Textile Insight - January, 2009
Digging Deep in the New Year
It's hard not to be gloomy these days. I was reading about a reporter for National Public Radio who was doing a series on how Americans were handling economic pressure. She is quoted as saying, “My idea was to look at how we adjust, how we change...
Just Right for Tights
Whether it is a result of Sarah Jessica Parka’s argyle thigh-highs or worldwide economic lows, hosiery is having a good run. As this season’s fashion standout -- gaining attention at every turn from designer catwalks to suburban sidewalks – textile s...
Swimwear in the Fast Lane
Even the most glamorous swimsuits rely on performance. If the suit doesn’t fit well, or keep it’s shape and color, or feel comfortable, then it won’t sell no matter how gorgeous the design. Spandex suppliers are well aware of this inherent function/f...
PFOA Puzzle
Perfluorooctanioc Acid (PFOA), also called C8, the substance used to make fluoropolymers for non-stick cookware, and waterproof/breathable clothing, has been on the industry’s replacement hot list in recent years. These items don’t typically contain ...
Textile Trailblazer
Pioneering Performance Apparel for an Ever-Evolving Outdoor Landscape
It’s curious why some companies flourish while others fail. Why have so many ski brands fallen off the grid, for example, while outdoor companies gain traction? And even more to the point, how do some textile firms continue to stay the course despit...
Budgeting for Green Growth in Financially Frugal Times
Has the green machine seized? Textile executives concede that while business looks to be off as much as 20 percent in the year ahead, eco-innovation remains a vital driver in the performance active/outdoor fiber/fabric industry. Despite financially d...
Thinking About Boxes
The concept of “environmentally preferred” footwear packaging is evolving pretty quickly. And it involves not only “saving the environment”, but also, in many cases, saving money.
When people talk about sustainable and eco-friendly designs, the focus is not only on the product anymore. Especially in the case of footwear, when that product comes with some baggage — usually in the form of a shoe box. The outdoor industry is w...
Re-Supply Chain for Up-Cycling
Companies that start at the end of a garment’s life and going forward from there
What do you do with old clothes you don’t want. You know, the clothes which don’t fit anymore or are old and stained? Perhaps you give them to a local charity and some just get tossed. However the truth is that a huge quantity of textile waste ends ...
HIGH POINTS
This winter season being ‘fashionable’ means giving style the boot
Even before the temperatures dipped, boots were riding high. Perfectly in stride with this season’s strong legwear trend, boots are out in force in a wide variety of looks. Texture is increasingly important, and textiles are stepping out with diverse...
Fiber Focus
Temperature Controlling Fabrics Move from Athletic to Casualwear A good sign is that temperature controlling fiber fabrics, a mainstay of athletic wear, are taking a foothold in the more tailored casualwear market, which is of course much larger. ...
Project OR to Be Highlight at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market ’09
Building on the success and enthusiasm generated by the inaugural Project OR competition at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2008, the Project OR design competition will be a highlight at the Winter Market show, running January 21-25 in Salt Lake C...
Ask The Fabrikologist
Q: What is the current economic situation doing to fiber prices? Generally fiber prices have declined with the rest of the market. Key factors include have been sinking demand, falling oil prices and the increase in the strength of the dollar. J...
euro trend report
Show Frenzy Sheds Light on an Upbeat Spring/Summer 2010 A crowded, earlier start to the textile season offers many lingerie, swim and denim highlights.
It used to be so simple — the textile shows would exhibit twice a season, and the apparel shows the same. But then fast fashion came along and the traditions of the textile industry went away. Everyone wants to know the hottest trends for short o...
out of context
King-for-a-day thought: We all know where the difficulty is in a cultural shift to a “green” sensibility; its where/how do you draw the line? We have little or no way to measure our day-to-day impact on the planet, or each other, and the rudimenta...
Company News
THINSULATE LAUNCHES THE SILVER DIFFERENCE New from 3M is the Thinsulate Supreme Insulation featuring Antimicrobial Odor Control with X-Static designed for use in activewear, cold weather and hunting apparel, casual and leather wear, and heavy-duty w...
Product News
Hats: Checking on Trends on Top
Bold logos in the urban market, distressed fabrics for the college crowd, and a funky mix of fabrics are driving licensed headwear styles for 2009. Steven David, director of marketing and communications for Twins, whose brand is positioned as a l...
University Education
NC State Launches Development Center Utilizing New Eco-Friendly Plasma Finishing Technology
Apparel manufacturers servicing the outdoor market are always being challenged to develop sustainable products that provide performance qualities. In many cases performance characteristics are being added to otherwise sustainable fabrics through fini...
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