Fringe trends cater to a small audience, and they’re usually fringe for a reason. Fashion buyers believe that consumer traction for the silhouette, combination or colour will be low, or at least low to begin with. From their point of view, the item is risky, will be hard to sell, and needs time to be accepted by the marketplace. It might sell in small quantities for a while before it goes mainstream, if it goes mainstream at all. 

Some trends seem to languish in fringe trend limbo for a long time. For example, Jumpsuits and rompers have stayed fringe for years. Retailers have been assorting limited quantities and they must be selling well enough to suggest trying for another season, but not flying off the racks in a way that suggests they’re about to explode into the mainstream.

Some trends stay fringe through exclusivity. This is often true of brand new runway trends. They initially surface in ranges by high-end designers, where the price keeps them exclusive. Designers deliberately support this exclusivity by only offering the trend in their highest end lines. Lower price brands stay away because the trend hasn’t shown enough signs of mainstream acceptance. Round shouldered jackets and two-piece dresses are examples of fringe trends on the exclusive track at the moment.

Many fringe trends become mainstream trends. Recent examples are boyfriend jeans, cut-out booties, hard-edged looks, and high-low hemlines. These items gained traction over the course of a few seasons, ultimately giving fashion buyers the confidence to order them in larger quantities and increase their availability. It’s fun to see a trend start out as fringe, and go mainstream after two or three years. 

A good indication that a fringe trend is about to go mainstream is when the popularity for something seems high, but availability is limited. The case for the trend is even stronger when it is wearable by a large part of the market. The hard part for the buyer is recognizing these opportunities and then taking the risk. 

Here are four trends that I would be expecting to go mainstream if I was still a buyer today:

1. Midi Skirts: Midis are still fringe. Calf lengths are hard to wear, but just-below-the-knee lengths are much easier. They are ideal for a more conservative office environment and for those who prefer not to bare their knees. Also, the elegance factor of a longer skirt is high. 
2. Forest Green: Judging by the overwhelming support for the colour last week, this dark neutral should go mainstream very quickly.
3. Midi and Maxi Coats: It’s hard to find a dressy coat that’s knee-covering (midi) or calf length (maxi). These lengths are great to wear over midi dresses and skirts in colder weather. They were widely available in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but have stayed fringe since then. I bet their increased availability would stimulate Fall and Winter dress and skirt sales. 
4. Baggy Trousers: Although roomy trousers are slowly becoming more popular, tight trousers reign supreme. Mega slouchy trousers with low crotch points are still an acquired taste, so it makes sense to keep those silhouettes fringe. But baggy trousers with a relaxed fit on the hip and thigh with a tailored crotch point are perfectly wearable by us all, and provide a refreshing change to tighter silhouettes. 

Fashion is a delicate balance of fringe and mainstream trends, and I thoroughly enjoy following their development over several seasons and even decades. Identifying the next big trend is always top of mind for a retailer. There is an incredible array of analytics that supports the decisions made by buyers, but there is just as much intuition and educated guesswork involved. I loved being a buyer. It was a stressful job with a big burden of responsibility, but at the same time extremely exhilarating.

Every decade has its good and bad fashion moments, and that includes the 1980s. Yet many people seem to only remember the worst of what I regard as one of the very best fashion decades, which is why I often find myself sticking up for the brilliance of ‘80s trends. So much of today’s incredible fashion can be traced back to the ‘80s. 

Our forum recently asked me to pull together some fabulous ‘80s looks, and I obliged right away. I also had great fun putting together a pinboard of fabulous ‘80s fashion, which showcases actual photos that were taken back in the 1980s. There are many examples of ’80s elements that have been modernized in current looks. It’s this throwback to ‘80s style that makes me love 2014 fashion so very, very much. 

Let’s take a peek:

• Oversized coat, rolled jeans, sneakers, shuffle socks and clutch.
• Harem pants and fashionable athletic sneakers for Sporty Luxe.
• The roomy layered blazer with big shirt.
• Rainbow hair and more rainbow hair.
• Triangular dresses with low backs and pointy flat lace-up booties. Lots of white.
• MJ, all buttoned up.
• Cropped tops with high-rise bottoms.
• Distressed boyfriend jeans with lace and slipper flats.
• Hard Edge is routed in punk style from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
• Soft fluid separates that are both feminine and masculine.
• Monk strap oxfords and angular draped blazers.
• Leggings, gigantic pullover, pointy toe booties and structured bag.
• Another leggings look with oversized topper.
• Baggy trousers with blousoned jackets.
• Laceless flat oxfords with baggy pants.
• The most famous red moto jacket of all time, with a Mini Michael.
• Elegantly roomy white suits with black sunnies.
  
