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Stretch properties the mainstay in jeans today

"Growing craze for athleisure among millennials is giving tough fight to traditional jeans manufacturers. As Jane Singer, Director and Head of Market Intelligence, Inside Fashion points out the two biggest challenges faced by the denim segment are convincing consumer, who already owns several pairs of jeans, to buy one more pair; and increasing profit margins on products for both retailers and manufacturers. The ‘new consumer’ is more demanding. They read labels, research products before buying, and will return products if they are not satisfied. During a session at Intertextile Shanghai, Singer said new technologies are providing brands with fairly easy ways to elevate their products. Many brands have turned to Lycra T400 technology to add improved stretch and retention to jeans. This has helped to give consumers jeans that fit better."

 

Stretch properties the mainstay in jeans today 002Growing craze for athleisure among millennials is giving tough fight to traditional jeans manufacturers. As Jane Singer, Director and Head of Market Intelligence, Inside Fashion points out the two biggest challenges faced by the denim segment are convincing consumer, who already owns several pairs of jeans, to buy one more pair; and increasing profit margins on products for both retailers and manufacturers. The ‘new consumer’ is more demanding. They read labels, research products before buying, and will return products if they are not satisfied. During a session at Intertextile Shanghai, Singer said new technologies are providing brands with fairly easy ways to elevate their products. Many brands have turned to Lycra T400 technology to add improved stretch and retention to jeans. This has helped to give consumers jeans that fit better.

Daniel Fang, Garment Center Marketing Dept Manager, Guangzhou Conshing Clothing Group, feels in recent years, the denim industry has benefitted from the successful use of new technologies throughout the supply chain. The wide use of super-stretch and bi-stretch has greatly improved comfort and shaping performance of denim garments.

Innovation, sustainability key to success

As Amy Wang, GM, Advance Denim observes, advertising and marketing does not equal innovation. There needs to be concerted focus on developingStretch properties the mainstay in jeans today 001 crossover materials and eco-friendly denim fabrics. Even a 1 per cent change in fibre and chemistry can make a huge difference in denim fabrics. Moreover, sustainability is a key concern in the denim sector. For manufacturers, the ultimate goal is to hit sustainability targets without compromising the look and feel that has made denim a consumer favourite.

Newly released Lycra T400 fibre with EcoMade technology is made in part from a combination of recycled PET and plant-based materials. 50 per cent of the fibre is made from recycled materials while another 18 per cent is plant based, bringing the total sustainable content to 68 per cent, according to Jean Hegedus, global segment director – denim & apparel, Invista. LYCRA T400 fibre with EcoMade technology has similar performance to standard Lycra T400 fibre, and the use of recycled PET means that there is less waste going to landfill. Hegedus added that most recycled fibres are not stretch fibres. At the same time, most stretch fibres made partly from renewable sources don’t offer the level of stretch performance that Lycra T400 EcoMade technology offers.

Stretch the mainstay

Almost every consumer today is looking for stretch fabrics, especially in jeans. Even loose silhouettes are looking to stretch fibres to boost shape retention and provide greater comfort to the wearer. Invista offers three options for bi-stretch functionality. Dual Warp technology provides easy-to-control levels of shrinkage and stretch, while retaining the authentic look of the fabric. Easy Set Lycra fibre (T562B) is for fabrics with low to moderate stretch, and offers easy to handle warping, sizing and beaming. Popular Lycra dualFX technology offers excellent growth and shrinkage, even for high stretch fabrics. For true 360-degree flexibility, Lycra XFIT technology is developed to add stretch to the warp for more even stretch in key areas including the seat, thigh and knee. In short, function is replacing fashion as consumers want comfort.

 
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