Spring & Summer 2008 Trends

Trend Forecasts such as Fashion Box and Doneger predicted that the Spring/Summer 2008 season would be full of “romantic,” “sporty chic,” naturalist/bohemian,” and the ever-present “updated classics” trends. They forecasted that the dominant colors for the season would be butter and beige tones, warm reddish-pinks and corals, chartreuse and spring greens, light and sky blue, dark blue, and the always fashionable brown and black. These trends came to fruition on the runway, and are starting to find their way into stores. Here's an overview of the major themes. 

A sampling of sketches from the forecasts

Romantic	Sporty Chic	Boho/Naturalist	Boho/Naturalist	Updated Classic

Sketches: Caroline Bautista/Photos: FashionSyndicatePress.com

 

Romantic: Lots of texture, lace patterns, and layering. Imitation layers done with innovative construction. New construction methods such as hems that turn up and button at the waist, slits and openings in unusual places.

 

John Galliano's collection included some interesting romantic-style pieces, including the cardigan in this photo. The opening is asymetrical, and there appears to be an extra set of sleeves tied at the side.

 

Other examples of the romantic theme on the runway and beyond:

A fluffy cardigan from Betsey Johnson.

A lacy cardigan from Caroline Charles.

An adorable hot-pink shrug from Anna Sui.

Most of Frankie Morello's collection fits nicely with the sporty chic trend, but he has a few examples of the romantic trend, like this little cardigan with a big cut-out neckline.

 

Target has two nice examples of this trend: A ruched cardigan, and a sleeveless top. 

 

Sporty chic: Less constructive. Painting on textiles, incorporating sequins into the fabric, using color patterns in different ways. Lots of stripes going in several different directions, and big blocks of color.

 

Avsh Alom Gur has several great examples of the sporty chic trend in his Spring collection, including the dress on the right. He really drove the point home by using bicycle parts as accessories and jewelry.

 

More examples of sporty chic:

A brightly colored sweater from Chanel.

A sporty sweater from Target. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naturalist/Bohemian: Ornamental with lots of ethnic graphic patterns. Rustic with a “green” vibe. Improvised tangling. A bit more refined than the bohemian trend of a few years ago.

 

Pictured on the left, Biba showed a classic bohemian outfit, with a cute short-sleeved cardigan that could very well cross over into the other trends.

 

Much of James Coviello's collection follows this trend. One particularly nice example is this multicolored vest worn over a flowery and flowing shirt.

 

This Waffle Knit Sweater from Forever 21 is a great example of the new, more simplified bohemian/naturalist look. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated Classics: Lots of swing style jackets and tops. The focus is on the sleeves, and just above elbow length is the trend. Dolman, raglan, and kimono sleeve construction is in.

 

The example on the right is from Moschino. More examples from the runway and beyond:

An updated and lively vest from Eley Kishimoto.

A short-sleeved swing jacket from Nanette Lepore.

A pretty pullover from Milly.

A kimono-style sweater from Malo.

 

The Gap has a pretty sweater with those very trendy just-above-elbow length sleeves, Ann Taylor has a a great swing sweater, and this little cardigan from See by Chloe has that trendy sleeve length. 

 

 

 

 

All very interesting, but what does this have to do with handknitting? You invest a lot of time into your handknits, so you don’t want to be too trendy, or you’ll only end up wearing your garment a few times. But in reality, trends don’t change all that much each season anymore, and trends are recirculating much more frequently than ever before. We live in a time when almost anything goes. A certain color might be more “in” than the rest, but it doesn’t mean you have to stop wearing all other colors. You can let the trends influence you a bit, and then follow your own style as well. Here's just a few ideas for incorporating trends into your knitting:

• You can choose a certain color that you find appealing for the season. Chances are, that color will stick around for a few more seasons.
• You can choose one trend, let’s say for example, elbow length sleeves, and alter a knitting pattern to incorporate that element.
• You can knock off something you see on the runway, but tone it down a bit so that it will still be in next season.

The trends should be a means to get excited and inspired about the possibilities. They're a guide for you to use as you see fit. Ignore the marketing hype and use them the way you want to, utilizing your ability to create a garment from scratch to show your creativity.