4 trends that will dominate 2020

What should retailers stock in 2020? Retail data company Edited has published a report breaking down the most important runway and lifestyle trends to impact retail in the new year.

Nostalgia will move from the 90s to the 00s

90s nostalgia was one of the most successful fashion trends of 2018 and 2019. Now, as 2020 marks the start of a new decade, this nostalgic feeling is expected to turn from the 90s towards the 2000s, thanks to reboots of series and movies from that decade, such as Legally Blonde, Lizzie McGuire and Gossip Girl. In the luxury sector, Versace gave a nod to 00s nostalgia by reviving the infamous jungle dress worn by Jennifer Lopez in the 2000 Grammy Awards in its Spring 2020 collection.

If 90s nostalgia led logomania, bucket hats and scrunchies to come back to the stores, 00s nostalgia will bring square toes, Mary Janes and micro bags to retailers’ assortment. Pastel shades are also expected to make a comeback, of which lilac is the one we’ll probably see the most: Edited has already registered a 25 percent increase in lilac arrivals for Fall/Winter 2019.

Tokyo Olympics to boost Japanese references

With the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics coming up, Edited predicts Japanese art and fashion to be on the spotlight. Expect manga licensing and kawaii culture to start popping up in retailers’ collections.

Make way for a generation of eco-conscious kids

With young activists such as Greta Thunberg making headlines (she was named “Person of the Year” in 2019 by Time Magazine) and teenage celebrities like Billie Eillish trying to reduce their carbon footprint (the singer has partnered with non-profit organization Reverb to make her upcoming tour “as green as possible”), a significant number of teenagers is expected to become more sustainably-minded. This leads them to gravitate toward labels like Patagonia, Everlane and Birkenstock. Edited also predicts them to buy “literal interpretations” of planet Earth, with references to “mother nature” and floral/tropical prints.

Bye bye, suit and tie: workwear for men goes the casual route

Remember when Virgil Abloh made casual versions of the suit and tie on his Fall/Winter 2019 menswear collection for Louis Vuitton? The designer also signed a streetwear collection with Mr. Porter titled “Modern Office”, inspired by the new generation of workers and their workplaces. Now that even Goldman Sacks has relaxed their dress code, we can expect smart casual pieces to replace the suit and tie more and more, leading retailers to adjust to this new reality. Marks & Spencer, for example, has already cut back its tailoring assortment.

“The Spring 2020 runway was inundated with unstructured and loose fit tailoring”, noted Edited in its report on 2020 trends, mentioning Dior and Fendi as examples. Bombers, overshirts and coach jackets are likely to replace the blazer, while polo shirts and jersey basics will replace the shirt.

Dior Spring/Summer 2020

The data analysis firm also predicts the rise of performance workwear as a reaction to longer commutes and the increasing use of the bicycle as a means of transport in big cities. Fabrics featuring stretch, moisture-wicking and waterproof qualities are set to join the workwear market as well.

Images: Boohoo Facebook, Forever21 Facebook, Versace SS20 via CatwalkPictures, Asos Facebook, H&M Facebook, Everlane Facebook, YNAP newsroom, Dior Homme SS20 via CatwalkPictures