The only thing, which remains constant, is change. Change leads to the survival of the fittest and to be a survivor and a winner, the garment manufacturer needs to ride high in the customer driven market by flooding it with new ideas.

Garments have come a long way from providing the role of a basic need satisfier to the fact that they are one’s identity. This paradigm shift has been very gradual since time immemorial. However, the pace of change is faster in the current times. It’s time for garment manufacturers to keep up with the pace of fast changing fashions and trends.

In the customer driven market full of choices and options, it is vital to analyse the primary factors that influence consumer’s buying behaviour - be it colour, fabric, aesthetic appeal, drapeability, finish, handle, comfort factor, cost, maintenance, durability, fashion or a preference for a particular brand/store, etc. Brand preference is a psychological factor and thus marketing, advertising and retailing will play an important role in reducing the perceived gap between what is desired and what is offered. The interesting thing about garment trade is that all these factors are not static and so speedy innovation (speenovation) backed by customized marketing will be the panacea.

Some of the developments being witnessed in the fabric and finishing sectors are,

FIBRES – Natural fibres will continue to reign because of the comfort factor, but such fibres as Lycra, Tencel, Modal & Microfibre will gain greater prominence.

FABRIC – More and more blended fabrics with new concept in design and material are being introduced. Innovation in blended fabrics will take place utilizing the performance of each fibre content in combination. E.g. Nylon is used for strength, abrasion resistance, Polyester for overall wash / wear performance, for resistance to wrinkles. Acrylic is used to create bulk without weight. It also provides versatility in surface texture. Rayon is used for its natural hand, ease in processing and for decorative effects.

These fabrics will be a success not merely because of design pattern / texture, but due to its unique performance developed through the combination of different components forming these blends. E.g. Grasim has launched polyviscose blended denim with cotton innerlinings. It will provide strength of polyester and comfort of cotton. Similarly, another fabric 'Jusilk' is a blend of polyester, jute and cotton.

FABRIC FINISHING is yet another area where lot of attention is needed and more will be required in the coming years.

The performance (comfort & fashion) requirements of apparels today has led to the growth in the development of value added and highly functional fabrics. e.g. Wrinkle Resistant, Water Repellent, Oil Repellent, Soil Release, Anti-microbial, Wonder Wash Fabrics are already in the market. Development of fabrics which can block harmful UV rays from sun are in the offing. Electric fabric from Phillips is a new development.

Textile manufacturers in Japan are using newer technologies like micro-encapsulation in the fabric for special finishes. In this, small capsules containing select chemicals are attached to fabric during finishing. It has currently been used in following areas.

Surgical fabrics - such as bandages for release of drugs slowly in the wounded area.

Fragrance fabric – release of pleasant perfume when fabric is rubbed and microcapsule ruptures.

Smelly fabric – emits pleasant smell continuously even in ordinary state.

Colour changing fabric – which changes colour with variation in temperature.

GARMENT FINISHING is the area that provides the desired look, feel and comfort. More and more R&D work will be required in this field. Some of the noticeable changes in garment finishing are,

Rinse wash Denim – Basic look of denim is retained with very soft hand.

Sandblasted – High level of abrasion at localised areas gives denim a very unique and distressed look.

Peach wash – Velvet feel is provided to the basic / over-dyed denim.

Non-denim - The irony in non-denim is that most of the finishes are judged by hand feel, while visual effects are not too prominent. The changes are directed to make non-denim more versatile than ever.

Distress wash – High level of abrasion on garment with a soft handle.

Sandwash – Natural and rugged look of garment is maintained.

Feather finish – Bio-polished garment with good body and slippery feel.

Ultrasoft wash – Bio-polished garment with crispy feel and slippery touch.

Wrinkle resistant – A wonderful handle of garments with prominent crease requiring light ironing after washing.

Knits – Bio-polished 100% cotton sweaters and T-shirts provide smooth surface and very soft handle to the garments.

Acid wash – for distress look on knits and sweaters.

It’s time to capture the world market with style. It’s time to get pro-active and flood the consumer market with variety, at the same time maintaining a watchful eye on quality.

Team S&A