#TRENDWATCH2012: Final Fall/Winter Report

The summer is over, there’s snow on the ground, Barack Obama has been re-elected, and with no “We Found Love” to guide us through the static this year, we are left with a mess of developments that are harder to pinpoint as genuine movements than #trends of earlier cycles. There has been no defining #trend this fall, just miscellany with varying levels of staying power. Seven key observations below.

Earth Tones

Greens and browns are known to have wardrobe visibility spikes in October, as fashionable skateboarders depart from greyscale to indulge the fall spectrum, but they have stuck around longer than usual for FW12. Please note that earth tones are not a #trend but a staple for two distinct demographics: 1) Skaters from Florida / skaters from New Jersey who are commonly mistaken as being from Florida, and 2) People whose favorite video part circa 2008-2010 was Pappalardo in Fully Flared.

Swishy Pants

Analysts expect that increased tolerance of earth tones is due to the re-canonization of camo. By that same token, the heavily #trending category of comfort-wear has provided widespread adoption of skating in sweatpants. And where is there to go once camo is the norm and everyone is at peace with sweats? Swishy pants, obviously.

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