The traditional classic readymade men’s suit will always stay relevant in the premium formal wear retail segment, even if its popularity has slightly waned in post-Covd dress-down times. With an USP of making the wearer stand out whenever and wherever, this is a forever style even when bespoke or made-to-measure suits that create a new model for each customer are now competing neck-to-neck in premium outlets.

Growing love for tailored suits

The global market for tailored suits is rapidly growing with increasing number of luxury brands tailoring made-to measure suits while displaying a versatile portfolio of readymade suits. The post-Covid global formal wear market is highly dynamic with a growth projected CAGR of 4.1 per cent between 2020 and 2026. Within this, the sub-segment of tailored suits is expected to grow rapidly geographically with Europe being the main consumption region followed by North America.

As Jatin Malik, well-known fashion designer for men’s party and wedding wear explains, a global shutdown for two years, and a remarkable shift towards casual, streetwear and unstructured silhouettes, year 2023 saw the return of tailored fits, like three-piece or double-breasted suits. Malik says, the change is happening not just in India but around the world, as people are beginning to choose comfort over fashion on many occasions. However, one always chooses the classics for special occasions, regardless their current fashion choices.

The transformation of classic suits

However, the traditional men’s classic suit as the seasonless attire is now also making way for innovative styling and rule-breakers that include anti-fit silhouettes, unexpected sporty layering and broken tailoring. These suits that need tailoring and eliminate large costs have been a strong trend season after season and mainly appeal to the younger generation.

The recent edition of Pitti Uomo, a bi-annual Italian menswear trade show hosted in Florence in January 2023, showcased a selection of made-to-measure double-breasted suits crafted in heritage fabrics. And there were many other innovative designs.

Many Indian menswear designers displayed their innovative portfolios at the trade fair. They point out, this new popularity of bespoke tailored suits with new iterations will be the way forward for men’s formal dressing in India and around the globe.

Designer Raghavendra Rathore known for his famous bandhgalas opines, on one side, it will be the coterie that understands and imbibes the values of classic culture and on the other side, a more sustainable and post-covid lobby that will push for ease through cut, style and fit across products in one’s wardrobe. Rathore believes, fast fashion brands make more profits in non-structured clothing. They have, therefore, speeded up the process of emulating brands like Zegna, to offer non-fitted ready-to-wear formal looks.

E-commerce push up sales

Though these tailored suits are a cut above when it comes to fitting and style, there are disadvantages such as the long waiting time and frequent visits to tailor's shop for trials before the final outcome. However, now many e-commerce stores are offering tailored suits from the fashion capitals of Italy to receive them directly at home. There are apps that give the effects of being in a trial room as the suit can be seen from each and every angle with its detailing. Despite this, the physical store is still the distribution channel preferred for bespoke tailored suits while online purchase continues to affect the ready-to-wear segment.

Bespoke suits are a luxurious experience that balances tailoring and craftsmanship making the wearer feel like a king. Three-piece double-breasted suits may be taking on a whole new look as the only thing constant in life is change. But it’s a forever style that has been and will be handed down for generations of men for all formal occasions around the globe.

Weakening demand from globally fashion brands due to supply chain chaos, higher manufacturing costs post-Covid and international concerns about inhuman factory working conditions are leading to a major economic slowdown in China. With supply chain risks, many brands across the apparel industry are reviewing their exposure to China and slowly relocating to other low-cost manufacturing countries such as Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Turkey.

China’s strategies change to keep economy running

Large apparel and footwear brands such as Mango and Dr. Martens have recently cut down or shown their intention to shift manufacturing out of China and reduce their reliance on the country. Relocation has also got stronger due to stricter laws in the US and Europe against alleged use of forced labour in the cotton factories of Xinjiang.

As Toni Ruiz, Chief Executive, Mango explains, they need to be very alert to how things evolve. Mango, in fact, is looking at is the extent to which all the global sourcing, developed over many years, might become more local. The brand is well-known for its mid-range yet high-quality trendy garments. Others like online fashion retailer Asos, are considering pulling out as they feel products manufactured in China were not as competitive as they seemed relative to Europe, once shipping and transport costs were taken into account and the final profit margin figure after sale is not that high.

Meanwhile, China is stepping up trade with Russia. General goods trade between the two countries reached $190 billion last year, up over 30 per cent from 2021, which accounts for 3 per cent of China’s total trade. The two countries are now forging closer economic ties ever since President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing in February 2022, shortly before Moscow invaded Ukraine.

Disruptions in supply chains create havoc

The second round of Covid restrictions and lockdowns in China further led to a jump in freight costs, significant shipping delays this prompted the decision to relocate outsourcing to other countries for many brands. Shipment of a US retail brand’s ski wear, from a previous season, arrived in summer of 2022 while another’s brands summer season of cotton garments arrived in winter.

And as Todd Simms, VP, at supply chain intelligence platform FourKites opine, gone are the days of manufacturing only in China and shipping everywhere. Disruptions have increased costs to deliver finished goods, making it easier to justify operations in new countries in exchange for more resilience.

