Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that our country needs to rethink our eating habits. That being said, grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have gained cult-like followings and countless numbers of fast-casual restaurants that offer great tasting, good-for-you food have exploded onto the scene in Chicago, such as Protein Bar and Hannah’s Bretzel and also, rumor has it that Palo Alto-based LYFE Kitchen will be coming to the Windy City very soon (fingers crossed).
I predict in 2012 that more people will become aware of their food options and demand healthier, organic, clean food options for every meal, forcing existing companies to make changes to their offerings, while allowing smaller businesses and companies that focus on natural and organic foods to break into the market.
There’s a new hot trend in town and its borrowing from the beer world. While wines on tap have been growing in popularity in New York and on the West Coast, unique tap systems are becoming a staple of new restaurants in Chicago with beverages such as Champagne and cocktails on tap as well.
As a way to increase productivity and a more inexpensive method of serving glass pours, more and more restaurants are exploring this option for environmentally friendly reasons too. No more wasted bottles, no garbage, less space for storage, no wasted product, etc. Aside from all of the benefits to this system, there is also the “wow” factor of just serving anything from a tap and presenting it to customers in a cool way. Places such as Public House and Boiler Room currently serve liquor on tap and soon Chicago will see Champagne, cocktails and other liquids being served at new restaurants such as Tavernita and the highly anticipated Trenchermen.
There’s absolutely nothing new about photo blogging. In some way or another, it’s been around as long as the oldest social network. Social users have long considered what their profile picture would look like and Facebook users would snap a shot of every single life moment to put it into a “Photo Album.” We saw the surge of “Myspace pictures,” heard in the news about how incriminating party shots could be for job seekers and students, and found true undiscovered talent on the pages of Flickr. But, 2011 was the re-birth of photo blogging and 2012 will be its year, especially for companies.
While Tumblr has been around for some time now, 2011 brought about not only personal blogging pages, but companies embracing the photo blog phenomenon. Just like the use of any other social media platform by a company, everything was off to a shaky start. By the end of 2011 though, companies are truly using Tumblr in unique ways.
Then there’s instagram and Pinterest – the photo blogging sensations dominating people’s time and encouraging everyone to be a budding photographer. Instagram was one of the most popular apps downloaded in 2011 and it was only available to iPhone users. Imagine the surge when the app becomes available to Android users, shortly. Pinterest, a platform that generated a lot of buzz during this summer and was extremely popular with wedding bloggers and enthusiasts alike, is turning the population into expert virtual scrapbookers.
So great, these platforms are out there, but what does this have to do with 2012, and why is this my trend post? Because 2012 will be the year major companies, small businesses and emerging entrepreneurs realize that photo blogging isn’t just a fade and truly put effort and time into these platforms. Companies will find unique ways to display their products on Instagram, complete short blogs about their company or a recent product launch on Tumblr, or even showcase a few of their favorite things on Pinterest.
I’m not suggesting that these platforms are perfect for every company because they’re not. Certain companies’ products or culture do not lend themselves easily to this social community, and that’s fine; companies should continue to master the platforms that do work for them. But, for those companies that can embrace this trend, 2012 will be the year to do it.
Questions about these platforms? The best way to master them is to hop on and see what your potential customers and potential employees are blogging about. Happy photo blogging in 2012!
I won’t be shaving anytime soon. I’m predicting that this will be the year of facial hair.
Growing my much desired handle-bar mustache isn’t likely (my wife says it would be grounds for divorce). However, I am pretty confident that some stubble, full beards and even stylish staches will be common place in 2012.
I’m going on 9 days unshaven. But don’t listen to me, check out the pictures below to see who else is growing some facial hair.
But just because you capture some growth – doesn’t mean you can stay well groomed. Visit Halo [FOR MEN] when your ready for a slight cleanup.
Bon Appetit just released their annual list of what will be hot in all things food and wine for the coming year. After close review, I selected a few predictions that I will personally be backing in 2012.
Pasta Basta:
As a self-proclaimed carbovore, nothing excites me more than learning about new varieties of pasta. Penne, Cavatelli and Farfalle will forever hold a special place in my heat, but there’s always room for the likes of Paccheri, Garganelli and Trofie.
Beer Cocktails:
Craft beer and cocktails were huge in 2011, but next year calls for a marriage of the two. I’m a novice when it comes to beer cocktails so I’m planning to start with the best at Trenchermen. Opening in Wicker Park next March, Trenchermen promises a wildly exciting cocktail menu (thanks to beverage director, Tona Palomino) that includes the likes of “Beer” – stout paired with a raisin infused bourbon and nutmeg. I’ll have another!
Amaranth:
You’re probably familiar with amaranth’s sibling, quinoa, and if you like that, you’ll love the grain of the future. Not only is amaranth a complete source of protein, but it’s packed with calcium and protein. I’m anxiously stocking up on recipes, so if you have any, send them my way!
Breakfast Cookies:
Sometime after college, I became a breakfast person, possibly because I was finally waking up in time for breakfast, or because I typically go to bed on a belly full of carbs. Either way, my stomach starts growling within an hour of waking up each morning. Best solution I’ve come across? Breakfast cookies! Erin Baker’s Morning Glory is a great way to start each day. With flavors like Double Chocolate Chunk and Carmel Apple, they even make a nice afternoon snack too!
