Trends

The year ahead: 11 Footwear and clothing trends

New Balance

New Balance recently launched the new PL1 last in their NBx running shoes — NBx is their range of top end technical running shoes. The big emphasis is on the fit of the shoe, which looks less bulky. Additionally on the cosmetic side, the shoe is sleeker and looks faster.

The changes to the new last include reduced volume in the upper of the toe box, reduced lateral forefoot girth volume, a more contoured anatomical heel fit and an added 2mm heel lift to give the runner a better propulsion into the correct running gait. The last ensures an even more snug fit, while still catering for those runners who need an orthotics as the styles are available in different widths.

The prize winning 1063 as well as the 750, 769, 904 and 749 men’s and women’s styles — which were launched in January — feature the new PL1 last.

The new last was launched internationally in certain countries during November/December 2008 and the feedback from these are very exciting with retailers recording record sales., reports John Andrew, product manager for New Balance.

On the apparel side, women’s and men’s fleece — both cotton fleece and micropolar fleece — once again feature strongly in the New Balance casual/lifestyle range for Winter 09. A special feature on their Micropolar is their “lightning dry” technology, which ensures that fabrics dry faster than normal and is a technology widely used in their technical running apparel.

Strong colour schemes in their women’s range include grape/purple and, of course, white, which is always a winner for ladies. On the men’s side, colour accents of burnt orange and sky blue add a slight edge to graphics and embroideries. Styling wise they have also found that hoodies and zip-through fleece are dominating styles in both men’s and women’s fleece ranges.

FILA

FILA Footwear has become such a diverse lifestyle brand and its fall/winter 2009 collection reflects this diversity.

The men’s and ladies collections boast three categories: Authentic Sport, Fashion and Vulcanized.

The new collection features design elements and detail that personifies the FILA customer’s diverse and active lifestyle. It is young, spirited, trendy… yet affordable!

Classic, authentic sport sneakers for ladies have been updated with the season’s trendiest colours and added detail gives it a modern twist. Purple is a huge colour trend for the coming season and it gives ladies trainers a funky, yet feminine touch. Combined with metallic detail, it gives the sneaker a super cool look.

Metallics are still a big trend for the coming season and active sneakers, pumps and casual styles feature gold, silver and bronze detail. The fashion collections feature an array of metallic shades — it adds a bit of glam to denim or a casual outfit. The FILA Town style canvas sneaker was reintroduced in summer 2008 to the South African Fila consumer. This style has been part of the Fila global offer since the inception of their footwear, and has proven to still be a favourite amongst consumers — the fall/winter 2009 collection features the Town style sneaker in jazzed-up metallic shades.

The men’s collection features classically styled trail sneakers in black/red and grey/blue combos. It has a rugged edge, but the styling and detail gives it a sleek modern look.

The Town collection is expanding due to its popularity and fall/winter 2009 sees the introduction of burnished leather styles in shades of tan and grey. Although the Town canvas styles will remain generic to the range, these leather additions add a nice touch to a winter wardrobe and look super cool with jeans.

FILA’s heritage is sport-inspired and the brand is still well in touch with its roots, offering a great range of active sneakers with updated detail and styling.

FILA is growing from strength to strength, offering consumers great footwear at very affordable prices.

Champion

Champion Sportswear will continue to leverage its heritage and celebrate 90 years of bringing authentic athletic apparel to the world, with focus on knit fabrications extended into jackets, tracksuits pant and shorts. For certain customers, fabrics will be enhanced with vintage washes and available in slub fabrications. To remain locally relevant, bottoms and jackets will also be available in micro active fabrications.

Styling will remain classic with high quality construction in appreciation of the fact that when times are tough, consumers look for durability and styles that will endure. Updates in colour blocking will add a raciness to the aesthetic.

Signature Champion colours are navy, scarlet and white with seasonal pop colours into summer picking up purples and greens and, for women, goes more boldly into 80’s neons.

Collections that makes Champion unique are the collegiate ranges, boasting designs from the ivy league universities such as Harvard, New York [NYU], Stanford and Duke [for select accounts only].

NBA Basketball winners i.e. Lakers, Celtics, Cavaliers, Heat, Spurs with top athletes such as Bryant, Le Bron and Wade remain popular with the fans as well as hip hop inspired dressers.

