Written by: XEONIQ [ Instagram | Tumblr ]
Edited by: DETALEX [ Instagram ]
Techwear as an online fashion and streetwear movement has run parallel to a general trend in the men’s and women’s mainstream clothing retail industry to embrace athleisure clothing in technical fabrics. This populist shift has seen synthetic textile blends, modern hardware, as well as functional patterning and features make their way into branded garments at all price points from Uniqlo to Balenciaga. Global consumers in virtually every major city in the world have donned a new uniform of stretch track pants, polyester mesh activewear tops, high-tech trainers, and hooded sweatshirts and jackets. This mainstreaming of techwear has been supported by consumers and manufacturers alike, thus the diversity of products available today far exceeds the limited flamboyant, streetwear-geared offerings that take the spotlight in social media.
This mainstreaming has not happened over night and there are a number of reasons why this has occurred in the global clothing retail market. Firstly, comfort has become one of the most important qualities in clothing as formal codes of dress in social and professional contexts have eroded. The workwear trend with its uncomfortable uniform of flannel shirt, raw denim jeans and heritage leather work boots has died for all but the most hardcore of vintage Americana fetishists. Where jeans are still worn regularly, comfort fits with a spandex blend are the norm. Track- and sweatpants that denoted a slovenliness when worn outdoors in the 1990’s have become accepted casual attire. Techwear at the mainstream level has enhanced comfortability with hoodies and sneakers replacing leather jackets and boots for casual contexts. In terms of convenience, most technical fabrics are also low maintenance and can provide qualities such as anti-wrinkle, offer more novel approaches to taking garments on and off, and can be packed tightly for storage. This greatly increases the value and useability of garments to the mass market.
Beyond the comfort and convenience aspects, in many markets traditional aesthetics are being rejected as a visual component of an older, problematic world; one laden with patriarchal and even colonial connotations. A progressive cosmopolitan zeitgeist that permeates all aspects of modern consumerism has demanded clothes that are hopeful for the future and provide an alternative to the state of the world we are in today. The unisex nature of activewear and athleisure clothing presents a more inclusive way for people to dress as an alternative to the heavily gendered archetypes that have dominated men’s and women’s casualwear.
Further, in 2019, 40% of Americans cannot make an unexpected purchase of $400. Being cost effective is important for both manufacturers and consumers, with polyester and nylon being amongst the most affordable textiles to manufacture or buy wholesale. In contrast to branded proprietary fabrics, which are often premium priced due to their significant marketing overheads, mass-manufactured synthetics are a fraction of the cost of organic fibres such as cotton or wool per metre. These materials provide greater margins for producers and a greater range of products at all price points for consumers.
Companies like Uniqlo exemplify an organisation that is capitalising on this shift. Uniqlo is a Japanese conglomerate with multinational operations that uses technology not only to make their clothing more affordable and comfortable for their customers , but in their production processes as well. The products are inexpensive, highlight their comfort plus functionality and are accessible with over 1,000 retail stores worldwide in addition to a comprehensive e-commerce presence online. Some of the most popular product lines produced by Uniqlo are named and marketed based on their practical performance qualities. AIRism, Ultra-Light Down, HEATTECH, and many more are best sellers being bought and worn by consumers for their ability to affordably cater to a specific functional need.
Another mainstream, accessible brand that is embracing technical fabrics for urban casualwear is Lululemon. Despite their origins as a female-focused brand, Lululemon Men has developed into one of their highest revenue earning product lines. Navigate to any of Lululemon’s product pages on their e-commerce site and to find a “WHY WE MADE THIS” section that describes ideal use case, performance qualities and functional features. With contemporary styling, Lululemon’s athletic, yet casual, designs and neutral colour schemes represent a popular men’s aesthetic in 2019.
Luxury fashion markets have been marketing technical garments for decades and in 2019 their athleisure and technical-augmented product lines have never been more developed. Prada has manufactured an entire brand identity out of minimal black nylon and today offers bold, futuristic aesthetics in high-end synthetics, including proprietary technical fabrics such as Gore-Tex and performance coatings from Dupont.
Even at the most budget level of clothing retail, one can venture into any Zara, H&M, or discount department store and find rack upon rack of athleisure staples all invariably made from inexpensive polyester blends and offering at minimum stretch properties if not claims of water-resistance or lightweight insulation. Mainstreamed techwear is here, perhaps cemented permanently both in clothing retail as an industry and as a fashion preference for the masses. While certain brands that invested into the extremely niche #techwear fashion aesthetic have started to fade, techwear as practical urban clothing at face value has never been more prominent or available, which is of great value to the discerning consumer intent on maximising their utility. Fashion trends are defined by the majority, not the niche online communities that small streetwear and fashion brands cater to.
Whether techwear-marketed streetwear brands are able to survive the shift away from that niche aesthetic remains to be seen; but neither their success nor failure is relevant to the reality of mass-market clothing or the wholesale acceptance of urban technical garments into popular fashion. Suppliers demand returns and technical synthetics are both cost effective and easily marketable using quantified performance claims. Consumers demand comfort, versatility, and practicality. Techwear at a mainstream level as represented by brands such as Uniqlo, Lululemon, and activewear giants like Nike have understood and delivered on these needs, thus these companies continue to grow. Techwear has been mainstreamed and for meticulous consumers whose interests lie in garment performance, value, and achieving a synergy between their lifestyles and the clothes they wear, there has never been more availability of products to cater to their needs.