2020 trends include bionic kitties, 'flexitarianism'

Now that we’ve all survived the holidays and have plunged into a new year and decade — the “Roaring ’20s” — I feel compelled to share some information I’ve uncovered about what we can expect in the way of trends in 2020. Get ready for some eye-openers.

A recent report by Scottie Andrew of CNN started like this: “Do you bathe in milk, gobble up kimchi or dress in getups straight out of the ’80s? If you don’t, you might soon — Facebook predicts those trends could go global in 2020.”

All I remember about ’80s fashion is a lot of shoulder pads and baggy, high-waisted pants. I’ve never taken a bath in milk (despite growing up on a dairy farm), but I could be persuaded to try kimchi, a spicy South Korean pickled vegetable dish.

Facebook, which issued a 2020 Topic and Trends Report, alerted consumers about the rise of “flexitarianism,” “a majority plant-based diet that occasionally incorporates meat and fish,” Andrew wrote. This trend of working toward a plant-based diet already has popped up at places like Burger King, where they’re peddling fake meat marketed as the “Impossible Whopper.” Other food franchises are scrambling to follow suit.

It’s going to be a trendy year for tech gadgets, too, reported CNN Business reporter Kaya Yurieff, who enlightened readers they can expect to improve their lives with “smart trashcans” that somehow tie up a garbage bag when it’s full and replace it with a new bag. “Users push a button on the trash can, and it automatically seals the bag and opens the lid so you can remove it.” The Townew trashcan is “available for purchase online in white or teal for $99.95.” That’s a lot of money for a fancy garbage can, and begs the question: How lazy have we become if we can’t even tie our own trash bag?

If you don’t have enough cats demanding your utmost attention, you can now add a robot kitty to the mix. These “MarsCats” sit up and play with toys, Yurieff’s article points out.

“The bionic feline can walk, stretch, play with toys, avoid obstacles and bite its nails. It can also recognize human faces and knows 20 commands and phrases,” Yurieff writes. (Yes, it KNOWS those commands, but no information as to whether these fake felines will actually respond. You know how cats are.)

Most cat owners would probably agree they’ve already got their hands full with their fluffy friends underfoot, without adding a bionic kitty to the mix.

Perhaps a more worthy pet-related tech gadget gaining traction is an robot that scoops up dog poop from the yard.

Nearly every media and consumer resource out there has weighed in on what will be trendy this year. Fox News says gray hair is in, with major celebrities now embracing their silver on the silver screen.

Harper’s Bazaar predicts the overly pointed “disco collar” is back in vogue, as is crocheted clothing (“not your grandmother’s crochet,” they advise), hot pants, Bermuda shorts and clothes in neon shades called “highlighter hues.”

Pantone’s color palette for the year is classic blue. Last year it was coral, so hop to it and redecorate in shades of blue if you’re so inclined and long to be trendy.

Perhaps the best trend I came across was a prediction by Trendwatching.com that claims we’ll see more civility in social media.

“In 2020 consumers will seek an antidote to vast and toxic online communities and social media platforms,” Trendwatching forecasts. “They’ll embrace smaller and more intimate digital spaces that facilitate respectful and meaningful connections, let them interact with like-minded peers and allow them to truly be themselves.”

This is one trend I’m happy to embrace.

News Editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.