For women, dance remains a key direction for dance class, clubbing and progress into disco style with continued layering and deep cut V’s — super short shorts remain with skinny leggings.

Champion will also develop a High School Musical “Wildcats and East High” range in partnership with Champion USA who has product HSM3 under license with Disney.

Champion is developing unique basketball, netball and volleyball ranges for team sports retailer and sports clubs with more technical garments for both players and officials.

(2) Clothing trends and themes

On the move

This winter street culture brings vibrant colour into fashion circles. Reds, burgundy, blues, purples — all of these are used in abundance on clothes. Bright accents are used together with these to create a sporty image.

Clothes are given additional life with the use of graphics, logos, pictograms and typography. Bands are placed together to resemble coloured blocks; there are printed and knitted disrupted stripes; an overflow of spontaneous graphs; writing and stripes are mixed together; felt-tip and ball-point pen drawings; tags; stencils — in summary, go wild! This screams of fun, energetic clothes that are sure to be hits with customers, especially the younger market. With bright and bold colours and prints such as these, winter clothing will be anything but drab and dull.

Keeping with the sporty-image, fabrics are comfortable. They are dense, yet light. The classic woollen items, cashmeres, and cottons are the main fabrics. Fleeces abound as do bonded, laminated fabrics, light softshells and padded nylons.

Clothes styles are a mixture of urban, city life and sports life. Look out for eiderdown jackets, sweat coat-dresses, T-shirt dresses, maxi parkas and blanket coats in comfortable shapes and flowing fabrics. There is an exaggerated fullness in the cut, sometimes ending up in boxy shapes and rounded puffy sleeves and there are plenty of hoods around. There is a renewed interest in the neckline as collars are oversized or items have tilted necklines. For those who can never have enough pockets, they will be happy to hear there is a return of inside pockets and special compartments in clothing — especially useful for portable technology, for example iPods or cellphones.

Soft tech

Casualwear is softer than before and made from sustainable products to create an elegant look. Colours are soft in pale or medium half-tones, taupish beiges, metallic shades of grey and neutrals. Yellow is used here and there as an accent.

Details are in the small retro-style positive/negative patterns, figured mini shirting patterns and checks. Fabrics are soft in wools, stretch fabric, cotton velvets, suede’s, fleeces and cashmere. Matt and shiny fabrics are mixed together.

Chic suits have wide-shouldered jackets and ergonomic jeans or masculine jogging pants. Team mini-blazers with high-wasted pants. Windbreakers are glammed up, but retain their sporty-image. Items in this trend have detachable sleeves, gathered or padded sleeved heads, drawcords and zips.

Kitsch mix

This trend is all about breaking the rules, colours have an everything goes feeling. Darks, neutrals, intense colours — they are all here. Patterns come in any form: stripes, Russian or Japanese floral prints, patchwork, multicoloured camo, tapestry florals, tartans, and geometrics. Different types of patterns are mixed together to create a fun look.

Fabrics include flannels, tweeds, denims, sateens, wools, twills, fleeces, jerseys, nylons, oilcloth, and vinyl fabrics.

Tomorrowland

Summer sees several periods mixing together to create a dreamlike effect. Colours are urban — pale, bleached and artificial colours are used with soft grey-cast neutrals and contrasted by flashy colours. Summery fabrics are fine and some have discreet textured weaves. Also, look out for raw denims in bleached pastels. Pyjama-style silky fabrics are popular in iridescent and pearly surfaces.

Floaty fabrics are great for those summer days and knits are still around, but are kept light with lace and translucent jerseys. Fabrics are dyed, creased, powdered, checked and patterned in necktie motifs, wallpaper prints, watercolours and floral prints.

Ladies’ pants are loose, and flowing with a raised waist, skirts are frilly, pleated or seamed pencil skirts and strappy sundresses abound. The main top styles are tank tops, flowing shifts used to layer, pleated, flounced T-shirts, loose printed cardigans and sheer sweaters.

Men have a slim silhouette with pleated slacks, slim accordion or peg-top jeans and slim Bermuda-slacks dominating the scene. Alternatively, men wear a slim polo layered over a T-shirt, or a printed V-neck sweater.

