Fabrics for business and casual shirts can be produced on the Karl Mayer’s HKS 3-M high-speed tricot machine in a gauge of E 28. Jackets can also be manufactured from a fabric produced on an HKS 3-M in a gauge of E 28. In this application the bicomponent Lycra T400 fibers give the garment a natural look and feel, in particular; they improve the crease resistance and provide elasticity and elastic recovery in every direction. The stretch is perfect for producing comfortable jacket fabrics. Textured yarns and the fabric construction also make another contribution to the elasticity.

Warp-knitted textiles with a woven look are conquering the world of men’s fashion. Jackets, trousers and shirts made from these practical fabrics are often mistaken for woven products, but they offer better easy-care and performance properties. Warp-knitted fabrics are crease-resistant and machine washable and they dry quickly. By using clever patterning and selected yarns, they can also be made up into items with comfort stretch, which deliver freedom of movement and a perfect fit.

Meanwhile Karl Mayer has been expanding its service operations in Asia. This targeted capacity expansion has focused on Vietnam, Bangladesh and India. Karl Mayer has taken on two service technicians to provide its Vietnamese warp knitting customers with technical support.

India’s merchandise exports contracted for the first time in nine months in June. During June, petroleum exports declined 33 per cent while non-oil, non-gems and jewelry exports contracted by 4.86 per cent. Among other major items, exports of gems and jewelry, readymade garments, chemicals and engineering goods also came down. Lower crude oil prices explain a portion of the contraction in the absolute level of exports and imports. The escalating trade war between the US and China and the rising protectionism have cast a shadow on India’s prospects for higher exports. The contraction in June is also consistent with certain global trends, which have impacted India’s exports in recent months. However exports are expected to revive by two per cent or three per cent in the coming months. The increase in customs duty on gold may curtail imports in the next few months, which would modestly shrink the size of the trade deficit.

India is contemplating an export promotion scheme, along with a production-based support scheme. The new export promotion scheme may replace the existing Merchandise Export from India Scheme, following the US decision to challenge India’s existing export subsidy schemes at the WTO. Global trade is projected to grow at 2.6 per cent this year.

Textile spinning mills in North India are planning to cut down production and shut down their mills once a week to manage the excess spinning capacity and poor demand for yarn. As per the Northern India Textile Mill’s Association (NITMA), China which has been a major importer of Indian yarns for the past few years, has cut-down imports in the past few months, thus worsening the situation, leading to accumulation of yarn stocks in Indian spinning mills. The spinning industry is under crisis and the situation is moving from bad to worse and spinners are making losses. Industry is therefore considering various options to reduce daily production, including closing the plant for one day in a week or more. Some textile units are considering of lowering the capacity to even 50 per cent in the wake of unsafe market situation and to have less borrowing / outstandings and stocks.

Textile industry is also criticising on the MSP being above than prevailing global prices by 25 per cent approximately. As a concluding remark, this downward trend might continue for next 3-4 months with slack demand & market situation will improve as soon as demand & supply balance gets restored.

Burberry is looking to go more upmarket. Burberry is moving past its famed camel check prints with new logo-style branding. The brand is banking on the patterned print to help improve its performance in high-margin leather goods, which make up 38 per cent of its sales. It’s a gamble as fans of the British label digest the unfamiliar monogram -- a motif of interlocking Ts and Bs-- splashed onto everything from hoodies to high heels. There are twists on Burberry classics, like trench coats lined with punky rings. The print - with versions in bolder, orange tones or greens and browns - is younger-looking and jazzier than the traditional camel, black and red check. The hope is that comparable revenue growth will improve as a result, from one per cent in the previous three months to three per cent.

Customers respond to brands who have started to use logos as a design feature, incorporating them into prints. As consumer tastes shift towards more casual clothes, there is a need for trademarks setting apart luxury cotton T-shirts from standard ones. There’s great value from a margins standpoint from logos for a brand. The price ratio on a product goes up with a logo on it.

Demand for footwear by consumers in the United States is forecasted to increase four per cent a year till 2023, says Footwear: United States. Footwear can be non-athletic (leather, textile, rubber and plastic, other materials, such as disposable shoes) or athletic (textile, leather and rubber and plastic). Ice skates, roller skates, toy footwear, and orthopedic extension footwear are excluded.

Advances will be driven by rising income levels, which will allow consumers to purchase more and higher value footwear. Increasing complexity of footwear designs in terms of materials and assembly will contribute to price gains. Sales will remain supported by footwear's position as a functional necessity, but also as a piece of recreation equipment, and as a means to project a fashionable and professional appearance.

In addition to a broad shift to textile uppers, there's been movement toward shoes made of sustainable and environmentally friendly materials, those made without animal products, made with recycled plastic, made with sustainably sourced wool, hemp, and other natural materials. Trends like these impact the mix of products footwear producers consume, as well as their expectation of innovation from plastic resin manufacturers and compounders; rubber and leather suppliers; and coating, adhesive, and sealant producers.

