to pursue a career in broadcast or print journalism, as well as obtaining a Master's degree in Journalism. Â