Trend Forecasting

In case I haven't mentioned this a million times, I studied Fashion Marketing in College. I took over 20 different Fashion related courses: Importing/Exporting, Inventory, Public Relations, Entrepreneurship, Product Development, Textiles, etc.. You get my point. When I started college I was hell bent on being a buyer, Big Surprise! Doesn't every little girl dream of having a job where you shop for clothes all day long? It is a great dream, but it has zero to do with being a buyer. A buyer's job really just focuses on units & mathematics.... not as fun as I had imagined. Then, I discovered topic I was really interested in- Trend Forecasting. My forecasting class was a blast! I was able to analyze  past trends and predict future trends. Surprisingly, trend forecasting isn't as difficult as one would think, that is as long as you know your formulas. Trends are cyclical and as we all know they always come back around.  I'm sorry if I appear to "teacherly" but I wanted to share with you one of the coolest things I learned in my forecasting class. Below I have post a picture of the color cycles that happen in Fashion. They have it down to really a science...

Right now we are in the "high-chroma" phase, which is why we see all these Cobalt Blues, Cherry Reds and Fushias.   I thought this was a really cool concept and I always keep it in mind when planning for my future purchases :)

I was so excited about sharing my trend forecasting experience with you, it made me want to give it a shot again. I know I'm not predicting 2 years out like the professionals do, but I work with what I have :D

Below is "my" interpretation of the Fall 2011 trends (some are already happening)...

COLOR!! I love fall colors in general, but I love that some of the brights are carrying over seasons!

Silhouettes are kinda all over the place. From sleek tuxedo Jackets & skinny jeans to over sized sweaters and maxi skirts.... it all goes this season!

Prints are still clearly present, only they're getting bigger! (oops, I forgot the text for "over-sized plaid")

There are a lot of fun textures for fall, I personally love the chunky knits!