p26-44 Ladieswear:Layout 1 14/04/2009 13:14 Page 27
FOCUS ON WOMENSWEAR
Giving women what
they want
Kirsty MacDonald of Skinnifit looks at how far the womenswear
market has come in just a few years, with some predictions for
future trends in the sector
T
he womenswear sector is barely a teenager yet it is one of the most forward
thinking and ever-evolving sectors within our market. The late ’90s was when it
all “kicked off” and women were offered T-shirts that were actually shaped to
fit female bodies.
From those early days of “one-size-fits-all” Ts in limited colour palettes, to the
abundance of colours, sizes and styles available today, it’s fair to say that
womenswear really has come a long way. Today, unisex just won’t do.
Customers have more than realised that shapeless tents don’t do their brand or
logo any good.
There has been tremendous growth in the number of brands operating and
offering clothing for women; both those who have started out solely with
womenswear and also those who have subsequently introduced it to stand
alongside their menswear.
Even in today’s temperate climate, womenswear needs to maintain
some momentum. This can be done by ensuring that it keeps up
to date with trends, or indeed by looking into new sectors to
offer the customer something fresh and exciting.
Fortunately our womenswear sector is not exposed to the
majority of the three-month wonder trends as seen on the High
Street, but even our industry has to keep up with fashion.
The changes have been subtle but they are definitely there
whether in fabric choice or shape or style.
The women’s plain T, for example, has moved from actually being
non-existent to one-size to multi-sized, from 100% cotton to
mixed blends and elastane, from crew neck/short sleeved to
almost any-imaginable neckline and all sorts of sleeve lengths.
Skinnifit was one of the pioneers of womenswear garments – and
still remains at the forefront today. Central to its success is the
determination to offer what people want to wear in terms of style,
colour, size and shape.
An initial range of two garments has grown to a notable collection of
48 including T-shirts, outerwear and fitness clothing. Success with
womenswear led to a menswear collection four years ago, utilising the
same principles of modern style and looks.
So, where does it all go from here? What are the trends to look out for?
What is the end user looking for?
T-shirts are getting longer (much to the delight of the vast majority of
women everywhere who tremble at the thought of stomach skimming Ts)
and black will continue to dominate.
Customers are also becoming more aware of the environmental aspects
associated with clothing.
The real beauty of Skinnifit garments is that they are robust
enough to go that extra stylish mile, yet they are feminine and flattering
in their own unique way. They’ll last and thanks to the fabric we’ve
chosen, they’ll still look as fantastic as the first day you put them on.
With all the doom and gloom surrounding us all at the moment, it
comes as a relief to feel comfortable and maybe even smile a bit.
Skinnifit garments are designed to do just that. From the Modern
Essentials range right through to the wonderful Skinnifitness range
(please don’t confine it to a gym), Skinnifit will continue to pave
the way in desirable, stylish and wearable apparel.
SK251 SK250 fineweight
www.skinnifit.com
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk May 2009 | 27 |
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