We’ve scoured the pages of February’s Nylon, Seventeen, and Teen Vogue so you don’t have to, and pulled out the trends, people, and styles to know. Here’s what these mags report are on the rise with younger Millennials:
Can I Kick It?
Sneaker brands are ditching their old and unattractive gym class reputation and teaming up with designers to create functional and stylish high-end kicks. Most notable is New Balance’s new capsule collection with Kate Spade Saturday adorned with fresh geometrics as well as colorful water color-esque patterns. Reebok is playing with nostalgia and bringing back the Reebok Classic InstaPump Fury, which was originally released in 1994. The shoe has a chunky, so-bad-it’s-good look, and has been a favorite in the fashion world. Bringing it to the masses, Reebok collaborated with Sandro to revamp the shoe into a “simultaneous statement-making and understated-sleek” sneaker. The shoe represents Sandro’s signature look as well as a rising trend: androgynous sophistication. Meanwhile, Adidas, who had already teamed up with popular designer Jeremy Scott for a sneaker line, just released a unisex perfume. The bottle is, of course, shaped like Jeremy Scott’s Adidas shoes.
Energy Buzzkill.
To keep up with the pressure of both school and partying, teens have become dangerously comfortable with energy drinks, caffeine pills, and other items ridden with caffeine (like waffles and chap stick, believe it or not). Teen Vogue reports on the trend of teens dangerously addicted to caffeine products, including one taking three 5-Hour energies per day. There is a movement to curb teens’ caffeine abuse though, as the side effects can include dizziness, nausea, and anxiety, and even be life threatening.
TV Star Rising.
Victoria Justice: if you haven’t heard it already, remember the name. Younger Millennials have grown up alongside 21-year-old Justice who landed the main role on Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101 in 2005, and her own musical show, Victorious in 2010. Justice is now showing off her darker and more serious side as Lindy, a computer hacker that gets caught up with a serial killer in MTV’s new series Eye Candy, which is based on an R.L. Stine novel. The TV star’s Seventeen interview touches on the Perfectly Imperfect trend of young Millennials embracing body positivity. Meghan Trainor, whose All About That Bass topped charts for months, is a favorite of Justice’s because she owns her body and radiates that beauty isn’t about being a size 0, rather “it’s having confidence in yourself.”
Fit Is The New Pretty.
With so much momentum around the body positive movement, the motto “fit is the new pretty” is becoming more common. On social media, supermodels like Karlie Kloss are posting Saturday morning post workout photos rather than typical Saturday night party pictures. Hannah Bronfman is another fashion and health celebrity, who over the past year has used social media, specifically Instagram, to propel herself to fame. Her posts revolve around positivity, encouraging clean eating recipes, being kind to the body, fitness, music and fashion. Young stars like Bronfman and Kloss are becoming teens’ go-tos for advice and inspiration on—hopefully balanced—health and fitness.
Lighten Up.
Two trends are forecasted to be big within the coming months. Floral is in, but not just any flower pattern, Nylon is putting the petal to the metal with “full-on wallpaper” inspired floral clothing. The Southwestern desert, tribal look will definitely be spotted this season too, but while we know moccasins and geometric colorful patterns have been around for quite sometime, now designers like Tory Birch, Coach, and Jimmy Choo are straying away from their classic looks to play with the fun desert prints.
