The Sport of Fashion

Technical wear outperforms all other apparel subsets by offering flattering fits, function and flair.
Aug 1, 2007

By Susie McManus, Assistant Editor

Health is hot — and it’s evident across all industries. Fast-food chains such as McDonald’s are stepping out with nutritional alternatives to artery-blocking Big Macs. Supermarkets are expanding organic lines, and fitness centers are popping up on once-vacant street corners. And in the world of apparel, performancewear reigns.

“People are much more concerned about their lifestyle and health,” says Mark Trotzuk, president of Gleice, Vancouver, B.C., a division of Boardroom Custom Clothing that offers fashion-forward performance apparel. He adds that, because the casual/active look is acceptable in public as well as in the workplace, this is a strong factor behind the performancewear boom.“There’s a cool lifestyle associated with wearing [performance apparel],” he says. “It’s like a club [that points out], ‘Hey, I do yoga.’”

TOP TECHNOLOGY
While moisture management tops the chart as the most sought-after technical athleticwear capability, properties that block odorcausing bacteria, sun rays and even bugs are quickly gaining popularity. Consumers are looking to get the most out of their technical apparel, meaning they aren’t satisfied with a T-shirt that merely wicks moisture.

However, while consumers are demanding more technical bang for their buck, many don’t comprehend how each performance property exists in or on their apparel. Chris Bernat, chief revenue officer for Vapor Apparel, Charleston, S.C., notes that, since performance fabrications and properties have been in the market for a while now, the end user is becoming more educated.“When computers first came out, nobody asked what kind of RAM [a computer had],” he says. “Now, [consumers] are trying to understand what wicking technology you’re using.”

Many manufacturers believe it’s important to distinguish between performance properties that are inherent to a fabric and those that are chemically applied to it. Expert Performance T, Vernon, Calif., is among the growing number of manufacturers that realize the value of offering performance- fabricated garments instead of apparel chemically treated to perform. The company’s athletic garments are constructed of microfibers, providing natural moisture wicking, owner Sion Shaman says. “Inherent moisture wicking doesn’t wash away like [it does] on treated apparel,” he adds. “Most of the brand names [manufacturing performance apparel] have learned to avoid chemical treatments.”

However, it’s hard to completely avoid chemical options, as several performance properties aren’t inherent to the fabrics currently on the market. Shaman says the effectiveness of these treatments depends ontwo things: the concentration of the chemical and at what stage of the manufacturing process it is applied. “Some of these chemical treatments can be applied at the fiber stage instead of at the garment level,” he notes. “If [a treatment] is applied at the fiber stage, it may last for the life of the garment.”

FORMULATED FABRICS
So which fabrics and blends provide inherent technology? “Real athletes can’t just throw on a flimsy polyester shirt,” Trotzuk says. Both Expert Performance T’s Shaman and Bill Gardiner, vice president of Zorrel Intl. Inc., Kansas City, Kan., agree that polyester is an inferior fabric in terms of technical prowess. But microfiber, a derivative of polyester, provides innate moisture wicking, which explains why it’s popular among both manufacturers and consumers.

“Polyester may wick, but it doesn’t drape well,” says Gardiner. “Microfiber is 1⁄100 the thickness of a human hair,” he continues. “So it wicks, drapes better and [feels] silky — similar to lingerie.”

Boardroom Custom Clothing recently introduced a new, eco-friendly option, Eco- Carbon fiber, which is available in its Eco- Drytech and Eco-Stretch garments, and also is used to construct the inside layer of the line’s Eco-Plasma Schell (sic).

Eco-Carbon is derived from recycled coconut shells and activated carbon to form a fiber, which is then blended with polyester. This eco-friendly apparel naturally wicks away moisture, blocks sunshine and inhibits bacterial growth — all without affecting design and fit, according to the company. “When people are confronted with the option [of environmentally- friendly clothing] that’s 50% recycled polyester with eco-carbon on the inside, they’re going to go [for it],” Trotzuk says.

