Shirts fly as men seek tight fits, colours — even pinks

You are what shirt you wear.

Call the cliche if you want, but it’s the most defining line in men’s fashion in the country today. Men’s apparel, the segment hit the hardest during the downturn, is doing well again. And it’s got as much to do with economic revival as with the changing consumer preferences — particularly in shirts.

For one, shirts, once a modest upper body garment, don’t bunch up anymore but hang suavely from shoulder to waist as men rebuild their wardrobes.

Men like it tight, say retailers. Provogue, SKNL, Reliance, Bestseller and Nautica are all stocking more slim or tight-fit shirts as male shoppers are trading down on sizes and demanding shirts that hug and fit more than just cover. The trend, they say, has been in the making for four or five years, but has become more pronounced now.

The Indian shirt has evolved from being a standard loose piece of clothing to a market that runs in many micro-segments, says Arun Sirdeshmukh, chief executive officer, Reliance Trends, the apparel division of Reliance Retail. “First there was a shirt that you wore to work and possibly went to a party wearing the same or same kind of shirt. Now, men are splitting their wardrobes as per occasion and time.”

“Men are either looking for slim fit shirts or trading down on size. In the ratio of size, there clearly is a skew towards moving left,” says Sirdeshmukh.

Nikhil Chaturvedi, managing director, Provogue, concurs, pointing to the growing trend of men frequenting gyms and turning fitness conscious.

So much so, an increasing number of male shoppers have started demanding lean bottoms, too.

“I am happy to wear a well-fitted shirt because it really shows my physique the way it is. Why can’t we have more narrow fits in pants that brands like Zara and United Colours of Benetton offer?” asks Rajiv Seth, a media professional in Mumbai.

Logical, says Sirdeshmukh, who has been in the apparel industry for two decades and played a key role in launching shirt brands like Louis Philippe and Urbana. “If you notice, men are increasingly getting comfortable in tight shirts, tight pants and even pointed shoes. They like the slimmer, leaner look.”

Aiding this shift is the influx of international mens’ apparel brands over the last year or so.

Arvind Lifestyle, which sells the Arrow and US Polo brands of menswear, launched two international brands — Gant and Izod — last year. Among others, SKNL formed a joint venture with international men’s apparel brand DKNY; Reliance Retail tied up with luxury menswear brand Ermenegildo Zegna to expand the latter’s stores in India; Spain’s Inditex Group made its India entry with brand Zara through Tata’s Trent Ltd; and premium menswear brand Nautica reentered India last year through Planet Retail.

David von Platen, creative director at SKNL, which owns shirt brands Reid & Taylor, Belmonte, Alfred Dunhill and Stephen Brothers, also points to changes in collars, patterns and textures, too. “Indian men are looking for fabrics that are finer and lighter. They are very fashion conscious now.”

Vineet Gautam, country head, Bestseller India says men are willing to experiment with their shirts now. They are willing to try out different colours, patterns, collars and cuffs. “For example, the trend is moving away from solid colours to micro-checks, a combination of plain with contrasting collars. A little bit of fashion is becoming acceptable at workplaces.”

Indeed, detailing in shirts has become so eminent now that depending on the segment, the shape of collar, pockets and cuffs change, says Chaturvedi of Provogue.

Not surprisingly, most retailers now feel the need to classify shirts within segments — corporate wear, pub wear, suits, casuals, to name some.    

Shirts fly as men seek tight fits, colours — even pinks
The most defining change, though, has had to do with colour. At least five major retailers told DNA they couldn’t afford to run out of stock in tones of purple or lilac.

Many are also giving in to the temptation of colours forbidden till not so long ago, such as pink, once considered effeminate.
“They want to wear that light shade of pink. It is definitely in demand,” says Sirdeshmukh of Reliance.

Sundeep Malhotra, chief executive officer of online retail property HomeShop18 says most customers on his site are buying shirts in purple, vine, pink or metallic grey colours, though staple blues and whites still make up 40% of the industry sales.

SKNL’s von Platen, however, says white has never quite picked up in India. “In the US, 60% of shirts sold are whites. In India, we wear more colours and we do not wear suits as much.”

MP Ramachandran, chairman, Jyothy Laboratories, which makes the Ujala brand of fabric whitener (Ujala has 72% market share in India), vouches for this. “Fabric whitener category is not growing, people are not wearing as much white. They are wearing more colourful clothes.”

A Robert Kennedy song appears to sum it up best. “I never loved the whites. I never loved the whites. They go so dirty and never stayed clean… But in my life there is something called colour. But best of all, Pink Shirt I love you,” goes the number.