Adored by millennials, skinny jeans have been trending and holding their pride of place for the longest time. However, rumbles of its popularity on the decline, whilst exaggerated, does hold some truth.

The retail platform Edited recently presented a report that states a sharp fall in men’s skinny jeans where slim-fitted jeans hold on to the number one position. Whilst the demand for skinny jeans hasn’t experienced such a sharp drop in the women’s category, the straight fit has now achieved the number one status although the ladies are still buying full price black, mid-washed and ripped skinnies.

The figures indicate a definite decline – 29% in women’s skinny jeans and a whopping 52% in men’s. In the first half of 2022, blue skinny jeans were the best-sellers with 63% in men’s and 61% women’s, whilst grey was the second most popular colour for men at 11% and black for women at 21%. The report also indicated the different washes preferred by the two genders – men opted for a light wash whereas women chose the mid-wash.

So what’s going on with skinnies? Gen Z flare up

The Zoomers decided that silhouettes needed to change as the craved their own fashion identity. Hence wide-legs and flares are making a comeback. Fashion pundits are saying that skinnies are no longer considered a trend but a staple, joining the ranks of the straight-leg. High street brands have made great slashes to their skinny jeans collections. In the men’s category, these tight trousers held a 48% stake in 2021 but this year, dropped by 27%. Whilst some brands are exploring no-frills skinny jeans as great for travel wear, aviation experts are warning against.

Global denim market

Skinny or not, the global denim market stood at USD 19461.38 million in 2021, and indications are that by 2028, will reach USD 26147.31 with a CAGR of 4.31% during the forecast period. Retail experts attribute this growth based on consumer segmentation of style-types as well as demographic, mass and premium labels, and channels of distribution as e-commerce is gaining steady grounds and becoming a leveler for most mass brands.

Denim’s environmental stamp is a concern

Denim’s environmental footprint is a concern area. As all denims are manufactured from cotton fibres or blends with a high percentage of cotton, this fabric is a large consumer of water as well as chemicals. Many innovative attempts are underway to substitute cotton with fibres that are greener in their production. Hemp is being hailed as a popular alternative and Germany and the Netherlands are leading the way on hemp textiles and are recommending the use of rotor spinning instead of twilling. However, hemp can only go main stream as the cotton substitute of choice if it can also exhibit the toughness and durability of cotton as its key characteristic.

As the denim retail comes out of a pandemic-related setback compounded by the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict and the economic upheavals in the western world, it does show the resilience associated with the core fabric – here to stay and grow as denim jeans keep reinventing through styles, washes and innovative blends.

Indian polyester staple fiber producers can expect better supply of raw materials as imports of PET flake chipshave been eased.

Concerns were raised about the tight supply of used PET bottles and its downstream products. The PET flake chip can be imported under authorisation from the Director General of Foreign Trade and subject to a NOC from the ministry of environment. A unit will be eligible for import only if it has used domestic waste to the extent of at least 70 per cent of the capacity in the previous year. The unit can import up to 20 per cent of its production in 2021 to 2022. Thereafter it will be able to import only 15 per cent of the actual capacity utilised in the preceding year. An additional import of up to ten per cent may be considered against exports of the products. But units would be eligible for imports after at least one year of production.

Earlier imports of PET bottle waste/scrap/PET flake made from used PET bottles were totally restricted with a view to controlling dumping of scrap.Earlier, India generated thousands of tons of used PET bottles for reuse. The technological developments increased its consumption and today the supply has become tighter for the polyester value chain.

Bangladesh’s readymade garment exports fell by 12 per cent in September 2022 compared to September 2021.And apparel exports in September 2022 decreased by nearly 20 per cent from August 2022. This is because of sluggish demand for apparel products on the global market.

Poor growth in readymade garment exports is expected to continue for the next few months due to the global economic instability. Overcoming the Covid pandemic shock, Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector had started growing with an increased demand on the global market, but the Russia-Ukraine war created a new challenge. Global buyers have decreased their orders by nearly 30 per cent as consumption of apparel has decreased in Europe and the United States due to high inflation.

Bangladesh’s apparel exports from July to August increased by 26 per cent compared to the same period of the earlier fiscal. Exports earnings from apparel in August 2022 grew by 36 per cent compared to the same month of 2021. Apparel export earnings in the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 grew by 12per cent compared to the same period of fiscal year 2022.

Bangladesh aims at hiking apparel exports to South Korea with diversified items such as underwear, denims, shirts, jackets and pullovers.

China’s textile industry saw a decline of 14 per cent in its profits during the first eight months of 2022.Earnings of the equipment manufacturing industry of the country also dipped by two per cent during the period, which is three percentage points narrower than that for the January 2022 to July 2022 period.

Industrial firms making a minimum of 20 million yuan on an annual basis reaped combined profits of up to 5.53 trillion yuan from January 2022 to August 2022, which was a decrease of two per cent year on year.

