We typically like to talk about the fashion trends that will impact your next trip to the mall, or your upcoming online shopping spree. We recently wrote about some of the best options for sunglasses for summer, and we often post articles with seasonal slants. Sometimes it's fun to look even further ahead, and in this post we wanted to consider some of the potential changes in fashion in the near future. These things are hard to predict, but we're going to have a little fun with it.

Co-Creation Will Become A Mainstream Practice

We found a lot of interesting predictions for the future of fashion retail at Elle, and for the most part they concerned the rise of technology's role in retail. Brick-and-mortar stores are going to change (and in some cases be replaced), and the bulk of shopping will take place remotely through mobile tools. This is a common guess, but what a lot of us don't consider is that this means that everyone will be a designer. When we're shopping primarily through mobile devices (and even potentially using virtual reality to “try things on”) we'll be presented with more options than ever before to customize and co-design items.

Fashion Might Become Important In Home Entertainment

We think of fashion primarily as something for outside the home. You dress up to go out, and at home you can lounge around in whatever you want—right? Well, that will probably always be the case in some sense, but it's worth noting that home entertainment, and specifically gaming, is becoming so interactive we might want to dress up for it in the near future. Consider that one area leading the way in modern interactive gaming is the gaming industry, which arose from a real life activity that people do dress up for. Live online game has emerged as video streaming technology has improved, and people can now see their dealers and opponents while they play. Virtual reality will only bring this sort of experience to more games and potentially other types of entertainment or communication as well. We might need to get used to dressing up just to sit on our couches at home because you never know who might be watching.

Our Clothing Will Become “Smarter”

You've heard all about wearable technology by now, and you may even own an Apple Watch or one of its competitors. The idea of tracking activity through what we wear has already gone mainstream, and it isn't that surprising anymore. In the near future we could be making fashion decisions based on what top can do as much as what it looks like. It was competitive sports that led the way for this sort of transition, showcasing different ways that technology could improve performance and comfort. We're also starting to see nanotechnology infusing sweat-wicking features into ordinary athletic wear, and that's only the beginning. We're about to come face to face with the rise of “e-textiles,” which are essentially fabrics combined with electronics to make them extensions of our smart devices They can be sensitive to certain gestures or touches that could be used for all kinds
of functions. Pretty wild, right?

These are just a few changes to look for in the coming years when it comes to how we shop, when we wear fashionable clothes, and what those clothes are capable of. Rest assured, more basic design trends aren't going anywhere, and we'll always have our eyes open for the next big thing that's coming into vogue.