UGA and Athens community discuss what’s next in fashion – Red and Black

Netflixs Bridgerton," COVID-19, prints from the 1970s and climate change may seem unrelated, but they all have at least one thing in common fashion.

As people hone in on their New Years resolutions, fashion designers, retailers, students and scholars are at work predicting what trends will define 2021. While no one can predict the future, plenty of people have already started forecasting fashion trends for this year.

Monica Sklar, a fashion professor at the University of Georgia, said trends start when influential communities such as schools, subcultures or social media groups initiate a new style. Trends dont always take off in order to, they need to be a part of the cultural zeitgeist, she said.

The whole idea of [the zeitgeist] is, What's the cultural view of the time? and What's happening right now that everybody's feeling it in their gut ... in the way that they live their lives ... in their actions day-to-day? Sklar said.

Once a trend is determined, some styles can prove to be influential throughout the ages.

Loretta Paluck, owner of Dynamite Clothing, said in an email that trends from the 1990s like oversized t-shirts, sweatshirts and vintage denim were popular in 2020. She expects the popularity of 90s apparel to continue into the new year with a mix of personality and splash of individuality, she said.

While styles from previous decades can help dictate the fashion status quo, current events also have an undeniable impact on whats trending. Mentally revisiting some 2020 events might be undesirable, but COVID-19, political and economic uncertainty and the Black Lives Matter movement all had a significant impact on the fashion industry last year.

Bridget Helms, senior fashion merchandising major and the president of the Student Merchandising Association, said she noticed the impacts of the pandemic in 2020 trends, such as athleisure and sweatsuits.

In agreement, Helen Majano, senior fashion merchandising major and the head stylist for the Student Merchandising Association, said athleisure paired with Zoom tops an extravagant top paired with sweatpants or leggings had its moment in 2020.

Pop culture can also impact the fashion world. Bridgerton, the Jane Austen meets Gossip Girl Netflix series, has been causing a stir in the words of entertainment and fashion. Helms recently finished the series, and she thinks it will have a significant impact on the trends in the new year.

I've seen a huge following of [Bridgerton] and people wanting to bring corsets back, and its actually on the list for new trends, Helms said.

Helms said in addition to corsets, she expects to see other lingerie-style tops styled over white button-down shirts and dresses in 2021. Other trends like white knee-high boots, pastel colors and bold prints will also be in this year, she said.

In fashion, the pendulum swings from dress-up moments to dress-down moments, Sklar said. Prior to the pandemic, fashion was in a dress-down moment, which helped make the transition to lockdown and working from home easier, she said. After the pandemic, some wonder if fashion will enter a dress-up moment.

Majano predicts that 2021 will bring extravagant trends such as big coats, fringe, exaggerated silhouettes and disco styles. Helms also said that she thinks people might become bolder with their styles after getting to leave the house more in 2021.

People are bored in the house and getting creative. They're putting together outfits that they never would have just to make a statement because now your outfit really shows your personality, Helms said.

The environmental impact of fast fashion will also play a role in shaping the fashion industry this year, as consumers choose to shop local, shop small and shop secondhand for clothing.

Sustainable fashion brands like Paloma Wool and House of Sunny have been on the rise, Majano said. Additionally, Helms said shes been noticing smaller businesses, such as Etsy shops, gain popularity as they use social media like TikTok to promote their designs.

Vintage shopping also continues to be a popular way of buying clothes sustainably. Paluck said in the last year shes noticed her customers become more aware of the importance of sustainable fashion. In addition to being more sustainable than fast-fashion, vintage shopping allows customers to find one-of-a-kind pieces as opposed to cookie-cutter fashion, she said.

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UGA and Athens community discuss what's next in fashion - Red and Black