Trends For The Week Of October 2, 2009

Texts From Last Night

TextsFromLastNight.com (TFLN) is an up and coming media sensation amongst college aged individuals who want to inform the world of their raucous, raunchy behavior. Text messages are submitted to the site by anyone willing to share their antics and possibly humiliate themselves (anonomously of course) by submitting "that text you shouldn't have sent last night." Other users viewing the site can see the area code where the text was sent from once the host has published the message for the public domain to see. Area codes from all over the nation are submitted everyday, the most popular day being Sunday, after the weekend of drinking and partying is over. More new area codes containing texts submitted to the website are being seen everyday according to the website, meaning the site is only gaining popularity and status. The site has certain features which allow users to comment on the text they are viewing on the site as well as classify it as a "best night" or "worst night" for the person who submitted it. The undercurrent most likely pushing the website is extreme word of mouth from people who use the site. Also, TFLN has an iPhone app for users to directly submit a text they receive or send from their iPhone instantaneously. Furthermore, users of Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are using TFLN to spice up theirs or their friend's profiles with content from the website, thus gaining even more popularity from peer-to-peer communication websites. Although Texts From Last Night is relatively new, it already has websites trying to emulate its style and content. With the ever rising popularity of this website among college students and others, this website does not seem like it will be going anywhere anytime soon.

Cougars In The Media

The media has recently been reporting on the trend of older women seeking out younger boys and men to satisfy their needs. The women who do this have acquired a term and are labeled as "cougars." Cougars who are reported in the news are often school teachers who fall for one of their younger, underage students. However, many women are reported as being housewives, mothers, or most of all, celebrities who seem to be bored with their current love lives. Demi Moore's relationship with Ashton Kutcher has been labeled as a cougar relationship due to the large age difference between the two. Also, just last year wrestler Hulk Hogan's wife left him from a lifetime of marriage for a nineteen year old boy. A new series that exhibits this trend just debuted on ABC just last week and is appropriately titled "Cougar Town." The series features the "Friends" and movie star Courtney Cox as the leading role. She plays a single mom who is on the prowl with a group of cougar friends that exhibit traits similar to her own. The show is described on the ABC website as "a comedy based on the media trend of older women hooking up with younger men." The undercurrent pushing this trend must be the fact that women simply are not happy with their current romantic situations and want to live a more youthful, adventerous lifestyle. If there were a marketplace specifically directed at cougars it would be gradually gaining customers and business, but for now its just jokes on T-shirts and a new television series mocking the cougars hunting their prey.

Netbook Laptops

These tiny laptops approximately one-half the size of a conventional laptop are being seen in the media with much more frequency these days. Advertisements for the small computers can be seen on television, street ads, and even through cell phone companies who recently affiliated themselves with the nifty devices. The computers pack a lot of memory, ram and power, but are still intended for simple, typical computer usage such as surfing the web or checking email. The undercurrent most likely pushing these new computers is society's fascination with new technologically advanced items coming in smaller, more compact sizes. Some examples include hand-held paper shredders and the new iPod Nanos. By shrinking the new laptops to half the size and best of all, half the price, the sales and marketplace for Netbook's should not see a decline in business anytime soon.

Barstool Sports

Originally started for the avid New England sports fan base, Barstool Sports has grown exponentially since its start in 2006. Although originally (and still) a monthly newspaper, Barstool Sports is now an online publication as well. The blog style website is dedicated to reporting any news on sports teams in the greater Boston area during the on and off seasons. The website also reports on interesting, and many times peculiar, however endlessly entertaining stories gathered from all over the world. Recently Barstool Sports announced it would be hosting another website dedicated to the city of New York. Not long after the announcement, it was told to the Stoolies (fans/users of the site) that Barstool Sports was planning to expand its readership to ever major city in the nation, constantly keeping up with sports and interesting information at all times. However, just because the website is currently up and running in Boston and NYC does not mean that only readers from those areas log onto the site. Users can submit their emails and pictures to the "Does this ______ (tattoo, shirt, car, etc.) get this guy laid?" column as well as the "Is This _____(poster, costume, tattoo) Lame?" column, among others. Users fill in the blanks for the categories with their submission to El Presidente, the site's creator and most popular blogger. Barstool Sports is a phenomenon that women and men alike are flocking to, mostly to see the smut, sports news, and funny articles posted on the website daily. The undercurrent pushing this up and coming national website is most likely word of mouth between Stoolies and other non-users. Also, the website hosts parties at various bars and clubs in Boston and NYC in which they give away promotional gear and booze to advertise their company. Barstool Sports' tagline reads "By the common man, for the common man." This quote simply reiterates the fact that the website may not be run by quote unquote "professional" journalists, but its proud of that fact and I'm assuming that is why many people like to read the news reported on it. The common man does not need to hear the world news that is so often reported by the typical news broadcasters. Instead they log onto www.barstoolsports.com to see the debauchery and strange news that doesn't make the headlines of Fox and CNBC, etc. If Barstool Sports continues to grow at the rate their company is, before we know it Stoolies will exist in every city across the nation and jobs for sports and smut journalists will be in high demand in the coming years.

