Trends, Fashion and Mega-Cycles

If 2022 turns out to be the pivotal year that I suspect it was, we've now just entered a new era. The progressive era that started with the first world war has come to an end, and the 21st century, as it will be described in history books, has just started.

This should mean that trends and fashions are about to change, and some of these changes should already be visible, because some people are always a little ahead of everyone else.

To spot this, we need to have an understanding of the past era as well as a fair idea about the new era and what it will embody. If we get this right, we can in turn make prediction as to what will come in terms of opportunities, so it's well worth a few minutes of our time.

The 20th century, also known as the progressive era, saw belief in government and the efficiency of corporate business reigned supreme. Everyone was a worker, and styles and fashion reflected this. Dependency on government and corporate employment became seen as a virtue. "Trust the experts" and "safe space" were real concepts widely embraced. Nature, God and all things real were seen as inferior to ideas, to the point where people truly believed that a man could become a woman merely for wishing it to be true.

It took a century to reach the level of insanity that we've seen lately, but it was inevitable, and the reversal that we'll see will be equally inevitable. My prediction for the 21st century is that it will be similar to the 19th century in that it will be marked by a belief in all things real and tangible. Additionally, we'll see increased mistrust in government and experts. Instead of "trust the science", we'll have "trust only what you see".

This should mean that we'll see a renewed interest in elegance and robustness. Ornamental decorations on buildings may come back in style. Fashion may become more like it was in the 1940s. Cars will look more robust. The low car that relies on smooth roads will be replaced by more elevated cars that can handle mismanaged roads.

Less trust in government will mean more self reliance and reliance on hired professionals. Men's fashion will tend towards symbols of strength and self reliance. Beards and moustaches will be popular. The man-bun, not so much. Women's fashion will see a return of skirts and elegant fabrics. A mix of strength and elegance will fit well with the strong woman that will nevertheless appreciate a strong man in her life.

Imaginary things like the metaverse, NFTs and crypto-currencies will have to reconnect with reality in order to remain relevant. Everything will require something real and tangible in order to be seen as valuable. Industry and production will become increasingly relevant.

Considering how detached from reality many people are at the moment, it's clear that this new trend can go on for decades without exhausting itself. The extreme endpoint of it will tend towards a libertarian anarchy where all services are private and power hierarchies are replaced by networks of individuals and small enterprises. Large corporations will still exist, but they will be less able to rely on the state for financial and legal support.

The old era moved increasingly towards hierarchy and centralized power. The new era will likely move in the opposite direction.

Furniture