FASHIONABLE FITS
Since gym rats and marathon runners practically live in their technical garments, it’s imperative that manufacturers provide them with fashionable styles and fits. “[Consumers] really want the European body style,” Shaman says. “It’s a lot more body conscious with cuts and curves [to flatter].”

In fact, Expert Performance T doesn’t limit itself to just one fit. It offers garments that are relaxed-fit, comfort stretch or compression. An athlete’s preferred fit depends on whether he or she is into marathons, yoga or kayaking. But with more body-conscious fits, athletes can pair their athletic shirts with a pair of jeans, notes Shaman.

“The compression fit can be used as an undergarment to keep your body warm and to help blood flow,” Shaman says. “But I think it’s primarily used as a fashion statement. For people who have a good body, [the compression fit] makes them look good.”

For those who aren’t looking for tight, form-fitting compression gear, the comfort- stretch and relaxed fits offer more figure flattery. “The comfort stretch gives better with the curves of the body,” Shaman notes.

DETAIL DRIVEN
While quality and performance are critical to end users, design ranks high, as wearers don’t necessarily shed active apparel once they leave the gym. However, it’s important that design doesn’t compromise an athlete’s comfort or obstruct movement, notes Trotzuk. “It’s all about the different accents,” he says.

Gleice customers look for flatlock stitching that won’t chafe their skin and stretch panels that allow for freedom of movement. And there’s plenty of opportunity to blend performance features with fashion, Trotzuk explains. Gleice often turns these accents into flattering fashion statements by coloring the stretch panels in a contrasting hue to the main body of the garment. The same goes for the color of the stitched flatlock seams.

Color blocking is a dynamite trend overall and is evident in collections from Alo and Expert Performance T. “Color is what’s hitting the market,” says Brinden Asher, marketing director for Alo, Los Angeles. “The placement and color of panels and yokes [on Alo garments] is more fashion-forward, and that’s having a positive impact.”

BEYOND BLACK AND WHITE
As the demand for fresh styles surges, consumers also are requesting an expanded — and brighter — color palette. “It’s not just red, white, black and navy [that customers want in athleticwear],” Asher says.

Zorrel Intl. Inc. also is responding to the growing demand for more color options by planning to introduce frosted lime for its performance garments. While white is the company’s strongest hue, warm yellow gold and tomato also are strong sellers, Gardiner says.

As for gender preferences, Asher says that Alo’s female fans are into sea foam and lavender. Gleice’s Trotzuk says it’s all about whites, pinks and hot green for women. “As for bottoms, [customers] usually go for black,” he says.

Men are reacting positively to orange, especially when it comes to detailing,Asher notes. “Gray with hints of orange [are big],” she says. Trotzuk says that, while women are venturing into the bright colors, men are sticking to black, navy and charcoal.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Performance apparel manufacturers agree that this growing sector has a bright outlook. Asher says Alo designers are already planning new styles, colors and fabric blends for the 2008 line. “[Activewear] is such a lifestyle driver,” she explains.

Bernat says he knows for a fact that performance apparel is the fastest growing apparel subset. Several industry reports agree with him. Sports apparel sales accounted for 22.8% of the $43.7 billion U.S. consumers spent on clothing at retail last year, according to The Chronicle, a newsletter published by The Mercanti Group, a boutique investment bank that specializes in (among other things) working with mid-sized companies in the sporting goods and lifestyle arena. The report says sporting apparel sales grew 5.6% from 2005 to 2006, surpassing the 4% growth of overall apparel sales.

This promising apparel trend promotes a fiercely competitive market, motivating each manufacturer to jump on the next trend wave before it passes. For Gleice, that next wave is eco-friendly performancewear that not only provides inherent moisture wicking, but inherent bacteria-resistance and UV protection.

“[This shift] is happening in food, and it will happen in apparel,”Trotzuk says.“With organic food, we’re concerned about pesticides and what we’re putting into our bodies. [Every chemical] put on a garment is absorbed into your skin.”

Trotzuk says he believes it will be several years before this shift takes place, but predicts that as “going green” becomes more mainstream, performance mixed with eco-friendly properties will be a dynamic duo in both retail and wholesale apparel.

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