In order to soften the blow of various economic challenges, China has introduced a set of efficient policies to enable economic recovery and re-establish growth. The country had earlier introduced a number of policies such as deferment of payment of government-levied charges, assistance for private businesses and the platform economy, and risk compensation funds for loans to small firms and self-employed people.The country has introduced fee cuts and tax refunds to ease the pressure on businesses. Its policy package is estimated to save about 2.5 trillion yuan for taxpayers in 2022.

Trousers and shorts are China’s top apparel export products. From January 2022 to June 2022 they accounted for 20 per cent of China’s apparel exports.

Egypt will develop a special free zone under the name of Volo Textile Company.

Being an Egyptian joint participant, the firm will operate a textile manufacturing factory for dyeing, finishing, and printing. The project will be built on a gross area of 69,215 square meters and will provide more than 1010 job opportunities for both Egyptians and foreign nationals. The factory is expected to produce 8,400 tons of textile in the first year of inception, with a plan to reach 10,800 tons in the second year.The industrial development will achieve a local component of around 35 per cent and a target export rate of 100 per cent, which will contribute to boosting

Egypt’s exports and reinforcing the performance of foreign trade indicators. Also, a new project will be established for feed manufacturing, chemicals, and plant nutrients. The project is the first industrial complex for feed manufacturing in the Middle East and Africa. The project will be constructed under the company name CFC Feed and Chemicals and will span 3,68,118 square meters. The project will likely create job opportunities for about 2,500 Egyptian workers. The industrial project will use the latest German technology standards and bolster the local feed industry, which is one of the most important strategic sectors in the Arab Republic.

The pandemic was not a happy period for the clothing industry in general with the exception of activewear. The fact that it is projected to becoming USD 276.61 billion in the next six years is the proof of its popularity and staying power. UK-based research agency Technavio presented a report titled Activewear Apparel Market by Distribution Channel and Geography - Forecast Analysis 2022-2026 – it stated that the growth momentum is anticipated to accelerate at a CAGR of 11.24% during the forecast period. The report attributed this growth due to innovative use of fabrics and styles as well as creating an activewear line that is premium and on trend.

Did the pandemic create this genre?

Active lifestyles are influencing the market positively thanks to the increase in people turning towards them. One among the key factors contributing to the growth of the active wear market is the unique benefits offered by active wear, like quick-drying, thermal resistance, breathability, chemical resistance, and static resistance. However, the rise in the number of fake and counterfeit products adversely impacts the growth of the global active wear market.

As a results of volatile raw material costs and high designing costs, the active wear market is probably going to face challenges related to a declining number of price-sensitive consumers in the forecast period of 2022-2032. By providing suitable fitting and proper support, activewear can prevent muscle sprains and other ligament and muscle injuries. This has led to the rapid climb of the global active wear market. These activewear products offer many advantages, including quick-drying properties. Sedentary lifestyles have made consumers more aware of their health, which further boosts the active wear market ahead. Women and men are adopting activewear outside the gym to wear as casual clothing because it gives the wearer a dry and comfortable feel. Cotton-based activewear is particularly popular in the summer because it keeps the wearer dry and also prevents irritation of the skin. It should be noted that Cristiano Ronaldo and Serena Williams are athletes who are social influencers beyond football and tennis as they have a huge following for their healthy and active lifestyles and have played significant roles in making activewear so popular.

Fashionably fun?

The single-most important driver to this segment’s growth is that sports and lifestyle brands are making activewear serious fashion statements. Nike, Reebok, Puma, Lululemon, Fila, New Balance and Gymshark are perfect examples of how reputable sports and activity-based brands have made activewear fun and fashionable. These brands are driving the sustainability factor as well with sustainable, durable and premium-quality fabrics that are innovatively designed to fill the fashion gap that previously sportswear couldn’t. Another winning element for activewear is that it has been able to ride on the wave of diversity and inclusivity by offering gender-neutral fashion and is able to cater to all body types.

Luxury brands have realised its potential and be it Gucci or Stella McCartney, they are all busy creating exclusive activewear lines.

Retail outlets and e-commerce are level pegging

When it comes to accessibility of activewear, both platforms are doing well. Retail stores are gaining popularity as more activewear and sportswear brands are launching more brick-and-mortar shopping experiences that visualize their brand stories in person. Additionally, fittings and on-time deliveries or lack of it is driving the popularity of in-shop purchases as people return to post-pandemic normalcy. The popularity of e-commerce that exploded during the pandemic, remains another popular channel for purchase.

China’s exports of single yarn increased by 46 per cent in August 2022. Exports of ply yarn and cable yarn were down six per cent in the same period. And exports of synthetic staple fiber sewing thread were down 11 per cent.

From January 2022 to August 2022, total exports of polyester yarn increased by 22 per cent over the same period last year. The export volume in August was lower than the average level for the first time since May. Orders have been significantly reduced since August, and are expected to further decrease in September.

Two major export markets for China’s polyester yarn are Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Yet, currently, these two markets are facing their own problems. Since July, textile and apparel orders in Southeast Asia have decreased significantly, thus the demand for polyester yarn has reduced accordingly. Insufficient US dollars was the main reason for the reduced export orders to the Middle East, which was mostly caused by the depreciation of its local currency and the rapid consumption of foreign exchange.

