Fashion Industry's Early Heat Sparks 'Cooling War' Already

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Thanks to the early arrival of nearly a month of heat, the consumption of cooling fabric clothing that feels cool just by wearing it has increased significantly. More brands are increasing production volumes of related products compared to last year or have already started reproducing them.

According to the fashion industry on the 13th, LF decided to increase the production volume of short-sleeved T-shirts with cooling functionality from its lifestyle sportswear brand JILLSTUART SPORT by 10% compared to the previous year. This is because inquiries about purchasing cooling fabric clothing, which is usually sought after in midsummer, have rapidly increased due to the early heat. The men's clothing brand Maestro also decided to advance the release schedule of products such as the 'Comfort Setup,' which uses cooling functional fabric to keep cool through midsummer, by about two weeks compared to last year.

Outdoor brand K2 has started additional production of two types of cooling T-shirts released as new products this year. K2's 'Ossak' T-shirts, which apply both cooling fabric and cooling technology, are functional cooling T-shirts that provide cooling effects and quickly wick away sweat, allowing for more comfortable wear during hot summer days. Early this month, sales of K2's Ossak products increased by 24% compared to the same period last year (May 1 to May 10). A K2 representative explained, "The thin and cool Ossak Light Round T-shirt shows the highest sales, and due to the positive initial response, we are currently reordering two types: the Ossak Light Round T-shirt and the Ossak Polo T-shirt."

Consumption of cooling innerwear sold by underwear companies has also increased significantly. BYC's cooling innerwear 'Bodydry' sales (May 1 to May 10) doubled compared to the previous week (April 21 to April 30) and increased by about 30% compared to the same period last year. BYC's Bodydry is characterized by a specially made cooling yarn that feels cool when it touches the body, quickly absorbs and dissipates sweat and moisture, allowing comfortable wear even in midsummer. Ssangbangwool also expects increased sales of its 'Try Coolution' products and decided to increase production of women's Coolution products by about 10% this summer.

A fashion industry insider said, "In recent years, cooling fabric clothing has gained popularity as an essential summer product, and high demand is expected to continue this year as well." Especially, the increase in outdoor activities due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is also expected to influence the increase in cooling clothing sales. A K2 representative said, "It is analyzed that the need for cooling T-shirts is increasing due to the early hot weather and the increase in outdoor activities caused by COVID-19," adding, "Cooling clothing is a product that can be widely used not only for outdoor activities but also in daily life, making it even more popular among consumers."

LF Maestro's 'Comfort Setup'

K2's 'Ossak' T-shirt

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.