[Fashion Forecast] 12 Emergent Trends [Part1]

1.Liberty prints

Thanks to the green thumbs of labels like Shipley & Halmos, Obedient Sons, and Liberty of London (which lent its trademark blooms to Steven Alan for shirts, ties, and boxers), look for flowers to have more power than ever in '09.

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2.Unstructured shoulders

Sport coats continue to soften up in '09, especially in their summer-weight incarnations. This example from Vanete Bottega—which is essentially crafted from shirting fabric—allows for maximum style with minimal sweating.

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3.Perf's up

Look for a proliferation of perforation in the year ahead, courtesy of everyone from Common Projects to Louis Vuitton (pictured). And that's just footwear. Labels like Duckie Brown, Gucci, and Hermès carried out their holy obsessions above the waist. (Just remember: We said perforated, not mesh.)

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4.Backpacks for grown-ups

Maybe it's because more people are riding their bikes to work, or maybe it's because messenger bags are just dorky, but we haven't seen so many nicely designed backpacks in a while (though we're going to go ahead and recommend you skip the bunched-up trousers look).

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5.Featherweight windbreaker

Sharp-looking, and as an added bonus, it won't take up too much space in that new backpack. Come from Patrik Ervell.

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