This past Monday, I went to Las Vegas with Ari to attend my very first trade show! I had never been to a trade show before so I wasn’t really sure what to expect or how orders were even processed at these kinds of events. We arrived Monday afternoon and went straight to the trade show after we landed. You could pretty much say we hit the ground running! I was SO thankful that I didn’t wear sweats and a t-shirt onto the plane because that would have been really embarrassing and changing into a different outfit would have wasted time—which I quickly learned was a no-no because the shows only stayed open from 9-6. Even though the trip went by super fast, I was able to learn and absorb some really valuable information and get a sneak preview into the trends of SS17. Read below for the details!

SS17 Fashion Forecast

Embroidery and Patches

This was by far my favorite trend at the trade show. I’ve been OBSESSED with iron-on patches (still trying to talk Ari into carrying them at the store!) and I really like the look of them on denim and on (or near) the pockets of t-shirts. When Ari and I were walking around on Tuesday, we found this great corner booth filled with a lot of vintage and used goods—everything from vintage cabinets to used art supplies to kimonos. Near the front of their setup they had a huge pile of iron-on patches that would have been really tempting had the rest of their products not been so overpriced. People always seem to be looking for ways to incorporate individuality into their wardrobe so the iron-on patch trend is definitely a no brainer for the next few months.

Colorful Suede Block Heels

Ever since high end brands re-introduced the suede heel trend, I’ve been noticing colorful suede sandals at a lot of smaller contemporary brands. Ari and I met with two representatives from an LA based brand that did a really nice take on an animal friendly version. The trend may not be appropriate for fall but I definitely think we’ll be seeing some similar styles popping up in the spring time.

Tongue-In-Cheek Graphic Tee’s

I’ve always kind of given graphic tee’s the cold shoulder but I’m starting to warm up to the idea of some of the less obscene or flamboyant styles. Either way, I saw a lot of them at the trade show and I think some of the ones with single words like “HAPPY” or relatable phrases like “DON’T LET THE BASTARDS GET YOU DOWN” could come to surface at a lot of edgy or lower price point stores.

Men’s Lightweight Patterned Shorts

Finding menswear for the store was one of our main priorities for this trade show so we previewed a lot of men’s clothing. One of the consistent menswear trends I saw was patterned shorts in lighter fabrics like linen or cotton. Some of the designers had also paired the shorts with a matching light weight blazer for a more put together or business casual look. 

These last few days have been quite the learning experience and my time spent in Vegas will definitely be something that I remember for many years to come. If you’re into merchandising or fashion and haven’t yet attended a trade-show, you can rest assure that your first experience will be one for the books too!