China’s exports slumped 9.9 per cent in December 2022 as global demand continues to drop and this figure remains uncertain in the first quarter of 2023. However, a shift away from mass textile production to more high-tech premium garment production - both for domestic use and for exports- is now slowly changing the factory scenario in China. Many manufacturers are setting up factories to sell premium environmentally-friendly products that cater to a niche global export market.

Growing importance or Turkey

Turkey is currently encouraging western brands to move g production to their country, for a more seamless supply chain as it is part of the EU customs union, allowing frictionless trade between member states. Some premium brands such as Hugo Boss, Adidas, Nike, and Zara are already outsourcing from there. Also helping this move is the current important consideration for retailers is traceability in the supply chain after years of widely reported labour abuses.

However, there isn’t enough money in the international supply chains to smoothen out the relocation process in the current economic crisis and analysts feel things will only worsen in the next few years. In these turbulent times, exports from China will lessen as no country will put all its eggs in one basket but global relocation levels remain to be seen.

In 2022, the US home textiles import market continued its downward trend, with total imports amounting to $22.025 billion. This is the second year in a row that the market has experienced a decline, after reaching a peak of $32.569 billion in 2020, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The main contributor to US home textiles imports remained the Asia-Pacific region, accounting for 81 per cent of total imports in 2022, with a value of $18.015 billion. North America, the Middle East, Europe, Central & South America, and Africa also contributed to the US import market, albeit to a much lesser extent.

The decline in imports can be attributed to changing consumer preferences and economic concerns. Initially, consumers preferred to purchase garments rather than home textiles as they began to venture out of their homes. In the latter half of 2022, high inflation and unemployment made discretionary purchases such as garments and home textiles less feasible for consumers. This, in turn, led to a decrease in demand and subsequently, imports.

Brands also slowed down their sourcing activities as they faced difficulties in clearing their stock in showrooms. Many even postponed or cancelled purchase orders, leading to a reduction in imports.

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has launched a Decarbonization Guide for Members to help reduce carbon emissions across the textile and apparel industry. The guide provides a six-step process for organizations to set and commit to science-based targets (SBTs) and develop action plans to deliver individual targets.

The textile industry is responsible for up to 8 per cent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions and must ramp up efforts to deliver the 45 per cent reductions needed by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Organizations must obtain internal buy-in to commit to and set SBTs and submit their targets for verification.

SAC member organizations will be required to communicate their targets within six months of approval and develop an action plan, among other steps. The SAC will require corporate members to set near-term emission reduction targets in line with the latest climate science within 24 months and obtain appropriate validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) or a third-party accredited organization.

Victoria's Secret will bring back its iconic fashion show in a "new edition". The brand will invest in marketing expenditure to promote the new edition of the show, as well as to drive business at the top of the funnel.

The Victoria's Secret fashion show was cancelled in 2019 as part of an effort to "transform the marketing of Victoria's Secret," following criticism for its lack of inclusivity and promotion of detrimental beauty standards. In 2021, Victoria's Secret parted ways with its "Angels" models and welcomed new advocates for the brand, including sportsmen, activists, and actors, as part of its redesign.

Victoria's Secret has faced numerous criticisms in recent years, including a controversy over remarks made by the company's former chief marketing officer in 2018, and allegations of "misogyny, bullying, and harassment" at the company in a New York Times article in 2020.

Paris Women's Fashion Week AW23 celebrated Parisian luxury, where labels capitalised on their geographical identity and cultural heritage.

The French Federation of Haute Couture and Fashion had 106 brands registered on the official calendar, which represents the core of Fashion Week. The majority of brands aimed for the official calendar to obtain credibility with industry players abroad.

Foreign names increasingly perceived Paris as the springboard to internationalisation. For example, Palm Angels, The Row, and Vaquera entered the FHCM calendar.

Serbia Fashion Week and the Arab Fashion Council participated in the "Welcome To Paris" programme. Dior's AW23 collection showcased "French style around three extraordinary personalities: Catherine Dior, Edith Piaf and Juliette Gréco". Balmain presented an intimate show that evoked Parisian sophistication and glamour. Louis Vuitton evoked its tricolour roots for its AW23 collection, answering the question "What is French style?" in 44 feminine looks.

Paris Fashion Week also reproduced the stereotypical Parisian woman en masse with effortless lines infused with nonchalance, dark, neutral shades, and lots of black looks. Harris Reed's first show as Nina Ricci's creative director featured vibrant hues and couture volumes, carried by a cast with a plus-size silhouette.

Overall, Paris Women's Fashion Week AW23 revived the idea of Parisian luxury and celebrated the cultural heritage of a house.

A project titled "Transform Textile Waste into Feedstock" has been launched, aimed at addressing the issue of textile waste in the European Union.

The circular service specialist, Texaid has the support of major stakeholders in the textile value chain and plans to build and operate scalable sorting facilities across Europe. The project will involve renowned companies like Lenzing, Inditex, and Worn Again, jointly evaluating technologies and the business case for scaled sorting for reuse and recycling.

