From veganism to slow fashion: In 2019 it's time to start caring

The start of a new year can cause even the most rational of us to begin mass-purchasing bullet journals and calendars in a futile attempt to reorganise and reassess our lives.

“This year,” we think, “I will become a better version of myself” (whatever that means); “this year, I will go to the gym three times a week” (which will last until February, max); or – a personal favourite – “this year, I shall read, watch and listen to everything that’s trending and in the news” (I shall become superhuman).

Here on The Independent lifestyle desk we think life’s stressful enough without the added guilt of attempting a personality transplant the second the clock strikes midnight on 31 December.

So instead of telling you how to change and what to buy and where you must go unless you want to end up like Miss Havisham stuck in time growing cobwebs, we’ve decided to lay out what the zeitgeist will be offering – so you can make your own decision as to what to pick up on.

Fashion, food and tech seem to be constantly looking forwards. So much so that we talk about “Christmas in July” and eagerly await the launch of life-changing products and speculate about what styles will be in the shops for summer next year. (The cliche “so last season” exists among the fashion obsessed for a reason).

So, consulting our esteemed experts across all sections of the lifestyle desk, we’ve come together to predict the biggest trends to look out for in 2019 so you can pick and choose your favourites.

One thing’s for certain come 2019: it’s going to be one woke year. So, if you want to avoid looking like you’re still living in an era when it was acceptable to discard your rubbish without filtering it, wear endangered animals as coats or eat mass-farmed fish, listen up. From veganism to plastic-free, from eco-travel to slow fashion, it’s time to start caring. Here’s your one-stop guide to how the world of lifestyle will look in 2019.

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If you thought you heard the word “vegan” a lot in 2018, prepare yourself for a plant-based utopia come January as the meat-free lifestyle goes mainstream.

With increasing reports about the acceleration of climate change, the devastating effects of industrial-scale fishing and how our lifestyle choices impact the environment, food is only going to go one way in 2019 and that’s more sustainable.

The good news is that it’s going to be easier than ever to be environmentally conscious in your diet, as meat and fish substitutes become better and more widely available (lab-grown fish is the next big thing) and more vegan and veggie options get on the menu at mainstream restaurants. (Even KFC!)

2019 will also see us question the provenance and ingredients of all our food. That means it’s not just goodbye to palm oil (although, really, why are people still using palm oil?) – some restaurants have even questioned how brunch staple avocado impacts the environment. Millennials, buckle up.

Environmentalism won’t just mean what you buy, but also what it comes in. While the big supermarkets have pledged to be largely plastic-free by 2025, independent shops nationally have proved it can be achieved much sooner. From reusable coffee cups to tote bags and Tupperware, the only downside is we’ll all be carting around kitchen utensils like packhorses.

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When it comes to what we’ll be eating, CBD is the acronym du jour. CBD, or cannabis oil, is the non-psychoactive chemical compound found in the marijuana plant and it’s about to explode onto the scene in everything from beauty products to drinks, snacks and baked goods, which will relax you but won’t leave you, well, baked.

Already used at Covent Garden’s plant-based eatery by Chloe, which offers CBD-infused deserts, as well as at Holland and Barrett in gummy sweets and even at Ocado in Love Hemp spring water, expect this to become a regular addition to menus this side of the pond come January. It’s said to have multiple benefits including improving digestion and reducing pain, and boasts calming properties. Whether it will help our growing anxiety or just be a passing fad, only 2019 will tell.

As for flavours, food is about to get sour and fermented – which is a lot more appealing than it sounds. Think Korean-inspired dishes clashing the sweetness of dried shrimp with the sharpness of vinegar.

And, as YouGov estimates the food delivery sector will grow by as much as £1bn in 2019, our obsession with takeaway will not be abated by our environmental concerns and this is what we’ll be ordering.

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Just as with food, the world of beauty is about to get as green-fingered as your local gardener. Expect to see plastic-free beauty shifting the way we buy and use products in the beauty sector next year, as consumers seek sustainability over reputability with eco-friendly brands like Lush leading the way (their packaging-free foundation and concealer is already a hit). Get ready to see more independent brands come to the fore and existing brands reevaluate their packaging.

And, just as our food will ferment, so skincare will too. Packed with good bacteria, fermented skincare is known for having a similar effect on your skin as kombucha on your gut. Think a nice belly rub for your face.

Anyone else become obsessed with jade rollers in 2018? We certainly did, and if you haven’t got on board with the surprisingly therapeutic practice, now’s the time.

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Facial massage is about to transform your beauty routine. Massaging your serum or moisturiser in with these tools can have multiple benefits, such as greater skin penetration, firming and even acne reduction. Entire salons are opening up dedicated to the concept. Face Gym offers a “non-invasive facial workout” and focuses on tools and massage over products to create lifting and firming results. At home, this will translate into a boom in electronic skincare, from light therapy masks to Nuface electronic pulsing. If it’s good enough for Madonna…

When it comes to the rest of the body, we’re all getting a little tired of the conventional gym, so expect to see alternative exercise classes in the form of Ninja Warrior (yes, really), to Flykick and even on-demand cardio – exercise classes that we can live-stream from the comfort of our living room without having to even leave the house. Ideal for fair-weather January fitness fans. We’ll definitely be joining in that one!

