As the high street begins to display their spring/summer collections Paula Cannon, Design Manager at Incorporatewear, discusses which key fabric trends are likely to cross over into the world of work in 2011 and beyond.
Driven by inspiration from designer collections, knits are high on the agenda with classic, stylish knitwear moving into corporate wardrobes. At Incorporatewear, we are taking this a step further and combining knits with bold prints, and offering our customers printed knits – a very adventurous move for corporate clothing.
In menswear we are getting more adventurous with fabrication too and are planning to introduce hi-sheen fabrics with styling trimmed down to a neater silhouette.
There was plenty of lace, faux fur and velvet gracing the fashion weeks for Winter 2011 and although fur and lace may not hit the work wardrobe any time soon, I certainly wouldn’t rule out seeing velvet in some specialised corporate wardrobes.
Concern for the environment has lead to the development of more eco friendly fabrics. We have sourced fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles, hemp, corn, milk and even seaweed.
Although it is early days for these fabrics in corporate clothing, Incorporatewear already supplies a fleece made from recycled plastic bottles to national bus company Stagecoach, and our designers have created a library of everything from recycled sportswear and suiting to buttons and linings and we can now offer our customers a complete wardrobe from recycled materials.
Another growing trend in corporate clothing is the use of technical fabrics. Incorporatewear’s clothing has been revolutionised by nanotechnology. Nano-Tex allows clothing to become stain resistant without changing how clothes feel. Spilt liquids like wine, juice, coffee and salad dressing bead up and roll straight off the garment. It offers minimal creasing in tailored suiting.
A “bionic” suit based on this fabric, which we expect to continue to gain in popularity. It offers a smart tailored look, it’s lightweight, stain resistant and offers great crease recovery. Fabrics that can create a price advantage through long life will be more attractive as organisations continue to fight the economic challenges.
Tags: corporate clothing, Corporatewear, Leading Corporatewear Company, Trends