The fall collection, of both trousers and shirts, has new fabric like 100 per cent linen trousers, cotton and lycra mix fabric, super-combed corduroys, cotton and tencel mixed fabric and an `easy care' range and some new finishes like a satin finish, mole skin finish among others. The trousers costs Rs 700 to Rs 1,500 and shirts Rs 525 to Rs 1,400. Another local brand, Shapes, which claims to have 20 per cent of the readymade trouser market, is introducing a `comfort range.' The emphasis will be on cottons which have a good fall and fit.

``For the `comfort wear' range, we have designed the crotch differently to make it more comfortable and the emphasis is on feel-good-to-touch feather finish,'' says Ashwini Anand, chief of Designers Point (India) Pvt Ltd, owner of the Shapes brand. Cotton trousers have replaced jeans in many wardrobes as cotton trousers can double up as party wear or office wear instead of just being casual wear. ``Just topping the trouser with anavy blazer can make it formal enough for office or an evening out,'' says Anand.And for the humid climate of the country, cottons have gained importance over other man made fabrics. ``Earlier cottons were not a high priority as they were not easy to maintain. Now we have the technology to improve the finishes, control the fading and make the fabric easy to maintain,'' says Agarwal. So companies are providing different mixes of cotton depending on the look that a person wants. ``The stain finish gives a more formal look, while the lycra added to the cotton gives a better fall to the trousers,'' says Agarwal. The improved quality of readymades has tilted the scales in their favour instead of tailored clothes. ``The kind of machinery and the fabric used has put the quality of Indian made trousers at par with international quality,'' says Anand. Also, brands have gained importance and men like the idea of being associated with a particular brand and if the fit is good they like to stick with it, Anandadds.

According to a survey sponsored by Siyaram's and conducted by DFU, a textile trade magazine, fit is the most important selling factor in the trouser market. Fabric and colour come next, with price coming in fourth. The best selling price range is between Rs 400 and Rs 600, while the Rs 600 to Rs 800 range come in second. Retailers in major cities, like Delhi, voted for the upper range while the lower range was preferred in cities like Kanpur.

Anand anticipates that the demand for branded readymades will increase more than four times in the next five years and companies will go in for innovation to increase their market hold. ``Cottons are here to stay and the market will only grow as most corporate executives are giving preference to cotton which are becoming very versatile in look and fit,'' says Anand.