Meanwhile, as China’s exports were settled in US dollars, these countries faced great pressure despite the devaluation of the renminbi, thus orders have also decreased.

From January 2022 to June 2022 Bangladesh’s garment exports to the EU rose by 44 per cent. In comparison China secured a 21 per cent rise.

Bangladesh is poised to overtake China in garment exports to Europe. Work orders are also coming in big volumes from the US because of trade tensions with China.

In recent months, cotton imports by China have also declined significantly, which also indicates that apparel work orders are shifting to other countries like Bangladesh.

Bangladesh can perform strongly as it already has the capacity to cater to international retailers and brands. Local manufacturers last year expanded their capacities by over ten per cent just to cater to the influx of the work orders. However, inflation stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war may adversely affect consumers, which may have a slight ripple effect on Bangladesh’s garment shipments to Europe. From January 2022 to June 2022, European imports of apparel were up 25 per cent from the corresponding period of last year.

Exporters in Bangladesh are hopeful that a recent drastic fall of cotton prices in international markets will give a significant boost to the generation of new work orders and enable them to turn more competitive in international markets.

Amsterdam-based Fashion for Good is the world's first museum of sustainable fashion innovation that redesigns how fashion is made, worn, and reused through different fashion seasons. Through workshops and exhibitions, this global initiative constantly innovates fabrics and styles for a better way for the fashion industry to work together as a global community.

Sorting for Circularity Project to use waste intelligently

One of its recently concluded projects was the Sorting for Circularity Europe project, which in collaboration with Circle Economy, brought out a report that detailed the findings of a 16 month textile analysis. This report showed that around 74%, a total of 494,000 tonnes, of low-value, post-consumer textile waste is easily available for fiber-to-fiber recycling in six European countries. This points out the inherent potential to generate an additional €74 million per year, in value by reintroducing sorted and recycled textiles back into the value chain.

After the long Covid months, The Sorting for Circularity Europe Project was kick-started to decrease the knowledge gap with in-depth studies on which base investment decisions, policy developments, and the next steps towards circularity can be made. Also, the project focussed on more synchronization between the global sorting and recycling industry while creating a recycled market for discarded textiles to give a new life for earning a new income for sorters, recyclers, and textile brands.

Monetization through recycling waste

Even though some of the waste is reused, a necessary infrastructure to effectively recycle these textiles while understanding their material composition is needed. Fashion for Good’s report on the Sorting for Circularity Project brought together mega textile brands and industry leaders from across Europe who worked together to create a comprehensive textile waste analysis using more accurate, innovative Near Infrared (NIR) technology, along with analyzing the capabilities of various textile recyclers.

‘’As fiber-to-fiber textile recycling commitments and policies increase, as well as the amount of textile waste collected, the infrastructure required to drive the move towards circular systems requires significant investment to scale. To make informed investment decisions, as well as assess the business case for monetization through recycling, a deeper understanding of the characteristics of today's European post-consumer textiles landscape is needed. This project lays the knowledge foundation that will enable key players to set into motion.” says Katrin Ley, Managing Director at Fashion for Good

According to this textile report, the staple cotton was the most dominant fiber (42%), followed by a large presence of material blends (32%), almost half of which consisted of polycottons (12%).While focussing on the three main characteristics of material composition, the presence of disruptors, such as zippers and buttons, and color, it showed that just 21% of the materials under the microscope can be used for mechanical recycling. However, almost the remaining 53% could be processed for chemical recycling, which currently presents a huge opportunity for circularity, given that only 2% of post-consumer textiles are diverted to fiber-to-fiber recycling. The project brought together some of the largest industrial textile sorters across Europe such as the Boer Group, I:CO - part of SOEX Group, JMP Wilcox - part of Textile Recycling International, Modare-Cáritas, Wtórpol, and TEXAID.

Launched in early 2021, this long project finally divulged its findings which is expected to seriously monetize waste and help the textile industry reinvent itself after the dismal Covid years.

Bata is making steady progress toward transforming India into a sourcing hub for exports in the coming years. The move is meant to align with the footwear giant’s post-pandemic strategy wherein manufacturing and designing hubs would be set up across key regional landscapes, including Latin America, to cater to its global network.

The move is expected to be beneficial for the company in expanding its global sourcing abilities. The strategy would play a key role in combining countries like India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh as key sourcing hubs for the future, alongside China which is currently functioning as the primary hub for global exports.

In order to successfully establish a firm sourcing hub, Bata is directing its resources toward introducing a common product line, and best-in-class vendors, along with a stable logistical strategy for shipping, transit, and pricing structures. Bata’s floats range of casual footwear has been a huge success in India, owing to its breakthrough design. Currently the team is working toward providing relevant lines, sizes, and stocks across the world. Leading up to the Covid pandemic, India was only an ad hoc sourcing hub. However, with proper scaling and scheduling, the company expects to make it a well-known procurement area by the middle of 2023.