Fashion Forecasting: Knowing What To Buy

I’m starting to realize that when you run a boutique you have to wear so many hats and be so many different things. Actually, I think fashion industry jobs are like this in general, because you have to be creative, tech savvy and business savvy, but rarely are people all three. One of the biggest parts of being a successful buyer is forecasting trends so you know what to buy. And sometimes this has to be done six months before the season, depending on the market dates and the closing dates of a particular designer.

Think Backwards
Trends come in and out of style in a cycle; we all know that because leggings, for instance, are in now and they were in during the 80′s. But it doesn’t always take 20 years for a trend to come back in style. For instance, I could’ve told you early last year that knee socks, asymmetry and leather pants would be making a comeback now. And I knew this for two reasons…

• Leather pants and one shoulder shirts were popular when I was in 9th or 10th grade (about 7 years ago). Pretty much all of the other trends prior to that made a resurgence, so it only made sense that these two would be next.
• Just about every other trend that I remember since I became aware of this thing called “fashion” (I was about 8 or 9 at the time) came back around except for knee socks. And considering the popularity of leggings and stockings, it was sort of a no brainer.

Just Watch the Runway
When I went to my first market to purchase about half of my inventory it was before New York fashion week, so I didn’t have that to go on. But this time around I know to look for some of the soon to be trends like dip dyed hems, sheer shirts and tribal details. Style.com has great fashion week coverage, and you can find discussions of trends spotted during them at forums like TheFashionSpot.com.

What Mood Are We In?
This isn’t something that I’ve experienced, just something I’ve learned and noticed. The mood of the country can have a big effect on trend, especially color and embellishment. Designers who put a lot of bright colors in their Spring/Summer 2002 collections felt this hard (September 11th) but after then we saw military details came in during the following fashion week. I don’t think I have to tell you why.

Subscribe To Predictives
For those who have major $$$ to spend, you can always subscribe to fashion forcasting services like the Doneger Group. Throug these services you can see all the silhouttes, themes, patterns and colors that are predicted to be in style, up to two years in advance. I used to look at these at my school and they definitely are on point most of the time. Actually, I think these services are better for fashion designers than buyers, but it could be worth a shot!

So there you have it. Being able to see the future is just one of many hats we wear in the fashion industry. And yet we still get no respect!