This season Playtime teams up with Fashion snoops- A Global Trend Forecasting agency, to present Kids Cultural Sentiments for the new fashion season FW21 and trends with real-world examples and how to apply this cultural shift to your businesses in the Kidswear market.

So let’s dive in….

What are Cultural Sentiments?

Fashion is the response to climate; whether it is emotional climate, physical climate, or political climate. Cultural Sentiments really track how people are feeling, their values, and beliefs in response to the cultural moments. It is very important to understand how society is evolving, what are their needs, what products will serve them. The pandemic brought kids and parents together as they are more at home than outside so it is crucial to know the changes in how they perceive the services they get while at home in their comfort.

There are two sentiments for the season:

First sentiment: Goodness

This sentiment appears from issues which influenced our reality for almost a year now- the Coronavirus pandemic. Due to this pandemic, we all are aware of the notion that kindness towards each other and towards the environment is much more important. This puts Goodness at the core of mankind. Aren’t we all wondering how we can help each other more? This terrible event has brought out the goodness in all of us.

"Every act of goodness is born from our desire to be happy” - Udai Yadla

The stem of this Sentiment - Macro Connection Map

The sentiment “Goodness” stimulated through the needs and desires of the customers. We as humans have the curiosity to explore new products or services and due to this pandemic, we are looking for something which is uncomplicated and gives us ultimate comfort.

There are six factors that everyone looking for in the services they get:

● Joy and exploration.
● Tools that can connect us more than ever.
● Products that can help us to explore and to create tactile intimacy.
● Products that can protect ourselves and our loved ones.
● It is difficult to go outside to explore so we are looking for something that can
be fun and engaging learning.
● Ways to reduce stress.
● Prioritize love, empathy, and solidarity.

Fashion snoops have listed out the five elements that feed into “Goodness” and are the most relevant aspects for your business:

1) Online connection

Connections were always important even before pandemic but since a year it has become more difficult for parents and kids to stay connected while always at home.

These are the few services that support home learning and help kids and parents to stay connected, like Roblox, Caribu, Kiddle or Scholastic learn at home.

2) IRL - In Real Life

Cardboardfolk is a very good example of DIY a successful account on Instagram that helps families to find crafts ideas to do at home.

We are kind of losing the real-life connection as we are always online so here is the list of some of the childhood activities like coloring, crafting and other DIY projects which will certainly take you to the nostalgic road and these are for adults too.

But the real question is how does this apply to the kids market and to your business?

● Customers are certainly looking for something which requires less screen time and it should balance between the digital and un-digital.

● Giving DIY aspect to your brand can be more beneficial as not only kids but adults are also participating in the activities like coloring books, puzzles, crafts, dying their own apparel, etc

● Giving services like home delivery and subscription kits are important.

3) Self-care

Self-care is one the most important aspect even if it sounds cliché, these are some services which focus on this:

These are the few other services that are focused on the mental health of the children and parents with the focus on stress relief and techniques to reduce anxiety.

4) Minding the mind

So what does this mean to you in the kidswear market?

● More focus on antibacterial materials and products that provide protection and reassure
● Growing focus on the mental and social well-being of kids so the brands have to think of thoughtful designs.
● Convenient self-care for parents and children. How does your brand offer an avenue to escape and/or self-care? Do you promote an overall sense of well-being that easily accessible to the consumer and make life easier
(delivery, free returns, try-on at home)?

5) Inclusivity

This set of services inclusivity and gives children an opportunity to represent who they are:

● There is a growing need for brands to offer the same product to all the children but adapt to their needs.
● A product that should not distinguish the gender and specialized needs for physically and mentally.

The second sentiment - Amend

This is the tipping point to realize the disparities in society and we are demanding that our narratives be completely discussed and amended, turning our attention to a culture of humanity through dialogue and alliance.

“There is so much power that happens when we shift our focus or our gaze - just
slightly, momentarily, and confront the spoken truth” - Kehinde Wiley

Amend comes from macro trends - A wakeup and clash - and Homage

What drives community feeling, how people know what they need, because we want to step up to what we believe in, we want to communicate with others, we want to accept appreciation and exchange what we have with others, celebrate racial inclusiveness, and with those that are different from us.

There are three elements that feed into “Amend”:

1) Representation

The proactive movement to show not just the ethnic diversity but also the breadth of all the religions, gender identity, and lifestyles.

How can your brand open itself up to a wider range of consumers via sizing, genders, etc? phrases, symbols in other cultures on a wider range of sizings.

2) Dose of Reality

When will we show the reality of parenting if not now? There are photographers, artists, apps, etc that speak truthfully to children on hard topics.

What do you as a business have to keep in mind?

● Consumers are increasingly tired of “perfect” image marketing.
● Addressing the real needs of people and how products can provide solutions to make lives easier is more crucial than ever now.
● Infusing honesty and humor resonates well with a new generation of parents.

3) A Future less gendered

Kids who are born between 2010 - 2024 will be called the Alpha generation and this generation will be raised by millennials. They will be raised in a less gendered environment.

Businesses have already pivoted towards this direction, for example, Walmart and Target have replaced “boys'' and “girls” aisles with gender-neutral toy selection.

Parents are looking for genderless products for their children.

This will influence future consumerism, voters, leaders, and decision-makers.

These are a few examples of the services:

How does a brand should address these topics?

● Kidswear in design focused on genderless solutions.
● Many parents are actively working to build environments for their children that differ from those which came before in one imp aspect: gender
● Millennials hope to shape the lives of their Gen Alpha by rising them in a less gendered environment. 45% of the consumers age 18-45 say they prefer gender-neutral toys while shopping for kids.

Imagine how different the world will be when there will be no differences in gender, religion, and race.

This is the high time when businesses adapt to the needs of society and provide services that will not differentiate in any cause. This is very important for the businesses because your services shape the market in one way and the kind of services which is accessible to the kids really matter in how they perceive things in
their day-to-day life.

Don't forget to look at the new collection on the Playtime marketplace to see how they manifested these sentiments and introduced them in the new collection for AW21.

Thank you Fashionsnoops for these wonderful insights on Kids Cultural Sentiments for the new fashion season FW21 and upcoming trends.