Demand for loungewear is set to grow after Covid-19 lockdowns, with new research revealing women want more comfortable fabrics and more sustainable loungewear.
The survey results showed 61% of women investing in more casual clothing since the start of the global pandemic two years ago, with 44% reducing the amount of formal clothing in their wardrobes.
The survey of women in the UK, Spain, Germany and the US was carried out by Harris Insights & Analytics for specialist materials group Eastman and its sustainable fabric brand, Naia, examining trends after two years of lockdowns and people working from home.
In the survey, 78% of women chose comfort as their top priority when selecting loungewear. Other findings showed 74% of respondents now dressed more casually at home and 66% were also choosing to dress more casually outside of the home.
The study also highlighted a “satisfaction gap” among consumers who wanted better loungewear comfort, fit, quality, drape and durability. Eastman is working with brands to fill this gap through its Naia fibre which is suited to comfort fabrics.
Respondents also said they preferred more sustainable loungewear, with new and different fibres, and would like more of those options to be available.
Ruth Farrell, marketing director of textiles at Eastman, said: “Loungewear has become the must-have item in every woman’s closet. Our insights aim to help brands understand how today’s consumers define comfort and sustainability with regards to loungewear.
“With two-thirds of consumers wanting more sustainable options in their loungewear fibres, Naia is perfectly positioned to help our value-chain partners create comfortable, quality, sustainable loungewear that is accessible to all.”
Available as both a filament yarn and a staple fibre, Naia Renew cellulosic fibre is inherently soft and quick drying and has reduced pilling properties. It blends well with other eco-friendly materials, such as modal and recycled polyesters, to produce sustainable fabrics for everyday garments including T-shirts, tops, dresses, jumpsuits, twinsets, comfortable trousers and sweaters.
It is produced from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp and 40% hard-to-recycle waste materials which would otherwise be destined for landfills or incinerators, with a low-carbon footprint in a closed-loop process where solvents are safely recycled back into the system for reuse.