Trends For The Week Of September 24, 2009

Nintendo 64

Although it was released over a decade ago in 1996, the Nintendo 64 is making a huge comeback with CU students. The classic gaming system seems to be taking the place of Xbox and PS3 games on students’ television screens everywhere with games like Mario Kart and Goldeneye 007 being amongst the popular choices. The gaming experience is not limited to any one gender, but a certain age range; that age being 18-25 year olds. The undercurrent pushing this trend is simply the fact that CU is made up of people who fall within this age range. They grew up during the rise and fall of the Nintendo 64, and many are bringing back the system they cherished so much during their childhoods. Children bore after the 90s grew up with a new age gaming experience and don’t understand the authenticity that lies within the classic 64-bit system. The trend is even being recognized by CU organizations, such as the one hosting the 96 hour sober weekend this month for September being Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Any market dealing with vintage gaming systems and accessories will surely see some business coming their way, but the most popular way to acquire an N64 seems to be by making cash trades on craigslist.org.

Flat Brimmed Hats

Baseball caps with large, flat brims can be seen bobbing around campus on top of students’ heads these days on campus, on the hill and pretty much everywhere else. The trend has been catching on over the past couple of years and now the hats seem to be everywhere. Flat brimmed hats vary in color, size and what they represent. Anything from sports teams to band names to various cities can be seen being flaunted on the hats. Popular skaters and snowboarders along with ghetto fabulous wannabes are likely the undercurrent pushing this trend. They all wear the hats as a fashion statement to their style and steaz. The hat market should continue to flourish since the sales and presence of these hats do not seem to be going anywhere soon.

Converse All Star Shoes

Converse sneakers have been around for what seems like forever; however, their popularity has not. Both lo-tops and hi-tops are making a comeback these days with CU students around campus. The shoes come in various colors, including designs that can be customized by the consumer upon purchase. The throwback style is popular amongst both the male and female crowds here at CU and is not age limited. Faculty as well as their pupils are sporting the old school sneaks in class, and the style seems to be popular among many different cliques of students on campus because the shoes are vintage, youthful, and hip at the same time. The undercurrent pushing this trend is likely the vintage look that many people aspire to dress to these days. Also, I think the older generation sees the shoes being worn and remembers their youth when the shoes first made their debut. In wearing the shoes they are wearing a piece of their childhood. The market for these Converse shoes seems to be growing slowly, however, steadily. Its my opinion that if anyone ever desired to own a pair of Converse shoes they would have done so by now.

Summer Scarves

A usual winter time accessory has been a popular summer asset to many peoples' style this summer. The scarf can be seen being worn in 75+ degree weather on most days around CU's campus. Surprisingly (at least to me I suppose), the trend is not limited to the female gender. Although the girls dominate the style, male students can be seen wearing scarves, too. With so many different styles, designs and colors to choose from, its just another accessory to spice up one's outfit and stylize with the times. The undercurrent pushing this trend is unbeknownst to me; the only things I can think of that sparked it are 1) People like their winter scarves and wanted to carry over the accessory into the summer months, or 2) Celebrities are wearing scarves in the spotlight and the general population is following the trend set forth by their idols. Either way I expect the scarf trend to die down next summer due to people realizing its simply an unnecessary fashion statement.

