The message conveyed by consumers is loud and clear: in the post-pandemic world, comfort and performance are what they seek. Fabric manufacturers have heard this call and are responding to various materials and products to meet these needs.
For decades, high-performance fabrics have been a key ingredient in sports and outdoor clothing, but now all products from men’s sports jackets to women’s dresses are using fabrics with a series of technical characteristics: moisture wicking, deodorization, coolness, etc.
One of the leaders in this end of the market is Schoeller, a Swiss company dating back to 1868. Stephen Kerns, president of Schoeller USA, said that today’s consumers are looking for clothing that can meet many requirements.
“They want to perform well, and they also want versatility,” he said. “Outdoor brands went there not long ago, but now we see demand for [more traditional clothing brands].” Although Schoeller “has been dealing with cross-border brands such as Bonobos, Theory, Brooks Brothers and Ralph Lauren,” he Said that this new “commuting sport” derived from sports and leisure is bringing more interest to fabrics with technical attributes.
In June, Schoeller launched several new versions of its products for the spring of 2023, including Dryskin, which is a two-way stretch fabric made of recycled polyester and Ecorepel Bio technology. It can transport moisture and resist abrasion. It can be used for sports and Lifestyle clothing.
According to the company, the company has updated its Schoeller Shape, a cotton blend fabric made from recycled polyamide that works equally well on golf courses and city streets. It has a two-tone effect reminiscent of old denim and 3XDry Bio technology. In addition, there is also a Softight ripstop fabric, designed for pants made of recycled polyamide, made with Ecorepel Bio technology, with a high level of water and stain resistance, PFC-free, and based on renewable raw materials.
“You can use these fabrics in bottoms, tops and jackets,” Kerns said. “You might get caught in a sandstorm, and the particles won’t stick to it.”
Kerns said that many people have experienced size changes due to changes in lifestyle caused by the pandemic, so this is a “huge wardrobe opportunity” for clothes that can be stretched without sacrificing beauty.
Alexa Raab, Sorona’s head of global branding and communications, agreed that Sorona is a bio-based high-performance polymer from DuPont, made from 37% renewable plant ingredients. The fabric made of Sorona has long-lasting elasticity and is a substitute for spandex. They are blended with cotton, wool, silk and other fibers. They also have wrinkle resistance and shape recovery properties, which can reduce bagging and pilling, allowing consumers to keep their clothes longer.
This also illustrates the company’s pursuit of sustainability. Sorona blended fabrics are undergoing certification through the company’s Common Thread certification program, which was launched last year to ensure that their factory partners meet the key performance criteria of their fabrics: long-lasting elasticity, shape recovery, easy care, softness and breathability. So far, about 350 factories have been certified.
“Fiber producers can use Sorona polymers to create many unique structures that enable a variety of textiles to exhibit different properties, from wrinkle-resistant outerwear fabrics to lightweight and breathable insulation products, permanent stretching and recovery, and the newly launched Sorona artificial fur ,” Renee Henze, Global Marketing Director of DuPont Biomaterials.
“We see that people want more comfortable clothes, but also want to align with companies that ethically and responsibly source fabrics,” Raab added. Sorona has made progress in the field of household products and is used in quilts. In February, the company cooperated with Thindown, the first and only 100% down fabric, using blended materials to provide warmth, lightness and breathability based on Sorona’s softness, drape and elasticity. In August, Puma launched the Future Z 1.2, which is the first laceless football shoe with Sorona yarn on the upper.
For Raab, the sky is unlimited in terms of product applications. “Hopefully we can continue to see the application of Sorona in sportswear, suits, swimwear and other products,” she said.
Polartec president Steve Layton has also recently become more and more interested in Milliken & Co.. “The good news is that comfort and performance are the fundamental reasons for our existence,” he said of the brand, which invented synthetic PolarFleece high-performance fleece sweaters in 1981 as an alternative to wool. “Before, we were classified into the outdoor market, but what we invented for the top of the mountain is now used in different ways.”
