Textile Insight

Market research confirms that active outdoorists are dialed in when it comes to understanding the important role performance textiles play in enhancing work- outs, be that hiking, recreational cycling or weekly yoga class. However, today's audience is tuned to a different frequency. Words used to depict per- formance in the past included "high-tech" and "hard-core," along with phrases such as "rugged weather-proofness" and "extreme protection," terminology primarily directed at elite athletes adventuring outdoors no matter what Mother Nature had in mind. That style of messaging no longer speaks loudly to a majority of those venturing out in 2022. According to The NPD Group, the outdoor specialty market generated $7.6 billion in U.S. retail sales in the 12 months ending November 2021, an increase of 13 percent over the prior year, and is now sitting at $27 billion in sales. What's noteworthy is that most of this growing market consists of novice and backyard (not elite) outdoor participants. Further, NPD identifies "purpose" as an important market driver, stating, "consumers want to know what brands are passionate about and how it might align with their purpose." Based on interviews with 10 textile suppliers, crafting a com- pelling performance story that resonates with a values-driven, lifestyle-oriented, entry-level out- door sector, is challenging, to say the least. Whether it's a big pivot or a small refresh, companies across the board recognize that constantly evolving and refining their messaging is the best way forward. Execs from brrr, eVent fab- rics, Green Theme Technologies (GTT), HDry, NexTex, Polartec, P o l y g i e n e , T h e r m o r e , 3 7 . 5 Technology and Allied Feather & Down all weighed in on the performance conversation, citing opportunities as well as obsta- cles. Here's what they're saying about brand building in the year ahead: Telling a Performance Story W h e n s u p p l i e r s d e s c r i b e narratives around functional performance, three key themes emerge — Comfort, Durability and Sustainability. Each element can be expressed in slightly dif- ferent ways, be it "quick dry" and "cooling," "made to last" and "permanent," or "less waste" and "nature-inspired.'' But any way you say it, the characteristics of comfort, durability and sus- tainability are foundational in performance storytelling. C o m f o r t h a s b e c o m e t h e MESSAGE RECEIVED WHAT WE SAY WHEN WE TALK PERFORMANCE IN 2022 PERFORMANCE TODAY textileinsight.com March/April 2022 ~ Textile Insight • 19 BY EMILY WALZER The dialog around performance is changing. Lines of communication are blurring, visual is the new verbal and digital is today's universal language. While many factors are contributing to this shift in how we talk about functional textiles, what remains steady is our desire for, and an expectation of, performance.

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