Trends For The Week Of September 18, 2009

Gargantuan Sunglasses

Bug eyed individuals rocking big sunglasses are buzzing all around campus these days. Sunglasses with unnecessarily huge lenses seem to be the new fashion style with CU students. Surprisingly, this trend doesn't apply solely to the female crowd on campus, rather both sexes have picked up the new style. However, the female version of these glasses always seem to outdo the male's. While the guys wear large lensed Aviator, Top Gun style glasses, the girls flaunt shades that cover nearly half their face. The undercurrent pushing this trend has got to be the celebrity and Hollywood scene. Celebs have been wearing the over sized sunglasses in recent history, and the trend has certainly caught on. For the record, this trend is not just applicable to CU; big sunglasses are taking over faces everywhere. This has got to mean the sunglasses industry is booming right now with sales of big shades, and the trend doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon.


Hookah

Although the act of smoking hookah originated many, many years ago in India, the water-pipe is gaining popularity here in Boulder. Students can be seen smoking the device at all times of the day on the various grassy fields here at CU. Freshman students are consistently seen smoking hookah on Farrand Field, even though the pipe is banned in the dorms. Although personal hookahs are popular, the various hookah bars located around Boulder on the hill and on Pearl Street are crowded beyond capacity some nights. The hookah bar on the hill almost always has a list of people waiting to gain admittance to smoke on the weekends. Contrary to popular belief, the tobacco used in hookahs (called shisha) is better for the user than ordinary cigarette tobacco. This could be a part of the undercurrent pushing this trend along with CU students. Always thinking like a healthy campus, the hookah is a good alternative to smoking cigarettes. Also, the massive existence of hookahs is obviously a part of the undercurrent of this trend. Numerous places are located within a half mile of CU's campus that offer hookahs for sale or even to rent for the night. They'll even deliver! Hookah is a popular social activity in Boulder at the moment that seems to be taking a stand for its right to survive in the community, and right now its winning.

Christmas Lights In The Summer?

What's up with this? CU students have taken a long standing holiday tradition and converted it into a year long decoration. Christmas lights can be seen decorating student housing all over the hill these days. Some students even have such extravagant displays that their houses and backyards can be seen illuminated from blocks away. There is no specific undercurrent pushing this trend other than the Christmas holiday itself. Other than that, Christmas lights are becoming popular strictly for the fact that they are fun, neat, and spice up the atmosphere at a party or social gathering. The Christmas light trend seems to only be catching on with other students, so don't expect the decoration strands to be taken down any time in the near future.

Big Watches

Big watches are all the rage right now with CU students. The huge watch face literally covers the width of the person's entire forearm and then some. There's no advantage to these over sized watches other than the fact that other people can see the time on your wrist from half a block away. It's hard to determine the undercurrent from which the huge watches are arising, but if I had to guess I would give the credit to the celebrities once again. Guys and gals around campus are imitating the celebs in order to stay with the fashion trends popular amongst their idols. The trend seems to be gaining status with the student body and pop culture, so don't expect these watches to disappear overnight. The wrist watch market will continue to exhibit sales to the younger, influential crowd who are willing to pay top dollar for the watches. That's the price you gotta pay to be a baller these days.

Trends For The Week of September 11th, 2009

Well, its been an interesting week out there trend hunting around campus. Since I've started this assignment I have begun to notice many trends catching on with all different groups of people here at CU. Here are my four observations for this week.

Sigg Water Bottles

Introducing the Sigg water bottle; taking the place of plastic Nalgene bottles everywhere. Aluminum, sleek, and customizable, the Sigg bottle is gaining popularity among students here at CU. Although it is over a hundred years, I believe the Sigg has made a comeback due to the large population of mountain climbers here at CU flaunting their Siggs. The bottles are popular amongst their crowd due to the fact that they are virtually indestructible. They can fall from incredible heights and dent and bend but never bust. Also, over the past couple of years news has spread that the hard-plastic material that composes a Nalgene may be hazardous to one's health. The ultimate undercurrent to this trend, however, is people's ever growing aggressiveness to become healthy. And the first step to getting healthy (besides getting off your couch) is to drink water! With over 100 bottle designs available and the option to customize your own, I don't think the Sigg bottle will be overcome by competitors any time soon.

