It?s absolutely basic, yet you don?t talk about it. Not even considering it?s your most-sought-after brand and you?ve been loyal to it for years. You recently picked a stack at a sale in Europe. You flaunt them at the beach parties and they get a good display above your low-waist Levi?s. The stock in your wardrobe has everything from comfy pants to figure-enhancing briefs. For you Emporio Armani is not just an underwear brand, it is your comfort quotient.
For retail and fashion consultant firm, Technopak Advisors, the men?s innerwear market has never been small. Estimated to be Rs 2,565 crore in 2006 (improved 18% from the score in 2005), consultants are hopeful it will grow multifold, gathering particular momentum thanks to the retail boom and consumer awareness. The rumblings are audible. Priya Sachdeva, senior consultant, Technopak Advisors says: ?With global brands like Calvin Klein Underwear and HOM setting shop in the country, and existing brands like Levi?s, Arrow, Van Heusen, etc, updating their product brochures with innerwear, standards are poised to improve substantially.?
Talking about what?s high on the popularity charts right now, Sachdeva feels the emphasis is on luxury, feel and decoration instead of the usual criteria of functionality, fit and performance. ?Seamless structures, low-rise waistbands, refined shapes, reworked construction details, luxurious soft-handle materials (cotton mixes), etc are doing the rounds.? In India, however, the growth for men?s innerwear is more towards branding rather than styling/construction/material details. A reason behind this could be the early stage of the retail revolution as compared to mature markets, where brands believe in differentiating through value additions and displaying them in best possible ways, says the expert.
Not quite like lingerie
Having accepted the benefits of being very basic since time immemorial, the men?s innerwear market still is way behind what women can choose from when it comes to flair, style, colours or cuts. You can just about take your pick from the same old fuddy-duddy white briefs or gray boxers. Of course there is the traditional cotton striped style that still takes centrestage. But the times are changing.
Brands have realised that the most important factor that makes men?s innerwear click and saleable is its comfort ? leaving one with a strong product development. With fabrics playing a major role here, one sees cotton, modal (a textile made from spun Beechwood cellulose), cotton-lycra, cotton modal lycra, bamboo and soy, all being tried. Next come the silhouettes, which also differentiate the hard-core innerwear brands from their fancier derivatives. ?The traditional vest manufacturer uses a tubular fabric (without side seam) for giving that perfect fit, while the lifestyle-oriented brands add a side seam and intrinsic design features to achieve that multifunctional usage,? says Chakor Jain, business head, Lee.
Jockey too has some innovative styles now. Says Nischal Puri, general manager, marketing, Jockey India: ?Our new international super premium range has a blend of modal, lycra and cotton. Fabric modal has been extremely successful in the US and Europe. The fabric with cotton and lycra combination is expected to be the next innovation here. Our other experiments would be with fabrics like bamboo, which has surfaced recently in international markets,? he says.
With India opening up to such experiments and customers looking for an international seamless comfort, the market is surely going to be big, feels Yatan Ahluwalia. The director and head of operations, Y&E Style Media, the company selling French innerwear brand HOM in India, is pleased by the positive response the brand?s vivid range is capturing across India. ?From figure enhancing, stretched, ventilated, seamless, G-strings and thongs in purples, silvers and reds, the growing demand is keeping us on our toes. We need to revive the ranges and note down what the customers can manage. Interestingly, with the brand known and now available in the neighbourhood, we already enjoy a steady loyal customer base,? he says.
What?s selling
High-tech fabric blends for comfort, bright splashes of colour and large waistbands with branding and logos are in. As for vests, they usually come in two cuts ? with sleeves and without sleeves. There are several derivatives within this though, like Racer back, Muscle tee, etc. A lot of styles here are fashioned on the lines of gymwear so that the product is multifunctional and looks good with or without a shirt on. ?That is the reason why even sports brands are looking at innerwear. After all, every brand needs to care for its bottomline!? says Jain.
For Dharm Nathwani, addressing local moods also helps. The director of La Lingerie, a retail chain selling exotic lingerie, says men?s innerwear is the latest hot addition at his stores. ?Besides keeping brands like HOM, we have worked on men?s nightwear. The traditional lungi kurta in silk and satin has got a good response at our stores. Next is the fitness range,? he says.
Sexy thongs or silk lungis, the inside story sure is getting more exciting by the day.