BLENDING:A Little Coziness Into The New Cotton Sweaters For Fall
Ah, fall. August is winding down, and soon the withering heat and oppressive humidity will give way to golden leaves twirling to the ground and smoke from a burning fireplace drifting through the air. Time to throw on a sweater! Make that a cotton sweater. With today’s temperature-controlled environments and since Northeastern temperatures stay up in the 80s well into September, cotton has become the fiber of choice for fall sweaters. John Bartlett, creative director, Claiborne by John Bartlett, points out that the weather can still be “boiling in October. Many of Claiborne’s fall and holiday sweaters are long staple cotton but designed through the eyes of true fall. We have found that a lot of people prefer cotton sweaters over wool.” A good 21% of men overall, and 30% of males 13 to 24 years old, avoid wool, according to Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle MonitorTM. Why? A full 94% say wool makes them “uncomfortable” because it is “hot, itches and/or scratches.” Another 6% say they’re allergic to wool. So men turn to sweaters of cotton or cotton blended with cashmere, silk, wool or nylon, yielding pieces with a soft hand in a breathable fiber. Mike, a 40-year-old sports writer from New Jersey, says he’s long preferred cotton sweaters over those made from other fibers. “I like the softer feel and the way they hang – they don’t feel stiff or bunch up under my arms,” he says. “I like that they don’t make me sweat indoors,and that I can wear one with a leather jacket in milder weather.” Joseph Abboud’s Randy Fields, senior vice-president of design, merchandising and production, says two of the company’s three fall deliveries have more cotton sweaters than wool. “It used to be more wool but everybody’s lifestyle now is climate-controlled,” Fields says. “We go from the house to the garage to the parking garage to the office – and people have adjusted their wardrobes accordingly. And we’re seeing certain sweaters, such as cardigans, take over some of the outerwear business. Sweaters are very versatile and perform multiple duties.” Fields says Joseph Abboud is offering lighter-weight, finer-gauge sweaters. “Even when we do a bulky sweater, yarns are spun so they look bulky but feel lightweight. For instance, if we do a cotton cable cardigan, we use spun yarn, because consumers don’t want a lot of heaviness on the body,” Fields notes, adding that lighter weights are necessary for the man who wants a layered outfit of a shirt, sweater and sport coat. It makes sense that the better labels are using more cotton, too. The Monitor finds that most men (58%) are willing to pay more for natural fibers such as cotton. Among men age 35 to 55, the figure rises to 66%. For Nautica, cotton/cashmere is its most important blend for fall, according to Christopher Cox, senior vice-president of design. Among consumer preferences, he says there is “definitely a shift in weight; we’re also shipping more ‘buy now, wear now.’” Cox says for the Nautica customer, “Hand is the most important feature, and then weight based on timing of the season.” Hence, the cotton/cashmere blend. A garment’s fabric content is important for 36% of men overall, according to Monitor stats. The number rises to 41% among those age 35 to 55, and goes up to 57% for those 56 to 70. Fabric content matters to 42% of those with household incomes over $75,000. Says Claiborne’s Bartlett: “Many of the cottons now have a cashmere hand, and guys appreciate the durability and practicality of cotton.” He adds that Claiborne has a strong argyle business in cashcotton, a long staple Pima cotton with a cashmere feel. Bartlett says “V-necks have been our strongest booking, with sweater vests and zip cardigans right behind.”  At Nautica Sportswear, Cox notes that the line does resonate with a modern prep attitude. “It’s part of our DNA. We mix this with authentic nautical detailing and functional performance elements for our signature look.” Cox says Nautica is showing modern cables, monochromatic argyles and rugby layouts with contrast borders. He says zip- and v-necks are trending better than crews, and zip-front cardigans are also strong, especially with woven trim. “Our signature blues are strong as well as deep jewels and heathers of brown and grays,” Cox says. “Fit has been cleaned up overall for a look that is more tailored to the body, yet still comfortable. We have also relaxed the bottom rib to enhance the sleeker silhouette.” Fields says the Abboud customer isn’t looking for bright colors or funky argyle patterns. “As a company, we aren’t big on pattern. Texture is more important for our customer,” he says. “With pattern, we do an ombre striping, and that does well for us in a heathered yarn. We do argyles, but we try to do them in novel ways. Our customer doesn’t want an argyle sweater from us. The same is true when we do a Fair Isle sweater, where we’ll incorporate ombre shading, which is a gradual blend of the colorations – and it softens the look.” And when it comes to color, Fields says, “Really light sky blue or bright cobalt is not us, it’s not what the consumers come to us for. We try not to put color combinations together that are cold. So, earth tones with a little blue – that’s a key, key color combination for us.”
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This story is one in a series of articles based on findings from Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™ tracking research. Each story will focus on a specific topic as it relates to the American men’s wear consumer and his attitudes and behavior regarding clothing, appearance, fashion, fiber selection and many other timely, relevant subjects.
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