How will our new resolves -or lack thereof- manifest in how we dress, what we are eating, where we exercise, and how we shop and socialise? No one knows for sure, but this is my take on the lifestyle trends that are going to take center stage for the upcoming 11 months.
Of course gambling is going to stay in style, with the developments in VR and AR making games like online blackjack far more immersive, but here are a few things that are going to enjoy the limelight this year that you may not have been aware of.
Handmade Looks Become Fine Jewellery
The kind of pieces that you would source at craft fairs or Etsy will continue to make their way into the realm of fine jewellery. Some personalised baubles are being made with real diamonds and precious metals as well, so keep an eye out for bargains on these if they appear. Or start making your own!
Wellness will Remain Important
We are all going to keep on building lives we love around the core concepts of health and wellness habits, whether these are ten-minute buddha-style meditations on a daily basis, detoxing on a regular basis – think meat-free Mondays – or committing to a regular exercise schedule.
Look out for out-of-town stays that offer a total experience as well. There are places that serve clean-eating options as part of their menus now, and those that offer amenities that can be personalised to include the specific ones you are after.
Age-Defying Skincare Infiltrates the Youth
If the Botox trends currently occuring have proven anything it is that millennials will age on their own terms. More and more individuals under the age of 35 are requesting targeted treatments at spas, and HydraFacials and chemical peels are this year’s must-do.
Dermatology trends also include an uptake in the use of topical peptide creams that break old collagen down and stimulate elastin growth for smoother skin that looks younger.
As far as plastic surgery is going -shudder, but that’s just me- the focus this year is on liposuction on underarm fat that spills over the top of strapless tops and dresses.
Don’t Touch Me Without Permission
The symbolical start to 2018 had to be when Tarana Burke, #MeToo founder, pressed the button that kicked off the ball dropping in Times Square. That’s really all the proof necessary that sexual harassment, wherever it occurs, will no longer be tolerated this year.
Alongside the surge in protests and more-than-deserved nasty consequences so many powerful men are facing, more companies are reviewing the sexual harassment policies they have in place. There is already evidence of a rise in companies of all sizes updating their workplace handbooks in order to make the Dos and Don’ts abundantly clear.
What You Think of Me is Your Problem
She’s Gotta Have It, the Spike Lee Netflix series, has pushed pansexuality center-stage. Prince Harry’s engagement to Meghan Markle started conversations that are challenging bigotry and racism. The bottom line this year, however, is that people are starting to grasp that neither race nor sexuality are linear constructs, and, more importantly, that it mostly has nothing to do with them. People are defining themselves, rather than letting society dictate who they should be, and that is just fine with me!