A Conference Note From Lois Sakany

Trends spotted at the recent apparel and footwear trades shows held in Las Vegas (MAGIC, among others) point to a continuation from 2015 into 2016 of ath-leisure as a leading fashion theme. Denim and twill bottoms are steadily gaining momentum, and some newness is coming in the form of casual dresses for women. In footwear, lifestyle sneakers continue to dominate, and white leather and mesh are surging in popularity, although casual comfort and fashion leather sandals are likely also to be a big part of women’s closets. With the return of khaki and twill, there is room for growth of the loafer silhouette, especially among retailers with a more fashion-forward customer.

In women’s apparel, especially for the contemporary and older customer, bohemian or festival wear remains a leading trend. Dresses will probably gain some traction in the spring, especially body-conscious tank-top dresses in midi and maxi lengths (a Kardashian mainstay) as well as woven, button-up shirtdresses. Despite a white-themed lifestyle athletic shoe story, apparel colors remain muted as shades of khaki, army green, denim blue, grey and black dominate palettes. Tie-dye  in muted blues and grays is also likely to be a big theme for spring.

There was plenty of denim at the show, both on display and worn by attendees. Judging by booth signage, lots of brands are following American Eagle Outfitter Inc.’s lead and marketing their bottoms as including stretch that provides comfort and ease of movement, a move reflective of the strength of ath-leisure. At the same time, the big trend in denim as sported by attendees was an overall more relaxed fit that mimics the slightly baggier seat and tapered leg of jogger pants.

Denim bellbottoms were shown by multiple women’s brands, such as at the front of Urban Outfitter Inc.’s Free People booth, and yet, the trend seems destined to maintain its place as a laid-back summertime look most likely to be worn to festivals and beach vacations. On the other hand, a handful of fashion-forward brands have shown super-baggy, rave-inspired bottom silhouettes, but whether the look can break out beyond a niche trend is difficult to say this early in the trend.

For spring, especially for men, we probably will see more khaki and twill bottoms, and as with denim, the cut mimics the tapered silhouette of the jogger pant that first burst on the scene in a big way in 2014.

While the major athletic brands do not have a big booth presence at the Vegas trade shows, one of the most uniform fashion themes expressed by attendees was white athletic shoes as the footwear of choice. Adidas AG led the charge with its classic white leather Stan Smith and Superstar silhouettes spotted everywhere. Nike Inc. was also prominent, and attendees favored white versions of mesh-upper Roshe, Huarache and Air Max styles.

One attendee, a shoe buyer, pointed out many people are now wearing their ath-leisure looks to workouts, where the emphasis on studio classes means a top-notch performance running shoe is not required. It’s a trend the buyer thinks has and will continue to cut into demand for performance running shoes as customers continue to explore new ways to stay fit outside of running.

The shift to white in ath-leisure footwear is opening a door in women’s activewear to offer bottoms in colors other than black, which had been the mainstay of the category. Trends point to an activewear bottom featuring earth tones plus more prints and stitch detailing. Top colors are moving away from a vibrant/fluorescent color palette and toward earth tones, a new look that has been led by category leader Lululemon Athletica Inc.

And though white canvas, led by the classic styles of Converse and VF Corp.'s Vans, was frequently worn by attendees, the look appears to have lost some of its fire for some fashion leaders, indicating canvas may see some deceleration next year.

Outside of athletic, comfortable leather sandals are an option women could continue to choose to round out their closets in 2016. While Birkenstock Orthopadie GmbH & Co. KG and Decker Outdoor Corp.’s Teva have been leaders on the comfort side of the trend, choosing a brand winner on the fashion side is more difficult as women focus more on the look than the brand, seeking brown leather, strappy, flat sandals with bead, fringe, braided and lace-up details.

The loafer silhouette worn with ankle-length twill and khaki pants are likely to be a rising item that will bring newness in the spring, more so purchased by men, though women could be in the mix as well because stylish comfort is a mainstay for all. This is a trend that continues to create headwinds for the dress shoe category with no sign of abatement anytime soon.

While multiple brands showed bags (mostly casual canvas totes, duffles and backbacks) at the Vegas shows, fashion handbags are not a big focal point. Judging by attendees, there were not a lot of aspirational or luxury leather bags, and most chose a more understated and low-key look.

It is noteworthy that most of the shows geared to a contemporary and older customer had booths dedicated to personal grooming and skincare, almost all with a theme of minimal or “natural” ingredients. It is an integrated lifestyle theme emphasizing healthful eating, dressing, grooming and working out that was also expressed at Outdoor Retailer (see OTR Global's Aug. 11 conference note). Urban Outfitters has embraced the theme at its Herald store location, which includes a restaurant and camping, beauty and vinyl record departments.

OTR Global photos