It’s 2069, the 200th year anniversary of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The dean is a robot and professors are holograms. But the only things more futuristic than a meal packaged into a tiny tablet, are the outfits of the future students.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home ordinances, technology has advanced to the point that in-person events aren’t as necessary as they used to be. While the introduction of the Metaverse has opened up a whole closet of costly digital clothing. A future of jet propulsion packs sewn into jackets and shirts that can be grown in a backyard, don’t seem that far-fetched as they did a couple of years ago.
To get a better idea of what a UNL student’s future closet will look like, let’s take a look at potential future fashion trends.
Grow a pair
Leather-like material made from fungi and fibers made from corn husks are alternatives that have already been created. But, in 2069, a closet will look more like a garden than it ever has before.
Materials made from plants and bacteria are far less harmful to the environment than their animal leather counterparts. Synthetic leathers produce more toxic chemicals when it’s made compared to plant-like fabrics. The future will be highly environmentally conscious and harm-free materials will become very popular.
Synthetic materials like polyester and nylon will be a thing of the past. Companies like Kintra Fibers are already making microplastic replacements from sugar so the textile can easily degrade once the material is thrown out. Biodegradable materials will be crucial for the future of our world to avoid heaping, smoking piles of trash straight from a Ray Bradbury novel.
