Style Spotlight and Trend Series
By: Victoria Capone & Sofia Gallo. KB Fashion Productions
With winter quickly approaching, many are struggling to imagine what the season has in store for the outdoor sports industry. Snow sports are set to see a huge shift, as thrill-seekers are trying to avoid the ski lift (that faces constant exposure to different people) by taking interest in snowshoeing and most significantly, Nordic skiing. This shift in activity leads to an important question…what will people be wearing?
Don’t worry, we have you covered. We are rolling out a series of brand and gender specific Style Spotlights. We will be highlighting the 20/21 trends in the outdoor apparel industry, along with the brands who are leading the pack by driving innovation with style.
Trend Forecast
Functionality and versatility are key aspects of apparel that consumers are looking for in all categories, but especially in the outdoor and winter sports categories. Consumers are willing to spend more on a product that has longevity and technical innovation. Climate change has caused the seasons to be more extreme, leading consumers to seek out deep winter protection and resilient outer layers to withstand the elements in addition to seamless base layers that keep them warm from the inside of their parkas. COVID-19 has solidified the fact that the outdoors are for everyone, so brands will need to focus on educating a novice consumer cohort, and provide technical elements in their garments that make the cold bearable for those who usually flock to warmer horizons for the winter months.
Another key trend in the outdoor and winter sports apparel categories this season is a retro, nostalgic look. Bright colors, adjustable garments, and multi-purpose outerwear, like the multiway vest, bring the consumer back to a more carefree (and COVID free) time, with elements of the late 70s and 90s combined in multiple collections.
As the pandemic evolves and businesses change their direction, consumers are also having to change their lifestyles along with it. As mentioned, COVID-19 measures have put an emphasis on winter sports such as snowshoeing and nordic skiing. This has caused brands such as SWIX, Fischer, Craft, and Salomon to really focus on these particular sports and provide their market with functional apparel.
The Style Spotlights will be rolled out weekly, make sure to check back often, you don’t want to miss these!