According to estimates, only 30-35 per cent of the 7-7.5 million tonnes of textiles discarded annually in the EU are collected separately, with just 15-20 per cent sorted by medium and large facilities within the EU. This has prompted the need for fibre-to-fibre recycling to preserve valuable resources. Texaid is leading the project, with a blueprint for sorting factories that meet the future needs of fibre-to-fibre recycling among its major outcomes. The first facility will have a capacity of 50,000 tonnes by the end of 2024.

ITA Academy GmbH, in cooperation with RWTH Aachen and CETIA, will assess technologies to create an innovative sorting system 4.0, building on cross-functional technologies with digitalisation and automation at the heart. If the project is successful, the recycling rate for textile waste could reach 18-26 per cent in 2030, creating economic, social, and environmental value that could total €3.5-4.5bn.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has predicted significant potential for the export of value-added garments made from recycled yarn.

During a pre-budget discussion held on Tuesday, the BGMEA estimated that around $5bn in revenue could be generated from apparel products made from scrap fabric or used cloth. BGMEA highlighted the export potential of recycled ready-made garments (RMG) products, noting that $500m worth of scrap fabrics are currently produced in the country.

Bangladesh could become a hub for recycled garments, with three factories already producing recycled yarn, and encouraged others to invest. BGMEA also sought policy support from the government and suggested that exempting local textile mills from the value-added tax on selling scraps would encourage investment in recycling.

AATCC has introduced a new test method, AATCC TM214, to measure accumulated condensation on textile fabrics. The new method applies to clothing systems, tenting fabrics, and medical and technical temporary shelters. The condensation rate is dependent on temperature and vapor pressure across a fabric system.

The method, developed by AATCC Research Committee RA63 Water Resistance Chair, Kiarash Arangdad of Elevate Textiles, measures the water condensation accumulation on the innermost surface of waterproof fabrics in a humid microclimate. During the test, the outermost fabric surface is subjected to dry and wet conditions. The condensation accumulation is determined by calculating the mass change of a filter paper attached to the inner chamber for a prescribed time.

This is the first method to measure condensation created by the microclimate of the textile product. TM214 is a valuable tool for the textile industry to assess the performance of fabrics in wet and dry conditions.

The test apparatus has an inner chamber and an outer chamber and can be conducted inside an environmental chamber or under ambient conditions, making it suitable for use across various textile systems.

The new test method is an important step forward in helping the textile industry better understand the role condensation plays on textile components, particularly with changing climates and a growing focus on sustainability. The insights gained by using this method will help organizations improve and develop new hydrophobic and water-repellent fabric systems.

On, February 22, 2023, Amazon India went live with its plus size store that has the finest collection of plus size clothing for Indian consumers, curated from leading fashion brands in India – Biba, Bigbanana, Pluss, Allen Solly, NYKD and the U.S. Polo Association among others. The outlet offers over 6,00,000 products spanning 2XL to 8XL. While going live, the head of Amazon Fashion India, Saurabh Srivastava said India is a fast-growing plus size market, mirroring the growth worldwide and just like Amazon elsewhere, the Indian division of the global e-commerce giant is catering to the needs of a diverse range of customers and is being inclusive.

Creation of the plus size consumer

Demand for plus size clothing is rising as plus-size customers across the world seek attractive and trendy garments that are readily available in larger sizes. Valued at $276 billion in 2022, the worldwide closing value projected for 2023 sits at $288 billion.

While the debate rages regarding mainstreaming of plus size clothing, brands have jumped in to cater to a large global market that is predicted to keep growing at CAGR of 5.7 per cent as projected until 2032. When Walmart launched a new plus-size brand named Terra and Sky in 2018, it proved to be a runaway success in the US which has a sizeable number of plus size consumers. The US is leading and will continue leading the world as the biggest plus size clothing market as it has the world’s largest plus size population and the category of clothing sells the most here.

High street plus size apparel retailers such as River Island, Marks & Spencer, and New Look also now offer a wide range of plus size items to cater to demand. When global fashion labels jumped into the plus size bandwagon, regional and local brands followed, boosting the size of a market that was considered niche even five years ago. Zara and the Good American launched their first size inclusive collection of denims in May 2022, creating a path for other globally-popular brands to follow, wherein a collection covers the entire range of sizes so everyone gets the size that’s right for them. As social and legacy media are championing inclusivity and body positivity, such campaigns are seeing the plus size clothing industry becoming mainstream, generating greater demand. Sports brands Adidas, Puma, Nike and Under Armour have introduced plus size clothing for both genders and teenagers. H&M, Mango, ASOS, and bridge-brand Michael Kors have extended their regular lines to include plus size units.

Trends in plus size market

A report by Allied Market Research reveals, casual wear leads growth of the plus size category, followed by formal wear. Plus size sportswear is fast catching up and currently comes in third. Men’s clothes are predicted to become the driver of growth as men’s plus size clothing is selling more than women’s. However, the world is seeing a rapid increase of obese women and soon sales of women’s plus size clothing may level with men’s. In the Western world, the age group with the highest purchase of plus size clothing is 60 years and above.

During the forecast period, the mid-priced clothing segment is expected to dominate the plus size clothing market which is why luxury fashion brands are being cautious about the category. Following the US, as the market leader, the Middle East and Asia are expected to become sizeable markets as their population is registering a sharp rise in obesity.