He cited Dudley Stephens as an example, a feminine essentials brand that focuses on recycled fabrics. Polartec also cooperates with fashion brands such as Moncler, Stone Island, Reigning Champ, and Veilance.
Layton said that for these brands, aesthetics plays an important role because they are looking for weightless, elastic, moisture-wicking and soft warmth for their lifestyle clothing products. One of the most popular is Power Air, which is a knitted fabric that can wrap air to keep warm and reduce microfiber shedding. He said this fabric “has become popular.” Although PowerAir initially provided a flat surface with a bubble structure inside, some lifestyle brands hope to use the outer bubble as a design feature. “So for our next generation, we will use different geometric shapes to build it,” he said.
Sustainability is also an ongoing initiative of Polartec. In July, the company stated that it eliminated PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in the DWR (durable water repellent) treatment of its high-performance fabric series. PFAS is a man-made chemical substance that does not decompose, can remain and cause harm to the environment and human body.
“In the future, we will invest a lot of energy to maintain optimal performance while rethinking the fibers we use to make them more bio-based,” Leiden said. “Achieving non-PFAS treatment in our product line is an important milestone in our commitment to sustainable manufacturing of high-performance fabrics.”
Unifi Global Key Account Vice President Chad Bolick said that the company’s Repreve recycled performance polyester fiber meets the needs for comfort, performance and sustainability, and can be used in a variety of products from clothing and shoes to household products. He said it is also “a direct substitute for standard virgin polyester.”
“Products made with Repreve have the same quality and performance characteristics as products made with non-recycled polyester-they are equally soft and comfortable, and the same properties can be added, such as stretching, moisture management, heat regulation, waterproofing, and More,” Bolik explained. In addition, it has reduced energy consumption by 45%, water consumption by nearly 20%, and greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30%.
Unifi also has other products dedicated to the performance market, including ChillSense, which is a new technology that allows the fabric to transfer heat from the body more quickly when embedded with fibers, creating a feeling of coolness. The other is TruTemp365, which works on warm days to take moisture away from the body and provides insulation on cold days.
“Consumers continue to demand that the products they buy have more performance attributes while maintaining comfort,” he said. “But they also demand sustainability while improving performance. Consumers are part of a highly connected world. They are increasingly aware of the huge plastic circulation in our oceans, and they understand that our natural resources are depleting, so, They are more aware of the importance of protecting the environment for future generations. Our customers understand that consumers want them to be part of this solution.”
But it’s not just synthetic fibers that are constantly evolving to meet growing consumer demand and sustainability. Stuart McCullough, managing director of The Woolmark Company, points to the “intrinsic advantages” of Merino wool, which provides comfort and performance.
“Consumers today seek brands with integrity and commitment to the environment. Merino wool is not only a luxury material for designer fashion, but also an innovative ecological solution for multi-functional everyday fashion and sportswear. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Consumers’ demand for homewear and commuter clothing continues to increase,” McCullough said.
He added that at the beginning of the pandemic, merino wool homewear became more and more popular as people worked from home. Now they are out again, wool commuter wear, keeping them away from public transportation, walking, running or cycling to work, has also proved very popular.
He said that in order to take advantage of this, Woolmark’s technical team is collaborating with major brands in the footwear and apparel fields to expand the application of fibers in performance shoes, such as APL’s technical knitted running shoes. Knitwear design company Studio Eva x Carola recently launched a series of prototypes of women’s cycling wear, using technical, seamless merino wool, using Südwolle Group merino wool yarn made on Santoni knitting machines.
Looking ahead, McCullough said he believes that the need for more sustainable systems will be the driving force in the future.
“The textile and fashion industries are under pressure to switch to more sustainable systems,” he said. “These pressures require brands and manufacturers to reconsider their material strategies and choose fibers with less environmental impact. Australian wool is cyclical in nature and provides a solution for sustainable textile development.”
Post time: Oct-21-2021