To check out Bon Appetit’s entire list of 25 things to eat, drink and cook in 2012, click HERE.
When it comes to fashion, men do not typically see drastic changes in trend the way that women do. Men prefer comfort, versatility, and don’t always tread into uncharted waters. Even when designers showcase innovative trends, we see off the rack tends being pretty consistent from year to year.
Thankfully the Spring 2012 runway shows featured lots of color, bold prints, mismatched pairings, and variations on fabric. Although I don’t expect to be pairing mesh shorts with a blazer anytime soon I enjoyed seeing some new life breathed into menswear. I may not always be correct with my trend predictions i.e. my man leggings prediction of 2011, but I am confident we will see some great and more innovative menswear items coming our way in 2012.
Personal favorites of mine can be found below. Looking forward to seeing what trends our Zapwater fashion clients take to most when the temperatures begin to warm up! And by warm up in Chicago I mean mid-June. That is one trend I know I will be correct in predicting unfortunately….
5) Vibrant Camo prints
Because who still wants to wear classic camo?
4) Olive colored jackets
Whether in a flowy overcoats or a tailored military jackets it looks like this generally muted tone will be front and center come Spring.
3) Slurping Turtle prints
Pair these jarring prints with a more neutral or conservative color to make them really pop!
2) Orange!
I’m all for making orange the new pink for men
1) The Red James Dean Jacket
Nothing makes a statement like a statement in red. Cannot get enough of this jacket!
VitalJuice.com recently came out with their list of fitness trends for 2012 and it looks like they will have us working out a little harder. They predict that classes will get back to basics with interval training and cycling as opposed to the trendy barre classes that were popping up all over in 2011.
While, I don’t think that barre classes will ever disappear (nor do I want them to – I think they’re amazing!), I do agree with the trends that were predicted. I also noticed that one of Zapwater’s fitness clients, On Your Mark Coaching and Training (OYM) already embody many of the fitness trends pointed out by VitalJuice. Here are some examples:
WORK OUT WHENEVER VitalJuice predicts that gyms will offer more classes throughout the day to accommodate gym goers busy lifestyles. OYM has already added additional classes for the New Year and just opened a child-care center in their Bucktown location.
PUMP IT UP
Another prediction is that there will be music themed classes popping up. OYM has a class called ‘Rhythm Ride’ which is a cycling class taught using class participant’s favorite songs.
FUNCTIONAL TRAINING VitalJuice tells readers they will see a surge in functional training classes which happens to be what OYM is known for. Their signature class, F Train (which stands for functional training), leads people through a 45-minute long class consisting of interval style training. It also might be one of the most challenging fitness classes I’ve ever attended so I can see how this extreme training is gaining popularity.
Several members of the Zapwater team are obsessed with the Hunger Games trilogy. The young adult science fiction novels follow Katniss Everdeen, a girl who lives in a post-apocalyptic world in a country called Panem. The government holds all the power and the Hunger Games are held as an annual televised event where the Capitol chooses one boy and one girl from 12 districts for a battle where only one person survives. The books are addicting – trust me.
As we look to 2012, I anticipate that the movie is going to be a blockbuster smash. Lead male characters Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth will become Hollywood’s newest heartthrobs (think Robert Pattinson). Jennifer Lawrence (who plays Katniss) will make the covers of multiple women’s fashion magazines. Rumors will surface of real-life romance between Lawrence and Hutcherson among countless other celebrity tabloid stories.
The movie hits theatres nationwide on March 23, 2012. As we patiently wait for the movie to come out, InStyle.com asked fashion designers to “re-image” Katniss Everdeen’s fire dress from the book. And check-out the movie trailer HERE.
Here are some of my favorite fire dress interpretations:
In 2012, expect to see shades of orange EVERYWHERE. Pantone listed Tangerine Tango one of the top 10 colors in its fashion color report for spring 2012, and the Color Marketing Group said saturated oranges will have a strong representation in the marketplace. Not only was orange a prominent color on the women’s spring 2012 runways, it’s expected to be a popular color in interiors too.
From cute suits for the workplace, to going-out-on-the-town LODs (Little Orange Dresses), this trendy hue adds a pop of color and confidence to any wardrobe (www.Fashionista.com).
If you are not into dressing yourself in head-to-orange, try spicing up an outfit with a bold, bright accessory (www.Topshop.com). Orange accessories look especially great with beige and gray neutrals.
Beauty trends for 2012 didn’t miss the orange memo either as models worked it on the runways with orange eyes, cheeks, and nails. Forget the fake orange from a spray tan overdose – instead,subtly incorporate orange into your beauty routine with eye shadow, bronzer, and nail polish.
Orange is a huge shade for interiors this year as well. While gray is expected to remain the anchor hue for interiors in 2012, there is no better way to add warmth to a home than with bright accessories. Zapwater client, Room & Board offers stylish orange accessories for the home, including the option of custom pillows (www.roomandboard.com).
This brilliant color may not be hot for long, so in 2012, hop on the bandwagon and paint the town orange.
As is tradition at Zapwater, over the next few weeks, the team will be predicting trends for the coming year. Keep checking the Zapwater Blog to see what we think will be hot in 2012.