Powerfull

As the name suggests, the trend is about strong modern items. Lines are strong, almost architectural, and the overall impression is one of luxury and glamour. The colours evoke night-time imagery. Think black teamed with glitter and shimmers and accented not with colour, but with light shining off the material.

Key items for ladies are short suits that come in denim or a casual cotton, fluid jumpsuits with a dropped crotch and an emphasis on the waist, slim jeans, Capri slacks with the waist on the waist, tube skirts and structured dresses. Tops get graphic in their cuts with T-shirts playing with seam colour contrasts and hooded sweatshirts have split armholes. Wear graphic tops layered over other tops.

The men’s pants are tarred denim slacks, loose bermudas, chic jogging pants with shiny flatlock and multi-seamed sport-inspired pants. Shirts are shiny with French cuffs.

Electrochoc

This trend is characterised by the bright colours — electic blue, flashy orange, purples, pinks, etc. worn in pop or cubist-style colour blocks. Look for items in plasticized tarpaulin, rubberized canvas, coated twills and recycled plastics. Denims are coloured.

Patterns are in dots, patchwork, stripes, Hawaiian prints, Madras checks, and day-glo or pigment dyed photoprint florals.

Women’s key styles are flat cigarette slacks with the waist in its place, drill work pants, short jumpsuits, city beach shorts, the inverted pleat skirt or maxi-pocket slack skirt, tube dresses, belted T-shirt dresses or graphic striped knit dresses.

Men have slim cropped knee-length slacks, ankle-length peg-top pants, coloured or printed jeans, and bright screenprinted T-shirt.

Dress 4 Bafana

With the Confederations Cup fast approaching, you can expect football fever, and Bafana Bafana support to grow in the next few months as they get ready to take on some of the best teams in the world.

Bafana Bafana is also gearing up off the field, and their supporters can follow suit in an apparel range designed specifically for them. SLAM has been licensed to produce an official Bafana Bafana clothing range that will cater for all segments of the market. “It will be available at the relevant price points, thereby making official product available and affordable to all,” says SLAM MD Vivian Casaletti.

The theme of the launch and of the campaign is United 4 Bafana Bafana and to contribute to the development of the SA clothing and textile industry, SLAM is working closely with Proudly South Africa to ensure that by 2010 the majority of the apparel range will be made in SA.

(3) Footwear for all needs

Winter 2009 sees the continued domination of platforms and thick heels — and boots in anything from ankle to over-the-knee with the latter the most popular in a heeled version in suede. The over-the-knee boot is worn over tights, with long socks or over jeans or pants. Look out for the cut-out booty — where parts of the boot is literally cut-out.

Expect to see more laces and tie-up details on shoes and boots. This is due to the continuing trend of menswear-inspired footwear for women.

Its no longer boho casual footwear, now its foho — folk-inspired bohemian with an ethnic twist. The main feature are fringed boots, but look out for other details like studs and tooled leather.

Winter might be dull and depressing, but not the footwear colours! Look out for two-toned or multi-coloured shoes. Purple is the shoe-colour for the season with other colours like cognac, gray, berry shades, red and mossy shades of green making an appearance.

Orange and pink are the two big summer colours. While orange clothes are sometimes difficult to wear, orange footwear add a splash of colour and add interest to the rest of the wardrobe. Pinks will be available in tones ranging from blush to fuchsia.

Fringing is carried over from winter into summer. The summer version is lighter, more open and has a Western feel. Look out for fringing in genuine suede colours: camels, tans, browns and black.

Studs, spikes, chains — these details add a rocky edge to any item of footwear. However, stay away from chunky items and cheap-looking PVC. Zips, snaps and buckles add to this look. These are on anything from pumps to sandals. Also look out for beading, jewels, embellishments, etc adorning footwear. These spice up even the most boring shoe.

Tie-ups and laces criss-cross the footwear and legs to create a casual summery feel and adds interest. Summer is all about flowers… the same applies to footwear. Look out for floral appliqués, embellishments and prints — used subtly as well as bold, depending on the designer.

Cut-out booties seem to be stayinging around for a while yet. Keep an eye out for open-toes, cut-away sides and cut-out heels. Gladiator sandals will experience the highlight of their modern lifespan. The most popular will be heavily strapped heeled versions. Gladiators are also given bold colours.