5-8 FEB, 2025, Istanbul Expo Center
The Turkish apparel industry attracts attention with its design and production power in underwear and homewear. Bearing a great potential in this field, the United States reinforces its position as a significant target market for Türkiye.
The Turkish apparel industry attracts attention with its design and production power in underwear and homewear. Bearing a great potential in this field, the United States reinforces its position as a significant target market for Türkiye.
The United States of America (USA) Underwear Country Report prepared by Zobu Consulting for Istanbul Apparel Exporters' Association (İHKİB) offers Turkish underwear exporters critical information about the today and future of the US underwear market as well as how to gain competitive power to best access the US consumers.
According to the report, the uncertainties and negative developments in the US economy, including the sharp increase in unemployment rate and the dramatic fall in household incomes especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, have led to a decrease in private consumption expenditures.
Ready wear clothing expenditures down by 40.8 percent
The US ready wear sector has witnessed a rapid change in consumer habits. In 2020, while leather and leathercraft expenditures rose by 22 percent, the money spent on fashion products and ready wear garments fell by 40.8 percent.
The growth of underwear brands during the pandemic
Contrary to the severe impacts of the pandemic on companies with large distribution channels and broad store networks, small brands offering either direct or online sales opportunity to customers have grown rapidly.
Türkiye, which is the 19th largest trade partner of the US, the biggest underwear suppliers of the country were listed as China, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka…
Underwear imports of the United States reported as 6.3 billion dollars
In 2019, the total underwear imports of the United States realized as 6.3 billion dollars while 33.1 million dollars of this figure was comprised of Türkiye’s exports to the country. Other than Türkiye, which is the 19th largest trade partner of the US, the biggest underwear suppliers of the country were listed as China, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Honduras, respectively.
Comfortable underwear designs on the rise
Just like the rising trend in homewear and comfortable clothes since the outbreak of the pandemic, any kind of underwear including women’s lace lingerie has also witnessed an uptrend. Large fashion design brands willing to meet this demand boom shifted their production capacities towards these products in 2021, and accordingly manufacturers turned to sourcing providers and vendors that can act in a flexible and agile manner despite the pandemic-related challenging conditions.
The new trend is to go for lighter and minimalist bra models that may be worn comfortably all day long.
The new trend: Light and minimalist models
As a consequence of the pandemic-related changes in life style, more people have been opting for comfortable homewear clothes made of anti-sweat fabrics. A similar preference for comfort has also been observed in underwear. Accordingly, in 2021, fashion designers that are well aware of these new expectations worked on a variety of soft and elastic textile materials, aiming for repositioning the casual mid-rise and high waist women’s panties as a popular product group on women’s underwear market. Today, underwired bras and push-up models are no longer a priority for most women. The new trend is to go for lighter and minimalist bra models that may be worn comfortably all day long.
Meanwhile, many of the famous women’s underwear brands keep designing lace under clothes. Although the demand for such designs has diminished to a certain extent, the common belief is that it will return to its former level over time. Thus, lingerie manufacturing and lingerie vendors are still among the key components of the fashion industry and global underwear brands keep looking for the best lingerie sourcing partners holding the greatest potential.
On the other hand, a brief look at men’s underwear reveals that trunks, featuring comfortable designs and trendy forms, have become quite popular, while boxer briefs and classic cotton underwear keep their strong position in the market. When it comes to night clothes, the most popular trend still features floral patterned, polka dot pajamas made of recycled fabrics, as well as minimalist nightgowns and classic style silk pajamas.