US cotton exports to Vietnam increased 294 per cent over the last five years. Vietnam is the largest export market for US cotton. Cotton Council International (CCI) conducts an annual Cotton Day in Vietnam with the intention of educating the largest and most influential mills and manufacturers in the country about the benefits of US cotton. Five Vietnamese mills have participated in a mill exchange program in the past two years, learning about the benefits of using US cotton from peer mills in neighboring countries. This program has been particularly effective as participating mills in Vietnam have increased US cotton use from ten per cent to 50 per cent of their total volume.

Since 2013-14, Vietnam’s cotton imports have increased 217 per cent. Vietnam has overtaken China to become the largest cotton importer in the world. As Vietnam has risen to become the world’s largest importer of cotton, CCI has increased its presence and value in this country. These efforts have paid off in a big way as Cotton USA licensees in the country have increased dramatically and in turn US cotton has taken a much larger market share in Vietnam, increasing sales by nearly 300 per cent.

Skintight denim is finally losing its grip on the UK jeans market. Shoppers are embracing looser-fitted styles. Straight-legged jeans are now the most sought-after cut. There has been a gradual widening of trouser legs over the past decade as shoppers rediscover flares and buy into relaxed boyfriend and cropped looks. The biggest denim trends right now include ripped and baggy jeans.

For John Lewis sales of straight-leg jeans are up 60 per cent on last year while demand for boyfriend jeans has surged by more than 40 per cent. For spring/summer 2018, skinny jeans accounted for 50 per cent of John Lewis’ denim sales, but in spring/summer ’19 they accounted for 38 per cent, showing customers are trying out new styles and moving away from the classic skinny jean look.

Jeans are big business for UK retailers. Shoppers will buy around 87 million pairs this year. White jeans are also back. Sales of white denims almost surpassed those of blue jeans for the first time in the last week of May, with searches up 42 per cent since the beginning of March. However a closer look at the actual shopping behavior of Britons shows a reluctance to jettison the skinnies just yet. One in two pairs of jeans bought in the UK is still a skinny fit.

Textile Fairs India is being held in New Delhi, July 15 to 17, 2019. The first and concluding day will showcase latest developments in fibers, yarns, trims and garments from Austria, China, Hong Kong, Japan and the host nation. The event aims at bridging the gap between the dreams of budding designers and the reality of being a part of gala fashion events.

The three day fair includes three trade fairs, Yarnex, F&A Show, and Fashion Connect. Yarnex brings together manufacturers and suppliers of fibers, yarns and related services to showcase their merchandise to buyers from across the world. F&A is a fashion and accessories show. Fashion Connect connects clothing brands and contract manufacturers with the entire retail fraternity. Besides being a platform for sourcing, the event also disseminates information on fashion trends.

Textile Fairs India brings together over 240 domestic and international fashion manufacturers to showcase upcoming trends and provide opportunities for them to network to expand their distribution networks. The trade fair will feature products intended for both spring/ summer 2020 and autumn/ winter 2020/2021. A special focus will be on sustainable fashion. Industry professionals will discuss how to make production more environmentally friendly and a dedicated sustainable fashion showcase will shine the spotlight on recycled and upcycled clothing. A number of design and product awards will also feature during the event.

Levi Strauss revenue was up five per cent over last year. It has expanded into new categories and found new ways to make sales. Levi Strauss had near across-the-board growth, with men’s sales up six per cent, women's rising 16 per cent and higher sales in both bottoms and tops. It also saw its global direct-to-consumer business shoot up 14 per cent year over year. The denim specialist has invested heavily in its online business and made strategic pairings, such as being featured at the Coachella music festival, a spot that resulted in sales of its Levi 501 cutoff shorts rising 50 per cent in the quarter.

The company’s wholesale business is primarily tied to sales to US department stores. Because the shopping mall is declining and department stores are reducing their footprints, Levi Strauss’ ability to sell more goods at more doors becomes limited. Levi Strauss expects the wholesale business in the US to be challenged in the second half of the year with bankruptcies and door closures and tightening of customers’ budgets. To offset the weakness, the company is attempting initiatives, such as a new concession model. For fiscal 2019, Levi Strauss expects net revenue growth to be in the mid-single digits.

Lectra’s update to the original Modaris program comes with improved 3-D simulations and tools.

This will help product developers bring their visions to life—and reduce the need for costly samples. The update will allow patternmakers to reduce the need for physical samples by up to 50 per cent, addressing an expensive and time-intensive step in the product development process. Cutting down on the need for sampling and reworking allows brands to bring products to the market faster while capitalizing on rapidly shifting trends. The Modaris V8R2 offers greater capabilities in 3-D virtual prototyping, allowing patternmakers to share their creations with 360-degree videos. Through a module on the program, designers can comment on the patternmakers’ interpretations and collaborate on solutions. The program also features more advanced graphics, with a library of new fabrics, top-stitching effects, background scenes, lighting and colors. A new feature simplifies the process of adding darts to a garment’s rendering, which drastically increases patternmaking speed. The program can manage different units of measurement, and reconcile designs to ensure size compliance across countries.

With this, Lectra aims at catering to patternmakers who deal with consumers with different tastes, of all body shapes and sizes, and providing them the tools to streamline the development process and reduce the number of reworks to achieve the right fit the first-time.