What They’ll Be Wearing Next Fall

But come fall, the expectation right now is that students will swap Facetime for face-to-face time with their peers, resuming in-person classes and social activities. Suddenly they realize they’ll have to wear something other than raggedy pajama bottoms. Campus stores need to get ready with the right assortment of apparel.

“COVID has definitely impacted fashion. People are still looking for an escape,” said Kevin Keele in his CAMEX21 educational session, Unleash Your Inner Fashionista: Trend Forecasting for Campus Stores. Keele teaches at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles and has been a consultant for Trends2K.

As California is the starting point (along with New York) for many fashion trends, Keele has to keep his fingers on the pulse of emerging styles, what he calls “Brailling the culture.” If your store is located elsewhere, the good news is that fashion changes more slowly, giving you a better chance to spot a rising trend.

The entertainment industry, major events, social media, publications, and shifts in lifestyle can all provide clues to the next hot styles. Everyone dressed down during the pandemic, and Keele doesn’t think they will want to give that up entirely.

“Retailers need to focus on comfort,” he said. “But there’s still optimism out there.”

He sees activewear, loungewear, athleisurewear, and sleepwear worn as daywear continuing to be popular. People are walking and bicycling even more now, so fitness gear will remain a staple, including jogger styles and skateboarding garb. Some of these leisure styles will be reinterpreted with finer fabrics and some tailoring so they can be worn to work or evening events, he said.

For students, Keele thinks hoodies and crop tops are still top sellers, along with “boy-cut” tank tops with a scooped neck and deep armhole. Bucket hats, too.

Denim is “still important,” Keele said, but the fit will be more relaxed, more boxy—what he called a “trucker” trend. The use of recycled cotton in clothing is also growing more common.

Other trends for spring, summer, and fall:

• Colors: Bright tropical shades for summer, along with “powder” versions of brights. Sunny wheat hues, cold neutrals (gray, beige, off white), yellow used as an accent color (especially with grays). For fall, the usual navy and brown tones will be joined by warm brights such as bluer blues and mustard yellow. Color blocking will still be big with activewear and denim. Tie-dye will persist.

• Patterns: “A new emphasis on stripes,” Keele said, especially paired with nautical themes and navy/white combos. Checked patterns for both men and women, reworked revivals of “heritage” yuppie-type styles. Outdoor themes, such as animal prints, butterflies, small flower patterns along with big ‘70s-style florals, foliage patterns.

• Silhouettes: “The bohemian influence is still out there,” Keele said. Cottage dresses, with deep flounces at the shoulder and skirt bottom, will be popular. Men’s shirting styles will influence women’s tops. Some ‘80s styles will return, too (Keele noted those styles were influenced by 1930s trends). Others: utility shirts with pockets for women, abstract campus styles for men.

“Know what’s going on with the recovery,” Keele advised. “People say they need to express themselves with fashion.”