Identifying color and fabric trends is as emotional as it is logical. Sourcing for Fall/Winter 2021-2022 and Spring/Summer 2022 apparel, however, requires a deep understanding of how the pandemic is affecting consumers’ purchasing decisions and personal style.

A webinar on Wednesday, hosted by Sourcing at Magic in partnership with trend forecasting agency WGSN, provided a closer look at the colors, fabrics and themes for the seasons and how they connect to the desire to find comfort, stability and a touch of well-deserved indulgence.

“We’re certainly seeing different priority priorities around purchasing,” said Helen Palmer, WGSN head of materials, knits and textiles. Textiles that offer soothing and tactile elements are gaining traction as consumers yearn for a comforting touch. “There’s quite a lot of self-gifting and buying things that are comfortable and soft—things that make you feel well and feel good,” she said.

That desire for comfort is evident in fashion’s unwavering love for nostalgic designs and colors—a theme that Palmer said is trickling into home décor as more time is being spent in homes. Upcycled textiles and garments that feature crafted and mending techniques offer a different kind of vintage allure, but are comfort nonetheless. This home-crafted look is expected to appear in future textiles.

Designers will also need to prioritize “functional seasonality,” a term used to describe everything from colors and fabrics with season-less appeal, to durable fibers, to garments that can protect and adapt to unpredictable weather patterns. Here, Palmer said fabrics from the outdoor apparel space will be integrated into daywear to provide the wearer with thermal regulation, breathability and other performance attributes. “We’re going to have to make our garments work quite a lot harder for us,” she added.