Ear Gauges

I've spotted ear gauges opening up all over campus this year in nearly all my classes and while walking around campus. I know what you're thinking; no way, I hardly ever see those. But you have. Many people have gauge earrings that are so small they are just a couple of millimeters larger than a regular earring. Thus, they blend in. It is only the extreme who continue to step up their gauge size and stretch their ears beyond the point of ever returning to normal size again. Interestingly these earrings seem more popular amongst the male crowd at CU, but the girls certainly rock 'em, too. I believe the undercurrent pushing this trend is simply students wanting to be rebellious and fashionable at the same time. Some people may wear them to be fashionable within their crowd, but others enjoy the piercing and watching it grow to its fullest potential and size. And freaking people out of course.

Funky Shoelaces

Forget plain white sneaks these days. People are spicing up their kicks with funky shoelaces varying from any color, metallic to neon, and everything in between. And not just solid colors either. People have actual designs on their shoelaces, including the Playboy Bunny, hearts, or famous (and infamous) band logos. The sudden uprise in designer shoe laces may be occurring due to the undercurrent neon theme that is booming around campus. The shoe lace is just another accessory to flaunt in neon. Also, the laces often match the neon on the shoes that they are complementing. Another possibility is that people just want more attention to be drawn towards their shoes. After all, people spend hundreds of dollars on shoes and many people hardly recognize them. By spending another $2.50 for a pair of exotic laces one can get the sought after attention that they desire towards their shoes.

Messenger Bags

Two straps are out, one is in. Messenger bags have been appearing all over campus since my freshman year in 2007. However, this year they are all over the place. Everywhere I look I see someone with a bag over their shoulder resting on their hip instead of on their back. The bags are popular among both genders at CU, and are worn by an incredibly diverse crowd. Anyone from businessmen to punk rockers sport a messenger bag these days. In my opinion the undercurrent behind these bags is the retro look sought after by the people who use them. Also, for businessmen, there is just something about talking to your boss with a kiddy looking backpack on that is not professional. The messenger bag is versatile in its appearance and can be taken to the office or to class all the while looking quite average, however fashionable. I would not be shocked if the old postman messenger bag continues to gain popularity here at CU among the student body.

Tank Top Jerseys Bro

Male students wearing old lacrosse practice uniforms is increasingly on the rise day to day. The thin, breathable material that makes up the tank top must be nice in the summer sun; after all, sun's out, guns out right? The undercurrent pushing this trend is most likely the booming popularity of the sport of lacrosse, thus making the players want to exploit their status' as players. This trend may or may not increase people's likelihood to go out and buy lacrosse related products, depending on how they look at the bros rockin' the jerseys in the first place. But if they're lucky, producers of lacrosse goods and memorabilia will see an economic boom in their places of business.

Hula Hoops

Almost any time of the day on Farrand Field, Norlin Quad and many other grassy plains on campus can someone be spotted spinning a hula hoop all over their body. Hula hooping seems to be a popular trend among the female students at CU. This plastic hoop likely makes it presence known on campus due to a few reasons; quite possibly the fact the hoop is prevalent at CU is because it is popular among hippie minds, providing a light, fun exercise one can do almost wherever they like. Also, many students at CU love attending live music performances, where the hoop is popular as a stage act and in the crowd during the show. Thus, the hoopers bring their practice sessions along with a boombox to the fields at CU and dance for the passerbys and wanderers. As stated before, this trend seems to be almost dominated by the younger female culture at CU. The amount of hula hoops will likely continue to rise due to an even younger culture of girls seeing their older generation of role models practicing hula hooping. The simple, plastic ring may even grow exponentially if the trend continues to catch on. It could even be advertised to an older generation for its aerobic purposes, thus dominating all ages of the female market. But we'll see.

Music Festival Wristbands

While walking around campus this past week I have noticed that loads of students are still wearing their plastic/cloth wristbands that they obtained by attending a notorious music festival over the summer. Some students have numerous bracelets, some even from a couple of years ago. This trend's undercurrent is the music festival scene, in which it is popular for music enthusiasts and hippies alike to travel from festival to festival all summer long enjoying good vibes and sweet, sweet music together. This trend will likely advertise the once underground music festivals to others in a public fashion, thus driving up sales for festies in the summer of 2010.