New York — Forecasting is tricky just ask any meteorologist who has contended with a sudden weather system.
Fashion designers have their own unknown variable: the fickle consumer. Style insiders can push this look or that, but what catches on as a trend is really up to the people who wear it.
Complicating things further this year is that fashion houses basically made their "predictions" for spring 2002 before the catastrophic events of Sept. 11, which left even the most devoted fashionista questioning her passion's frivolity.
By coincidence, however, a more traditional and approachable look was already in the works, says Tom Julian, trend analyst for ad agency Fallon Worldwide.
"American and European designers are starting to let clothes come off the body in drapes, layers It's what people want now," he says, noting Diane Von Furstenberg showed her signature wrap dresses over jeans and Kenneth Cole offered "bohemian chic" styles that have an ethereal flowiness.
Also, many spring lines already had included touches of Americana, which are more important than ever and the Olympics next month in Salt Lake City will fuel an appreciation for red, white and blue even more. As the months go by, the patriotic colors also begin to show up in a slightly more edgy combination such as blue, white and pink.
Julian cites the men's Tommy Hilfiger and Nautica lines and their rugby and polo shirts, shown in early September before the women's runway shows, as examples of the "new" traditional sensibility.
"Classic and traditional can look good on a lot of people in a lot of places," he adds.
There's a sensible angle to this thinking as well, which may help bring some high-fashion designers in line with market demands.
"It's 'laundered and lived-in' when it comes to fabrics and finishes, which has a better consumer connection," Julian notes.
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