From stitching styles to prints, fabrics, and even collar designs, men’s shirts have undergone massive innovation in the last few decades. Designer Saggar Mehra discusses the metamorphosis in detail and the areas that still hold scope for more innovations…
The style of a man is defined by the kind of shirt he chooses. Shirts are one of the most accurate parameters to measure men’s fashion. They are indeed one of the most sought after items that complete every man’s wardrobe.
Men’s fashion has seen a dramatic evolvement over the years. Back then, shirt designs didn’t fluctuate much in terms of prints, colours and cuts unlike in modern times. Fortunately for fashion conscious men, the past few decades have been quite high on innovation in terms of men’s shirting. From change in stitching styles to prints; fabrics to collar designs, everything is witnessing a revolution. For example: a well-stitched clothier always boosts confidence when worn.
Men want shirts which should define their personality and bring out their confidence. This has led to the delivery of never seen before features in shirts.
An urban man knows what he wants in terms of his personal style and wants to create a statement wherever he goes. Demands – both at the workplace as well as after hours – have necessitated innovation in shirts. Take for example, shirt collar designs. From traditional forward pointed to button down and more popular spreads, collar designs have come a long way. Similarly, the change and innovation in stitching style, pocket designs and et al is also visible.
The shirts category in the men’s wear segment is also witnessing an increase in demand for differently coloured shirts. In addition to the regular colours, viz. black, blue, white and grey, Indian men have started experimenting with variant colours like red, orange, pink and colours which were before this considered largely feminine. As a matter of fact, every men’s wear brand whether Indian or international have started offering newer range of colours as well as variations in style. The rise in demand of such clothiers has made the sellers optimistic about their growth in the future.
With the fascination of staying updated with the latest fashion or technology, men have not stayed behind. Today, they are in a phase of transition as they no longer want to stick to wearing apparel of defined styles and silhouette and want to experiment with the look of the clothing. But the question arises-where to begin from? The answer is simple. Begin from the beginning that is, from the very basic element of the shirt – the fabric. Fabric plays a major role in designing a shirt because it is a canvas where the idea needs to be placed. Recently, some major steps have been taken to bring about a change in the quality of the fabrics. We, at Sunil Mehra, experiment with everything to strengthen the quality and longevity of a product. From thread to spinning, to cut and designing we play with the elements till we achieve the satisfactory output.
Apart from fabric, the innovation can also be done in terms of designs and cuts. This can be achieved by giving unusual cuts, designs and silhouettes to the shirt. Play with the collars, pockets, hemlines, cuffs and every other possible element of the shirt. Some designers have now started taking the bold steps. They are coming out with unusual shirt designs and weaving techniques and are even getting adulations for it. The change in technique can change the look of the entire shirt and bring out the required revolution in the world of men’s fashion.
We, at Sunil Mehra, have experimented with the prints and motifs to beautify the shirts to add that extra element of sensuality in them. We are not the first ones in this domain though. In-fact, it has become a need of the hour. Men want shirts which should define their personality and bring out the confidence which has led to the delivery of never seen before features.
A 21st century shirt should be wrinkle-free for effortless maintenance, should have a soft and smooth feel and most importantly, the fabric should be breathable enough. It should blend technology and fashion effortlessly.
From functionality to finesse, the shirt should be ideal for today’s multi-tasking professionals. Innovation does not only mean the beautification of the shirt but also usability and comfort of the wearer.
A 21st century shirt should be wrinkle-free for effortless maintenance, should have a soft and smooth feel and most importantly the fabric should be breathable enough. It should blend technology and fashion effortlessly.
According to a report by consulting firm Technopak Advisors, the Indian apparel market for men, which includes shirts, trousers, t- shirts, suits and innerwear was worth $25 billion in 2017 and is likely to grow manifold by the end of the decade. In a market which is huge and is growing day by day, innovation is the key to emerge as a winner. Understanding the psyche and needs of the modern Indian men and offering them shirts according to their changing needs and lifestyle are some of the key areas upon which fashion players have to focus.
