Anti-odour clothing: bringing fresh appeal to the performance apparel market

32 pages, published in Issue 27, 4th quarter 2008   Report price: Euro 600.00; US$ 785.00

Clothing with anti-odour properties is one of the fastest growing segments of the performance apparel market—reflecting the desire of consumers for hygiene, freshness and a general sense of well-being. Moreover, in certain apparel categories—including sportswear, underwear, socks and footwear linings—antimicrobial finishing is rapidly becoming a standard treatment.

Most anti-odour technologies for clothing are based on chemical treatments or the presence of silver, which has inherent antibacterial properties. However, the use of natural anti-odour materials, such as bamboo fibre, is rising at the expense of more established technologies, reflecting growing demand among consumers for eco-friendly products.

Over the past five years, new technologies have emerged which hold the promise of delivering more effective protection against odour in clothing. In particular, advances in nanotechnology have led to the introduction of fabrics containing silver nanoparticles, and these are penetrating the market rapidly. Such fabrics have been widely embraced by sportswear manufacturers although environmentalists have raised concerns about their effects on the environment and human health.

Amid these concerns, researchers and scientists are stepping up efforts to devise a method of producing self-cleaning apparel which would eliminate the need for laundering and antimicrobial finishing. However, it is likely to take some time before such apparel reaches mainstream consumers.

In the meantime, as anti-odour clothing is regarded as a luxury rather than a necessity, the market may struggle to grow over the next two or three years as a result of the economic slump.

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• Innovations in fibres, textiles, apparel and machinery, November-December 2008, ( November-December 2008)
• Antimicrobial fibres and fabrics, (4th Quarter 2003)

Four times a year, Performance Apparel Markets provides intelligence, expert analysis and insight on the performance apparel industry. Performance apparel represents one of the fastest growing markets in the global textile and clothing industry--and market growth is being fuelled by an emergence of new fibres, fabrics and innovative materials. The market's growth prospects are also being spurred by increasing demand for performance properties in mainstream fashion.

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