US demand for apparel is forecast to rise 1.7 per cent annually through 2023. The ongoing population expansion will drive gains, and increase personal income, driving spending on luxury, environmentally friendly, and name-brand items. An ongoing athleisure trend will boost demand for higher priced apparel made from performance materials. Growing raw material costs and the threat of tariffs on clothing from China will force apparel manufacturers to lower margins or raise prices.

However, the mature market for clothing and intensifying competition from a variety of retail channels will limit volume growth and price increases. In addition, more consumers are purchasing apparel (especially athletic apparel) wearable for a variety of activities in diverse social contexts, such as fitness centers, workplaces, and restaurants, reducing the number of garments needed throughout the day.

US apparel prices are going up. From the raw materials and inputs that go into fibers and fabrics to the cost of labor and logistics, increased costs are leading to price hikes. Already, footwear and apparel are some of the most highly taxed products in the US, reaching as high as 37.5 per cent. The impact could challenge consumer spending in an already tough retail market. Retail apparel prices increased 1.1 per cent in June, the first gain in four months.

These jackets are light weight, between five kg and ten kg, and are of world class quality. The price of these jackets ranges from Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000, considerably lower than the price of the jackets that were being procured earlier. The jackets have a dynamic weight distribution system, which makes it feel half its actual weight. They also have an easy to open and release system to ensure that the jawans can easily wear and remove the jackets. The jackets also allow the jawan to use his weapon with ease while getting a 360 degree protection from bullets. India is exporting these jackets. Maximum areal densities for soft armor panel and hard armor panel have been specified for these jackets.

With this India joins a select group of nations such as the US, UK and Germany that have their own standards for bullet-resistant jackets. The jackets have been made using standards set by the Bureau of India Standard. The standard is expected to fulfil the long-pending demand of the Indian armed forces, paramilitary forces and state police forces and assist them in streamlining their procurement process. This standard has been formulated following the directions of Niti Aayog and the ministry of home affairs.

American & Efird (A&E) has released a new line of 100 per cent recycled, industrial sewing threads. The launch of this product line is driven by the company’s commitment to sustainability and a surge of sustainable product pledges and commitments by prominent brands and retailers around the world. The company is known in the industry for sustainable, ethically-made sewing threads.

A&E is a manufacturer of industrial and consumer sewing threads. Known for its leadership role in innovation, product quality, and sustainability, A&E supports many of the world’s top industrial and consumer brands with thread products that require strict quality and performance. Through its global network, A&E’s products are manufactured in 22 countries, distributed in 50 countries and sold in over 100 countries. The textile thread manufacturer achieved its initial targets for zero-waste-to-landfill in 2015. American & Efird has also launched a new recycled polyester sewing thread. This is designed especially for athletic wear and high-performance apparel. The new thread is derived from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles and aims to provide textile manufacturers within the performance apparel, active wear, athleisure, and intimate apparel markets a recycled alternative to existing sewing threads. The air-entangled sewing thread is made with Repreve recycled polyester, a brand of US yarn supplier Unifi.

Carlos Inacio will head Primark in Spain. Inacio began his career at Primark in 2009 as the area director of the group in Portugal. Subsequently, he was promoted to commercial director in Spain and Portugal and was appointed in 2018 as sales director for Spain. The executive, who has developed part of his career at H&M, has been in the structure of the Irish group for nearly eleven years.

Spain is the second largest market for Primark by revenue. The Irish low-cost fashion retailer has 45 stores in Spain. There are 185 stores in the United Kingdom and 27 stores in Germany. Primark ended 2018 with a five per cent growth in sales in Spain. With a workforce of 6,295 employees in the Peninsula and the Canary Islands, the group increased its profit in Spain by 57.6 per cent compared to the previous year.

Primark is the seventh largest fashion retailer in the world. The company’s operating profit stood at a billion dollars last year. Primark hopes to close the 2019 fiscal year with a four per cent growth in revenue. Spain will continue to be one of the main priorities of Primark’s expansion this year. France and Spain will cover the bulk of the group’s openings, adding between the two markets a total of 19 new stores, in addition to extensions and relocations.

Tantu’s recent seminar in New Delhi, was dedicated to highlighting the problems in jeans manufacturing and market and to creatively suggest effective solutions in the key areas.

One panel discussion was on jeans manufacturing. Most panelists agreed jeans manufacturing might have been a science 20 years back but is more of an art now, where it starts with conceptualizing the likes and dislikes of the customer into a design and this art is backed by scientific innovation. The forum also discussed the popularity of striped denim. It was observed that there is a demand for striped denim, but due to complications in its manufacturing it is more costly. However, it was observed, the real challenge lies in producing checked denim as indigo dyed weft yarn does not lend itself to denim wash and the resultant look is not very appealing.

Tantu seminars serve the purpose of bridging the gap between problem experienced and solutions. It stands as a platform to take up the issues and has experts from various backgrounds deliberate over the cause and effects of such issues in the industry. Unlike most forums, Tantu believes a panel discussion is the right way to confront the problems and deduce solutions.

Lycra has launched EcoMade, its first branded elastane made with pre-consumer content. The EcoMade family of recycled products now spans the majority of Lycra’s apparel brands, including Lycra, Lycra T400, Coolmax, and Thermolite.

