idk what stock traders do but i know it's a real job, why are trend forecasters different?

man forecast money future = real. woman forecast fashion future = fake!!!!!!!

Oh hey! Nice to meet you, allow me to formally introduce myself, I’m the bitch on TikTok who started a sentence with “I’m a trend forecaster” and subsequently made an internet troll vomit. So sorry, we started on the wrong foot, lets try this again. My name is Mandy Lee, also known as oldloserinbrooklyn on Tiktok and Instagram. I’m a trend forecaster, researcher and analyst, and yes, it’s a real job I get paid real money to do. Why is this such a shock to some folks? After sharing forecasts (not to mention countless educational videos about building personal style, runway critiques, conscious consumption, and consumer insights) for ~6 months on the internet, I’ve asked myself this question countless times: why is this job so hard for some folks to comprehend?

A cornerstone of forecasting is taking a look at historical data and trends, so lets do that first. I somehow majored in communications while spending most of my academic career spreading cream cheese on bagels and pouring lukewarm Counter Culture Coffee for hungover Emerson students at Allston’s very own Bagel Rising in Boston to pay my rent (and PBR racks, duh.)

2012 humble beginnings. Please note the disco pants, creepers and reds.

Ironically, I never allowed myself to visualize a future that didn’t include chain smoking in basements that doubled as show venues and blowing my eardrums out to shitty, errr I mean charming, noise bands every night. Eventually I took an entry level product analyst job at a tech company in 2015 and the rest is history.

Working in corporate planning + analytics for the last 6 years, I’ve never been questioned about my job. My titles have ranged from analyst to planner to product marketing manager and so on, but other than the occasional, “oh what do you do?” my career integrity has never been questioned or attacked. Until I took those 6 years of experienced and began to apply them to fashion.

Something happens when women (this applies to femme, NB, and trans folks too) begin to build authority in industries traditionally thought of as more creative or flamboyant i.e. fashion. Forecasting and ordering $16M of inventory for a new category launch is totally acceptable, even respected, under the safety net of a Big Tech employer (that was my big project last month at my 9-5) but shifting that experience and knowledge base to a more creative field, I become a joke, an entity worth being questioned? It gives… misogyny.

So what do trend forecasters do and why are they valuable?

A simple Google search will land you on a number of academic resources who can answer that question the folks who choose to leave these comments on any video I dare speak my job title, many of whom I’m assuming are still “doing their own research” about the vaccine, but lets break it down. Trend Forecasting is the process of researching and formulating predictions on consumers future buying habits. By identifying the source, tracing the evolution, and recognizing patterns of trends, forecasters are able to provide designers and brands with a vision of the future. There are dozens of companies that are dedicated to trend forecasting, and typically spans much further than just fashion.

A topical reference I think about daily

Of course, every trend analysts path is different. Mine has led me co-writing a piece for W Mag by one of my favorite fashion writers, Kristen Bateman, and yes, fashion writing is also a real job that pays real money to do. Receiving a dedicated feature in Who What Wear to discuss trend cycles and encouraging folks to lean into their personal style, which is arguably the only trend that matters. Fulfilling a teen dream by NYLON and Dazed taking MY trend forecast and writing full blown articles about it. Writing a shopping story with Refinery 29. Discussing conscious consumption and the accelerating trend cycle with Glamour, Business Insider, and Stitch Up! In depth personal style and mental health chats on podcasts Plan B is a Sugar Daddy, Verve, and CCC. But most importantly, opening up the dialogue and inspiring countless folks to rethink the way they consume and care about trends in general. Don’t get me wrong, I am, and forever will be fascinated by how trends move through cycles, but first and foremost, I’m a personal style advocate, a trend forecaster comes second. I struggle with major imposter syndrome, so listing these accomplishments feels extremely uncomfortable BUT I need to show how this IS a real job with real value using real skill and real expertise.

Perhaps it’s not that deep, but after all, I’m an analyst and over-analyzing is what signs my paychecks.

The thing is, much like a stock trader (is that what they’re called?) anyone can do trend forecasting if you have the passion, put in the time and create connections. The only difference is I choose fashion over trading any day. We can always print more money, right?

xoxo

Mandy

Thank you for reading and encouraging this newsletter to happen in the first place. I’ll be sharing more musings right here. Stay tuned and thank you so much for the support.