• Graphic, colour blocked structure with ample movement and interesting hair.
• Annie Lennox.
• The partially tucked big white shirt with baggy short shorts.
• Aviator looks with attitude.
• The shirtdress with low-slung belt and sandals.
• The sweatshirt with sunnies.
• One of the most memorable sweatshirts of all time.
• Pajama-esque pattern mixing.
• Vibrant Hip Hop.
• Shredded jeans, big hair, stilettos, and a little Rock and Roll.
• Acid wash, oversized motos, skinnies and high-tops.
• Round shoulders, flat oxfords, rolled jeans and pastel suits.
• Soft moto jackets.
• Neon.
• Androgynous layers with a good amount of pretty.
• Stunning brights in structured drape with ankle booties and heeled oxfords.
• Purple Rain. Buttoned-up with studs and shoulder pads.
• Pointy toe flats.
• Pointy toes, rolled pants, high-rises, high-tops, leg warmers, shoulder pads and bright bangles.
• Boxy tuxedo shirt with slip-on sneakers.
• Another gorgeous soft suit.
• Round shouldered tartan.
• More round shoulders.
• Roomy angular drape.
• Sporty perforated mesh with luxe satin.
• Roomy sporty brights with bling.
• Glitzy bombers with bucket hats.
• And military fabness.

I could go on and on about how these ‘80s looks make my heart sing. Yes, there was also lots of less-than-fab frilly, twee and poufy styling. Shoulder pads, make-up, big hair and glitz were out of control. Sometimes we wore outfits so oversized, they wore us. And excessive neon and over the top colour combinations made our eyes hurt.

But to my mind, ‘80s silhouettes and juxtapositions were delightfully interesting, creative and detailed, and therefore worth a lot of praise. The era was as dressy as it was casual. There was ample colour and graphic black and white. Women’s trends were masculine, and men’s trends were feminine, which made for a marvelous melting pot of style.

Of course, my memories of ’80s fashion are shaped by my influences at the time — one giveaway being the prominence of the British band Duran Duran in my collage. If you were enjoying fashion during the ’80s, what in particular sticks out in your memory? And if you are seeing ’80s fashion after the fact, what are your impressions now? 

Canadian label Smythe celebrates its 10th anniversary, Alice Temperley and Net-A-Porter bring us the first shoppable fashion film, and more fashion news from around the globe this week.

• The launch of a Coach men’s footwear line is the company’s first step towards building a full men’s lifestyle brand.
• Victoria Beckham is selling 600 pieces from her personal wardrobe on The Outnet to raise money for mothers2mothers, “a non-profit organisation that trains, employs and empowers women living with HIV”.
• Canadian label Smythe, best known for their jackets and coats, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a 10-piece capsule collection consisting of their most popular items.
• Rent the Runway is going the brick-and-mortar route, and will be opening its first freestanding store in New York City. 
• Tank fashion director Caroline Issa is working with Nordstrom on a 25-piece Spring 2015 collection.
• After shoppable ads and shoppable Instagram feeds, Alice Temperley & Net-A-Porter are now bringing us the first shoppable fashion film. 

This ensemble was inspired by clients who have been wearing lightweight and transparent pointelle, mesh, gauze or crocheted Summer pullovers layered over contrasting tank tops. In other words, they’re mismatching the colour of the sweater and the tank top to create an interesting effect. 

I’ve shown two ensembles here, but there are many, many ways to interpret the formula. The ensemble on the left is graphic, crisp and a little more dressy, while the ensemble on the right is soft, bohemian and quite casual. 

Here are the components. Choose any colour palette: 

Sweater: You’ll need a sweater that will showcase the colour of the tank underneath. A mesh sweater with extremely small holes, or an open weave sweater with large holes. A lace sweater works quite well too. 

Tank: Choose a tank in a contrasting colour to the pullover with strappy or built-up shoulders. The effect is not the same if you layer a sleeved T-shirt under the sweater. Proportions tend to look better, and more alluring, with bare arms. 

Bottoms: Choose a pair of bottoms that complement the layered tops. In both cases I’ve chosen jeans, but shorts, patterned pants, trousers and skirts work equally well. 

Footwear: Choose shoes that work with the outfit. I chose masculine black loafers for the graphic statement on the left, and a pair of casual suede wedge sandals for the earthier look on the right. 

Accessories: You’ll probably need a belt if you’re tucking or partially tucking the front. Or wear both the tank and sweater untucked over bottoms. Choose a bag that tickles your fancy, and finish off the look with jewellery, hat, eyewear and watch. 

Feel free to dress up the look with a pencil skirt, full skirt or pair of trousers, and finish off the look with dressy sandals or pumps.