MicroModal is three- times softer than cotton and is light, has a cooler feel and has about 50 per cent more moisture absorbing capacity than cotton.
For many men, buying innerwear is still matter that is not bespoken if not completely hushed up.
One of the reasons for this is that the segment has not seen a major innovation for about three decades.
But things are changing now with more choices available tells Yogesh Kabra, Founder of XYXX Apparels, a company that designs and manufactures innerwear for men.
The company is also making innerwears using plant-based fabric, that makes them biodegradable and natural.
It sells them under the same brand in online and offline channels. We will soon offer vests, briefs, boxers, T-shirts, knitted pyjamas in about 14 sizes.
Niche verticals such as women’s lingerie got organised as a category and got funding as well with e-commerce boom in the early 2015. “I think the problem with men’s category is that it does not have enough choices at affordable prices,” he says.
“In India, underwear are mostly made only in black, white and blue with zero fabric choice for the masses. This contrasts with the situation in the US. For every dollar you are willing to pay more, it results in better user experience- brand, styling, fabric and the waistband. That is not the scenario in India. I felt I could do a better job at a lower price,” he says about the idea to get into an unconventional segment.
“We want people to get talking about their requirements,” he says adding more people are getting comfortable shopping for innerwear online .
The company uses plant-based fabric, Lenzing MicroModal, extracted from the pulp of beech wood tree in Austria. MicroModal is three- times softer than cotton and is light, has a cooler feel and has about 50 per cent more moisture absorbing capacity than cotton.
“This makes it a perfect fabric for India’s weather. It is also biodegradable and natural. The waistbands are made using microfiber yarns to be gentle on skin with no rashes,” he says.
The Mumbai-headquartered company has launched its products in Hyderabad a month ago and is present in about 75 outlets in twin cities.
It has plans to double this number in a few days. It also wants to be part of big hosiery and organised retail stores.
“We are sourcing cotton from a Hyderabad-based company mainly for T-Shirts. We are now using about 10 to 12 tonne per month and we hope to increase the quantity as our sales rise. We will look to partner with multiple players who will set up their units at the upcoming Textile Park in Warangal,” he adds.
According to him, more people are asking for organic products and they are also willing to pay more for products that offer higher comfort.
However, many continue to buy six to ten units to last for a year or more.
“Innerwear starts losing its character after 25 to 30 washes but many continue to use them for long,” he says.
The Mumbai-headquartered company has launched its products in Hyderabad a month ago and is present in about 75 outlets in twin cities.
It has plans to double this number in a few days.
It also wants to be part of big hosiery and organised retail stores.
According to him, more people are asking for organic products with higher comfort
REFS
Published on telanganatoday.com