Natalie Ruben: Professional Trend Forecaster

Fifteen years ago, people turned to fashion magazines, films, and fashion icons to know what was trendy and what was not. In the world of today, we know the latest trends by studying the streets. In Panama, however, trend forecasting is extremely difficult as the weather never changes and people are subjected to use the same clothes year round. In a place where Summer is everlasting, short shorts, white tees, and fashionable slippers are some staples that I find everywhere. Anyhow, as I people watch to and from school here, I am wowed by the chicest outfits I have ever seen. Parisians have mastered the art of dressing up and looking elegant with just a simple t-shirt. Living in Paris, the apex of the fashion industry, I feel my fashion encyclopedia expanding ​—​ alongside my wardrobe. Everywhere I look, on-street trends evolving throughout the city.

In both Paris and London, the “menswear inspired” look is a modern classic. It consists of either oversized pants or shorts, close-toed shoes, a simple solid-colored top, usually a belt, and a big blazer to complete the outfit. I wonder if this trend has to do with how genderless fashion is beginning to strongly influence fashion everywhere. The broad-shouldered, straight-edged, oversized silhouette appears throughout the streets of the fashion capitals. While each city places a twist on the trend, the protagonist of the look is always the blazer. I was very interested in this trend as I not only see it everywhere, but wear it myself. Whether it is a light color or a heavy fabric, the blazer can be dressed up or down and it is no mystery that it will be your go-to jacket throughout the summer.

I have found that most Parisians hate Summer and the warmer it gets, the more layers they seem to put on​— ​scarves will always be their favorite accessory. Nonetheless, Parisian fashion is very vibrant and colorful and we see this in the different patterns, fabrics, and color palettes they use. In Paris, I saw street fashionistas creating more colorful, even neon, outfits, adding their own flair. Paris is an artistic, lively, and buzzing city and trends clearly adapted to its vibe and atmosphere. London, on the other hand, had a very sophisticated & intelligent energy to it, and it is clearly represented in the way Londoners tailored their menswear-inspired outfits. For instance, I saw more neutral and minimalistic colors, like grey, white, beige. The plaid pattern, which is very representative of the English, was also prominent in the streets.

Fanny packs and belt bags have been a trend for a substantial amount of time and they quickly became a stylish and practical accessory. More and more I see the microtrend of wearing the fanny pack over our bodies and around our shoulders ​—​ much like a crossbody bag. I'm not surprised that this fanny pack trend resurfaced as they are indeed a very functional bag. Now you can look trendy by just slinging a fanny pack across your outfit!

Again, both places: London and Paris, influenced how this microtrend was worn in each location. In Paris, the fanny packs I saw had fun colors with funky designs, I even saw one with fringes! Also, I noticed that in Paris, men and women both adopted this trend. However, in London, most fanny packs were a solid, classic color (most usually black) and were typically worn by women.

Where we live evidently effects the way we dress and style our outfits. It also dictates if we follow a trend or not. Whether it is people watching on the metro or looking at window displays, staying up to date on fashion trends is something that I have learned to appreciate here in Paris and will definitely miss when going back home. There is no question that Paris is the fashion capital of the world and here is where wildfire-catching trends are born.