COMFORT WEAR RULES THE ROOST
Guess what changed in the world of fashion in the recent years? The popular notion of it, of course!
Fashion till not so long back, mostly equated wearing fitted clothes, pointed toe shoes (for men and women), why even children’s clothes, at least for special occasions were all about prettiness, comfort happily put aside.
But once you look at the fluid drapes, the wide flares, the stretch, the softness and more importantly the breathability of today’s fashion and you will get what we are talking about. Not to forget the growing love for sneakers.
So, what has changed?
Our outlook for sure.
When Covid lockdowns hit, people were working for homes and working from home. The gloom and uncertainty around didn’t help either.
When crisp shirts and formal dresses hung in cupboards and trackpants and T-shirts took over athleisure was officially in our lives.
The global athleisure market size which was pegged at USD 306.62 billion in 2021 is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.9% from 2022 to 2030. Now that is a substantial growth!
Back home, in India, stores were reportedly struggling to meet the meet the increased demand for lowers (trackpants and shorts).
Another habit that made way into our lives was getting ready in a zippy.
Zoom tops and shirts were quickly slipped into before official meetings. Happy endorphin triggering colours like yellow, orange, green, blue, pink and red were embraced to cheer one up. Flower power was added again to our lives.
A big shift change was the growth of online fashion.
Agreed it was already a big part of our lives but the inability to go and shop even for the ones who preferred shopping from the brick-and-mortar
WHEN CRISP SHIRTS AND FORMAL DRESSES HUNG IN CUPBOARDS AND TRACK PANTS AND T-SHIRTS TOOK OVER, ATHLEISURE WAS OFFICIALLY IN OUR LIVES
shops left them with no choice but move to online shopping mode.
And if numbers are anything to go by, the trend is likely to keep growing.
A 2022 report by Mckinsey said, “India is on the rise—its growing middle class, powerful manufacturing sector, and increasingly savvy tech have made it an essential destination for fashion companies.”
A study titled Fashion E-commerce Report proved how the online fashion industry continues to grow upwards with order volume growth of 51 percent and GMV (Gross Merchant Value) growth of 45 percent in FY21, compared to the previous financial year.
The report added that websites are driving fashion growth and the rising adoption of D2C amongst fashion brands have helped them build a strong connect with consumers leading to higher growth.