Fashion trends come and go, but the zeitgeist of savvy consumers who see the clothes they wear as an extension of their lives and values is here to stay.

It’s also bound to change the face of the industry, as gone are the days when one’s choice of clothes is shaped purely by fads or the desire to look good. In contrast, today’s consumers feel an affinity with brands that embody their values and complement their lifestyles.

Just like the busy and aspirational lives they lead, consumers want clothes that work as hard as they do, in being durable, comfortable, as well as future and eco-friendly. And, ticking these checkboxes is TENCEL™, the natural fibre option loved by brands and consumers alike for defining the standards of sustainability and natural comfort.

They’re spending more time at home, and they want to get comfy

Four billion people around the world are now connected to the internet, and many of them use the internet for more than just browsing. The convenience of online shopping has heralded a huge increase in online retail, with web-based shopping platforms from Amazon to Zalora accounting for 12.1% of retail sales in the Asia-Pacific region in 2017, and the global e-retail market estimated to be worth US$2.3 trillion.

With online stores delivering everything from furniture to clothing to groceries, consumers have less reason to step outside. According to entrepreneur.com, 51% of all Americans, and 67% of millennials prefer online to offline shopping.

It may not be a coincidence that at the same time, sales of comfortable yet chic home clothes, or luxury loungewear, have grown.

“It’s a lifestyle choice; a statement that consumers are practical and busy, but beautiful and extravagant at the same time,” says British knitwear designer Madeleine Thompson.

The rise of luxury loungewear is also seen as a response to the varied lifestyle of the modern consumer, who expects clothing to be comfortable and versatile enough to accommodate his or her hectic schedules, without compromising on style.

In 2017, cashmere joggers continued to be best-sellers at luxury department store Harrods. At MatchesFashion.com, sales of sweatpants are up more than 300 per cent year-on-year. British retailer Selfridges has seen sales of premium loungewear grow 30 per cent year-on-year, while sales of cashmere loungewear pieces have doubled.

Marrying style with comfort, clothes that are made using TENCEL™ are known for looking and feeling luxe. They up the style factor by exhibiting a sleek, luxurious sheen and deeper, richer colour compared to other fabrics. More absorbent than cotton, softer than silk and cooler than linen, TENCEL™ also feels good, providing long-lasting softness to help skin feel pleasantly cool and dry through the day and night.

They have high expectations of themselves, and of what they wear

Fashion is getting next-level functional. Consumers want comfortable, fuss-free styles that adapt to the moment and can go anywhere.

People are trying to accomplish things at such a rapid speed that everything is playing into function. Consumers today live in busier cities, travel more and have increasingly varied and flexible work lives.

As the clothing industry innovates and consumers become more informed on health and wellness, it follows naturally that consumers will demand more from their apparel, much like how the versatility of activewear has given rise to athleisure fashion.

TENCEL™ is built with strong and durable qualities, while being naturally smooth and exquisitely soft. It glides lightly over skin, and can even create body-flattering drapes and fits, which makes it incredibly versatile as a clothing fabric. TENCEL™ also has unique moisture absorption abilities, which in turn make it breathable, and softer. Its efficient moisture absorption also averts bacterial growth better as compared to synthetic fabrics like polyester and synthetics.

For the modern person who’s always on the go, whether they’re at home, running off to the gym, travelling, on a plane, or working, TENCEL™ is always up to the task, and helping them get through in comfort and style.

They’re going green with their clothes and embracing ethical fashion

As more consumers awaken their eco-consciousness, shoppers no longer just buy a product; they buy its entire history and everything it represents.

And they can feel limited by choice in a clothing industry that produces some 100 million tonnes of fibres each year, and is expected to produce synthetics as more than 98 per cent of future fibre production, according to petrochemical analytics firm Tecnon Orbichem.

With the war on plastics today, consumers who seek style and comfort that don’t come at the expense of the environment can find their stride with TENCEL™ - made clothing. As a fibre of botanic origin, TENCEL™ is extracted from the cellulose found in wood pulp, and its production process is more eco-friendly than other fabrics in terms of water, land and chemical output.

Using a special ‘closed-loop system’ that was recognised by the European Union with an European Award for the Environment, 99.7 per cent of the chemicals and solvents used in the process of making TENCEL™ fabrics are recovered and recycled with minimal waste and very low emissions. To complete the regenerative circular economy system, these fabrics are also fully biodegradable, and pose no harm to the environment at the end of its life cycle, whether on land or in the ocean.

With sustainability in its very DNA, TENCEL™ is the natural choice for eco-conscious fashionistas who wish to make an impression with their values, as much as what they wear.

So, in complementing changing preferences and lifestyles, TENCEL™ fabrics are a brand’s choice to make in staying relevant by fulfilling all the basic requirements that matter to today’s consumers - from form and function, to comfort and eco-friendliness.

Original article: https://sourcingjournal.com/to...