THE COMFORT ZONE
As the demand for lounge and activewear increases, Scottish brands are adding a touch of luxury, explains Stephanie Abbot
As the demand for lounge and activewear continues to surge, Scottish brands are adding a touch of luxury to their lines
The past six months have made everyone think differently. We’ve been forced to slow down and take stock, reassessing what’s important, and while many of us have been looking inward at ourselves, we’ve also been looking in our wardrobes. With going outside for our government prescribed daily dose of exercise being one of the few things we could do for a long time, many of us took that notion and ran with it (literally). A recent survey carried out by Scottish Natural Heritage found around half of Scots expect to continue to spend more time outdoors for recreation than they did before the Covid-19 crisis, and 20% of those venturing outside took up running or cycling, up from 5%.
It’s no secret that the trend for activewear has exploded over the past ten years but now, more than ever, with people working from home and outdoor pursuits increasing in popularity, the desire for comfortable but functional clothing has soared. One person who has benefitted from this is Alex Feechan, founder and designer of Findra, an outdoor clothing brand based in the old textile village of Innerleithen in the Tweed Valley.
‘Our strategy for this year was to focus on growing online sales and the situation that we’ve found ourselves in has accelerated that process,’ says Alex.
A mountain biking enthusiast and general lover of the outdoors, Alex launched Findra in December 2014 after being disappointed with what she found in the outdoor clothing market. Having built a career in fashion and textiles for over 20 years and designing products for the likes of Chanel and Calvin Klein, Alex was confident she could take on the challenge of plugging the luxury activewear gap. ‘I felt inspired to do something better and build my own brand. I wanted to use natural materials as much as I could and create lightweight layers. I want the products to be functional but equally stylish so you could wear them while outdoors, but also casually.’
The principal natural material Alex uses is Merino wool sourced from Australia, an excellent fibre for regulating temperature, keeping you cool in the heat and warm in the
cold. Everything is tested in Scotland, with our wildly varied weather really putting the products through the ringer.
Now, when it’s time to come back inside, people won’t settle for mismatched pyjamas or old clothes that lost their shape and shine long ago. In the first month of lockdown, online sales of loungewear soared by 322% across the UK, according to LoveTheSales.com, and there are a number of Scottish brands making beautiful garments that will have you lounging in luxury.
For Brora, who use famously soft Scottish cashmere in many of their products, sales of their joggers increased by 400% and their pyjamas by 137%.
It’s been a similar story for one of Scotland’s most historic brands, Pringle,
‘Online sales of loungewear soared by 322% during lockdown’
who saw a significant jump in sales over the lockdown period. They began producing loungewear six years ago and have seen an increase in customers looking for luxury basics. Business development director Colin Anderson puts the shift down to people’s new work life. ‘Loungewear is a definite trend at the moment,’ he says, ‘with more people working from home, they are looking for casual tactile pieces.’ Their air spun cashmere jumper will set you back £895 putting quite some premium on comfort.
Shutting out the world and getting a good night’s sleep has never been more important. And for luxury sleepwear brand Sòlas – the Scottish Gaelic word for comfort and joy, and brainchild of Ruth Mitchell and Ciorstaidh Monk – they hope their products will do the trick. Based between Glasgow and the Outer Hebrides, they have a range of colourful yet calming silk sleep masks, scrunchies and made-to-order pyjamas that combine their skills of photography, print and fashion design.
‘With the gradient collection, it’s all borrowed colours from the sky,’ says Ruth. ‘At various times of day whether it’s sunset or sunrise’
While the girls switched their focus to helping family and their community during the crisis, orders for their products were still coming in and began to pick up as others began thinking of loved ones in need of a boost. ‘More people were buying gifts for each other so they would buy a mask or scrunchie and include a message for that person, it was nice to see people doing something thoughtful like that,’ says Ruth.
With a shared passion for the outdoors, the two pals wanted to use the Scottish landscape as inspiration in their designs. ‘Opposites have always inspired us, and growing up on an island like Benbecula, weather is so important. It’s that whole idea of being cosy inside while the storm is raging outside,’ says Ciorstaidh.
Whether you’re outdoors or curling up at home, we’ve learned that comfort is king. However, with pieces like these, style can still reign supreme.