Workwear will never be the same once garment makers take to the fabric. But there is a long way to go before it finds acceptance in India Inc
The country’s doyen of denim wasn’t hard-selling the Arvind brand. The indigo fabric, which has been almost synonymous with casual jeans for years, is getting a makeover. Garment manufacturers are now innovating with denim to cater to a whole new segment: formal work wear.
Arvind Group, for instance, has launched formal denim chinos, while Mafatlal Denim is developing denim fabric with a special coating and finish for formal trousers. Clearly, the industry has embarked on an innovative road to broaden the appeal of this already ubiquitous material.
For denim as a fabric, workwear is a relatively new segment, so far been dominated by terry cotton and polyester fabrics. Yet, denim’s durability and comfort are the two factors the industry is banking on to see it find greater acceptance in offices.
“So far in India, denim equals jeans. As the equation of denim equals jeans changes, and more mills come up with denim fabric for purposes other than bottomwear, we will have more people wearing it to work. Denim is a comfortable and durable fabric, but until now, its use has been limited. With innovations in denim fabric and garments, and some design elements coming in, we will soon see denim being used not just as casual jeans, but as formal trousers, shirts, jackets, coats, overalls and so on,” says Rajesh Dudeja, founder of the Denim Club of India.
Arvind has already seen its products under the brand Intellifabrix gradually finding acceptance across the country. “We have so far launched ready-to-stitch denim chinos and trousers for formal workwear in nine states and demand is picking up. But demand for denim workwear has to be created by fabric and garment manufacturers alone. And that will depend on how innovative one can be to bridge the gap between denim being seen as a mere casual or fashionable fabric and as formalwear, too,” says Aamir Akhtar, chief executive officer for denim fabrics at Arvind.
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Which is what Mafatlal Denim has also been doing. The denim fabric manufacturer has been experimenting by replicating formal trousers. “We design fabrics in a way to make them look closer to formal trousers. Even garment manufacturers have been making cuts, styling and fits similar to that of a regular pair of trousers,” says Rajiv Dayal, chief executive officer of Mafatlal Denim.
However, the segment is still going through a lot of sieving and sifting. “In workwear, denim’s uses could be for blue-collar jobs like in factories and on the shop floor, as well as for white-collar jobs in offices. Fabric and garment companies in the industry can decide which of the uses to focus on. While a denim overall on the shop floor will provide comfort as well as protection to an employee, denim bottomwear can bring in style as well as a formal touch for the senior executive,” argues Dayal.
Denim as workwear, however, is not new to western markets. According to industry experts in India, the trend has been seen in the US, where companies even allow employees to wear denim on Fridays. But gradually, this trend is being accepted in India as well.
Seconding this is Ashank Desai, co-founder of global IT solutions & services outsourcing provider Mastek. “As of now, the trend in India, including at Mastek, is that employees are allowed to wear denim on Fridays. But in India, denim is still seen as a casual fabric. If fabric and garment manufacturers help make the fabric evolve into something more formal, there could be a lot of potential for the product in offices across the country,” says Desai.
Even leading brand consultants say that the move to cater to workwear has huge potential in offices, right from a sales executive to a senior manager level. “Denim is a cusp fabric and a garment between formal and informal. However, deep-blue and deep-black denim has the potential to make inroads in offices. Officewear is about convenience and durability. While current fabrics might be convenient, they are not durable. Moreover, India has one of the largest numbers of sales people and they need a durable material,” says Harish Bijoor, chief executive officer of Harish Bijoor Consults.
The trend also has an advocate in Dilip Jiwrajka, managing director of Alok Industries, who wears denim trousers to work. “Workwear will never be the same once firms begin to use denim fabrics. But there is still a long way to go for the fabric before it overtakes other fabrics as far as offices are concerned,” he adds. Which is why, in terms of marketshare, experts say workwear forms hardly 2 per cent of the 350-million metres a year domestic denim industry.
Meanwhile, Rahul Mehta, president of the Clothing Manufacturers’ Association of India intends to elaborate on the potential of denim in new segments. “In the next three years, workwear as a segment has the potential to grow to 10-15 per cent for denim fabrics. However, while workwear is currently being looked at as the next major segment, there are several other uncharted territories for this fabric. For instance, why not ethnic wear?” asks Mehta.
| STOCK FUTURES/ OPTIONS Rajesh Dudeja Founder, Denim Club of India ‘With innovations in denim fabric and garments, and some design elements coming in, we will soon see denim being used not just as casual jeans, but as formal trousers, shirts, jackets, coats, overalls and so on’ Ashank DesaiCo-founder, Mastek ‘In India, denim is still seen as a casual fabric. If fabric and garment manufacturers help make the fabric evolve into something more formal, there could be a lot of potential for the product in offices across the country’ Rajiv DayalCEO, Mafatlal Denim We design fabrics in a way that makes them look closer to formal trousers. Manufacturers have been making cuts, styling and fits similar to that of a regular pair of trousers. Denim could be used for blue-collar & white-collar jobs’ |