Traveling coast to coast between the Los Angeles, New York and Chicago hubs, Nordstrom’s National Fashion Director Gregg Andrews sifts through a catalog of images deciding which trends to showcase throughout his stores. Twenty-five years earlier, Andrews spotted style on a much smaller scale. “I started my career at Nordstrom on the women’s shoe floor,” he laughs. Highly noted for his fashion IQ, Andrews made his big break from the sales floor to the runway, pulling shoes for fashion shoots and embarking on a career in styling. Jetting forward to his Chicago office, we were ready for a crash course in fashion forecasting, but after we found out who he’s wearing of course.

What’s in your closet?
1. A Versace charcoal topcoat that I’ve probably had for 6 years
2. A Pringle belt from Paris with the lion icon as the belt buckle
3. My Helmet dark denim jeans
4. Many white shirts
5. Gucci boots

Would you say you adhere to the industry trends?
I wouldn’t say I’m trendy. My personal style is more updated. I think there are pieces in a man’s or woman’s wardrobe that are timeless, and then you add in pieces to make it look timeless for each season. We all look to the runway for inspiration. That’s a key way to update your wardrobe. The runway exaggerates, but it tells you what’s going on with hemlines and silhouettes and is a great way to help you develop your shopping list for the season.

How do you forecast the market and identify future trends?
We work with forecasting services that study every aspect of fashion, society and fabric. That’s really how the whole process starts at Nordstrom. We take information from a variety of forecasting trends and pull out what matches our vision. Everyone forecasted the purples and plums, but an edgier forecaster would talk about an edgier version of the hue. We tweak the trends to make them our own. We aren’t just dressing one person; we are trying to get a broad view on addressing the needs of all our customers.

What trends from the runway will we see in your stores?
There are two major trends on the runway right now that we’ll definitely be carrying - clothing with an 80s influence and plaid prints. What’s important to note is it’s not about dressing in period costumes; it’s about the silhouette. Volume on top. Lean on the bottom. There’s a whole feeling of classicism that’s still prevalent in fashion because people are looking for value. That speaks to the return of plaid made in a new way. They’re things people want to hold onto, so we keep coming back to them but in variations – traditional plaid, bright plaid, exploded plaid. People understand plaid. There’s a sense of heritage, yet it’s interpreted differently.

How is the “in” color chosen?
It actually starts at the fabric mills and what the fabric industry is doing. From there we build a palate of color.

When building a wardrobe, what three items should every woman include?
1. A great white shirt
2. A sheath dress
3. A pencil skirt

Do you see leggings dying off or are they in for the long haul? 
Leggings will definitely be around for a while. Women have really embraced leggings because it’s now about a legging concept. For instance, there are hosier leggings that basically replace tights. A woman can put hosier leggings under a spring dress and then transition into fall. They’re multifunctional.

What is your take on the jegging?
I think jeggings are brilliant. They give you the slim fit of a legging but are more substantial than regular leggings and not as thick as the skinny jean. With jeggings, you want to wear a shirt that comes to at least the top of your thigh. Laying under soft tunic dresses is a great way to go.

What should you look for if you’re new to the legging scene?
If you’re just starting out, go for charcoals and blacks as your basics. Then experiment with indigo and gray jeggings, a hybrid between denim and hosieries.

What are the top must-haves this fall?
- Leggings
- A leather jacket
- A pretty blouse with detailing like a ruffle or pleated bow
- A boyfriend cardigan
- Any type of boot from a bootie to over the knee
- Studded handbags

What trends are on tap for men’s fashion this winter?
Plaid is very important for men. Also, boots ranging from biker boots to rugged hiking boots, and flat front pants, suit ties and leather jackets that focus on a leaner silhouette. We are seeing very familiar items that have one foot in tradition and one foot into the future.

What can we expect for spring 2010?
It’s all about a soft fluidity, lots of layered sheer fabrics and feminine colors like muted pastels and cosmetics tones. We’ll see a relaxed feeling in tops and trousers showcasing a little bit of a drape and tons of abstract printed patterns and floral prints.

- Jessica Krznaric, Online Fashion Editor