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2018 was the year that we finally sat up and saw the potentially devastating effect technology could have on civilisation and our personal lives. Will we finally do something about it in 2019? Actually, we will most likely see tech creep into even deeper into our lives, by attaching itself to our bodies and letting itself into our houses.

Smart homes will see the beginnings of a Matrix-like future that proves too good for our hectic lives to resist. Amazon already offers the ability to sync Alexa with our doorbells, microwaves, hoovers, televisions and lightbulbs, and Google’s new Home Hub, which can be personalised to show you the news and your favourite recipes, TV and music, can also hold longer conversations and memorise your choices.

Locksmiths are even getting involved, with Yale offering digital locks to allow supermarkets like Ocado to let themselves into our homes and unpack all our shopping while we’re at work. Convenient or creepy? We’ll let you decide that one.

The new year will also see the first ever driverless car cross Edinburgh’s Forth Bridge. While proven to be far safer, it could take us a while to get on board with the concept. Either way, looks like those hackney carriages have more to worry about than Uber.

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The rise of dating apps seemed to grant permission for a lot of creeps to crawl out of the proverbial woodwork only to slide straight into our DMs. And for 2019 we’re saying “Bye, Felipe” to all of them.

Features that curtail ghosting and other downright rude behaviours will become mainstays of dating apps while platforms like Hinge will see us eschew the superficiality of matching based purely on beard length and smizing ability as in-depth profiles become more preferable.

Technology will help our love lives in other ways, too. Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home are beginning to predict sexual chemistry in potential matches, saving us all a lot of time and effort. For those already in relationships, these apps will let us know if things are heading south. Brutal but oddly appealing.

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Travel is becoming increasingly conscious, too as holidaymakers wake up to the effects of overtourism and residents of high-profile beaches and holiday hotspots like Venice, Lisbon and Dubrovnik begin to fight back. Seeking out the road less travelled will become the responsible and trendy thing to do.

Our travel desk predicts Rotterdam to make a strong case for an Amsterdam alternative, as it finally comes into its own thanks to a recent boom in restaurant openings, those Instagram-friendly canal houses, a burgeoning craft beer scene and a direct Eurostar service. Elsewhere in Europe, Plovdiv, Bulgaria – the 2019 European Capital of Culture – will be the next big city break contender with its stunning Roman ruins and irresistibly cheap nightlife.

For winter sun, Jordan’s Aqaba will open up to British tourists thanks to easyJet’s new direct flights and getting to Brazil will become as accessible as hopping over to the continent as Norwegian launches its cheap long-haul flights to Rio in March.

Our swiping obsession will see platforms like Instagram let us “book now”. When we get to our destinations, Airbnb will face strong competition from the micro-hotel. This pod-like accommodation offers all the frills of an expensive stay for a much more reasonable price (and a tight squeeze) as hoteliers tap into our preference for comfort over space. For trendy luxury, look out for The Hoxton, Mama Shelter and Room Mate Hotels.

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Remember when you couldn’t swing a cat for all the millennial pink that was cropping up all over the high street? Well prepare yourself for 2019’s version of that with Pantone's colour of the year: coral. Already massive on the beauty scene on lips, cheeks and eyes, coral is coming out of your gran’s bathroom and onto your clothes, so stock up early.

Come summer, coral will transform into pops of orange – the cheerful shade was seen all over the SS19 runways on everything from shirts to suits, most notably by street style leader Balenciaga. And yes, the women’s trouser suit is going nowhere, but this year it’s less about the pastel pink and more about bright bold colours. Think Working Girl meets Piet Mondrian. For those less-inclined on dressing like a fruit punch, trusty camel tones seen at Burberry and Max Mara will also be in for spring. Phew.

Now a wedding guest favourite, the trusty jumpsuit has developed into a straight-leg style on Stella McCartney’s spring/summer catwalk with combat pockets, as boilersuits make a case for the Rosie the Riveter aesthetic. Urban Outfitter’s pink version has already proven a hit.

Fabric-wise, neoprene will be everywhere, seen on the catwalks at Calvin Klein and Sportmax, and lace and crochet will move out of the winter sphere for a spring makeover thanks to Victoria Beckham, Erdem and Chloe.

Sustainability will hit the fashion world, too, as concerns over the use of fur finally lead designers to seek out more ethical options and high street stores are forced to respond to claims they aren’t doing enough to reduce waste and tackle the consequences of fast fashion. Expect to see recycling initiatives, more vintage clothes stocked in high street stores and a rise in eco-friendly brands and product lines like H&M Conscious and Monki Cares.

As we begin to tire of social media influencers, prepare for the rise of the so-called nanoinfluencer: normal people with normal followings who brands will send free items to, exchanging freebies for free promotion. Is this the end of being able to trust anyone on social? Blinkers on, people.

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2018 was dubbed “the year of the woman” and in many ways, it was. Women stood up and said Time’s Up on sexism, the centenary of women securing the vote was celebrated widely with statues and rallies and Ireland voted overwhelmingly to repeal the eighth amendment.

But while much was done a lot remains to be achieved and 2019 will be all about forcing action – from workplace equality to pay transparency and inclusivity, as trans and non-binary rights become a key feminist focus and women of Bame backgrounds receive larger platforms. Movements like Me Too will seek to develop beyond their initial intention and lead to tangible and direct change. So don’t discard your pussy hat and your placard quite yet.