Lycra’s platform focuses on providing insights, technologies, products, and processes that can contribute to a more sustainable industry. Through the pillars of product sustainability, manufacturing excellence, and corporate responsibility, Lycra offers a variety of sustainable solutions focused on waste reduction, safe and transparent chemical use, garment wear life, and sustainable resources. The company plans to convert the majority of Coolmax and Thermolite fiber products to recycled content by the end of 2021. Lycra’s latest spandex/elastane innovation for the global personal care industry called HyFit T859 offers manufacturers of diapers, adult incontinence and feminine hygiene products significant cost savings. The fiber cuts overall elastic consumption by 20 per cent. The fiber was developed to help manufacturers reduce their operating costs and carbon footprint without sacrificing a garment’s quality or performance, or the consumer’s wearing experience.

Lycra is an innovator and producer of fiber and technology solutions for apparel and hygiene industries and specialty chemicals. Based in the US, the company owns brands like Lycra, Coolmax, Thermolite, Elaspan, Supplex, Tactel, and Terathane. Lycra invented the original spandex yarn, Lycra fiber.

Innovation is infiltrating cotton design. Once seen as a casual classic, cotton is a staple material that is now taking on a new life in high fashion. Cotton has evolved from tried-and-true classic staples like T-shirts and denim jeans. The cotton garments now seen on runways range from silky-smooth coral crochet dresses, ethereal peach gowns studded with futuristic 3D flowers and black-and-white poplin turned into avant-garde jumpsuits. It’s this innovation in design that is transforming cotton in inspiring ways.

Cotton is a fiber that everybody wants to wear, so everybody’s working to make it useful in many different ways beyond T-shirts and jeans. At a recent show, designers used US cotton in such unexpected ways that the garments displayed were actually mistaken for silk, suede and synthetic fibers. Designers dyed cotton in the sun, scalloped it, shredded it and turned it into velvet, while one particular designer even interlocked cotton fabric without traditional sewing so that the garment could be taken apart and the pieces could be reconstructed into a whole new style.

Cotton is an effortless fabric made from a natural fiber that was grown from a plant, that’s able to morph into a garment that has the performance capabilities of synthetic fibers, or the artistic elements of haute couture.

Imports of textile machinery in India grew 1.10 per cent in the first quarter. India imports most of its textile machinery from China, Germany, Japan, Belgium, US, Korea and Vietnam.

Import of weaving machines from China grew 8.4 per cent; import of weaving machines from Belgium grew 94.86 per cent. Printing machinery imports from China grew 12.69 per cent. Import of knitting, embroidery, trimming, braiding and other machines increased 23.49 per cent in the first quarter. Nonwoven machinery imports grew by 468.71 per cent. Imports from Germany rose by 3315.58 per cent. China’s exports of nonwoven machinery to India grew by 37.06 per cent. Sewing machinery and accessories imports to India rose by 1.4 per cent in the first quarter. Here imports from China grew by 12.1 per cent in the first quarter.

Indian imports of dobbies and jacquards fell by 25.73 per cent. Spindles, spindles flyers and spinning rings and ring travelers imports fell by 13.11 per cent. Imports of machine used for extruding, drawing and texturing fell 75.48 per cent.

China remains the top supplier to India for textile machinery. Germany is the second largest supplier of textile machines to India. Singapore has now become the third largest supplier.

As cotton prices are expected to fall after Diwali, government-run Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) plans to buy as many as 100 lakh bales of the fibre from farmers during 2019-20 cotton season. Currently, arrivals were negligible and did not meet the quality parameters of the agency of 12 per cent moisture. CCI buys cotton from farmers whenever prices fall below the minimum buying price set by the government. The corporation would buy cotton at MSP if their prices fall below the support price. Currently, prices are above the MSP at Rs 5,900 per quintal in North India, where fresh crop has started arriving. The MSP of cotton for the 2019-20 season is Rs 5,550 per quintal, against Rs 5,450 in the previous year.

Though the cotton bales have started arriving in Madhya Pradesh, CCI would not be able to buy them as their moisture content levels are high. The corporation has established 358 procurement centres this year and will open more if required

Stocks of greasy wool are running low in China. On the other hand there is an oversupply of woolen fabrics. Fashion trends for the coming winter in China would determine whether demand will clear the fabric backlog and whether the innovative double-faced fabrics in particular, which use a lot of short wools, feature as a fashion statement for winter. When double-faced fabrics became popular, everyone starting making it, including a lot of low quality mills.

There is an oversupply of finished knitwear and wool garments in China. Women's reversible winter fashion coats are popular in China. Volatility is hurting the industry in all areas - from fabric makers to woolgrowers. The trade war between the United States and China set it off and confidence disappeared quickly. Wool wasn't being absorbed as much into new product, into blends, because it was considered too expensive. Exports of processed wool product out of China are down five per cent year on year and domestic wool sales are down 6.2 per cent year on year.

There’s too much fine wool on the market. Woolgrowers are not producing the basic 21 and 22 micron wools. This could mean that wool will be replaced in the market by synthetics.