INSIGHTS
COTTON INCORPORATED SUPPLY CHAIN SEPTEMBER 2009
TODAY’S MARKET FOR WRINKLE RESISTANCE
Wrinkle resistance is one of the most famil-
iar and widely available apparel performance
features. Of men’s cotton apparel products
that offer a performance feature, 81% have
wrinkle-resistance performance properties,
based on data from Cotton Incorporated’s Re-
tail Monitor™ survey. According to Cotton In-
corporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™ survey, more
men are aware of wrinkle resistance (86%)
than are aware of any other type of perfor-
mance feature, and 61% have purchased a
wrinkle-resistant garment — the highest per-
centage for any performance feature. Al-
though wrinkle-resistant apparel is available
in many different fibers and fiber blends,
74% of men prefer their wrinkle-resistant
garments to be made of cotton. Consumers
love the comfort and softness of cotton, and
they appreciate the added value of wrinkle
resistance in their cotton apparel.
Despite the familiarity and availability of
wrinkle-resistant apparel, consumer attitudi-
nal data point to opportunities to expand and
differentiate the market for this feature — in
particular, by offering wrinkle resistance
in a broader range of products, combining
wrinkle resistance with other performance
features, and expanding offerings in wrinkle-
resistant women’s apparel.
WHAT CONSUMERS WEAR TO WORK
Casual clothes
Businesslike dress, but
have a little freedom
Uniform required  
Durable work clothes,
don’t mind getting dirty   12
Conservative business suits  5 (62%). However, substantial percentages of men also say
Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™
© 2009 Cotton Incorporated. www.cottoninc.com INFO: Global Product Supply Chain 919.678.2262
LOOKING SHARP
MEN WANT In today’s tight job market, consumers
WRINKLE RESISTANCE are more concerned about presenting
% very or somewhat likely to pur- a polished look on the job (or on the
chase a wrinkle-resistant product
job hunt). Employers also are concerned
about slipping standards for workplace
Dress shirt attire, prompting them to enforce dress
codes and require a neater appearance.
68%
Wrinkle-resistant cotton shirting and
pants have long had a place in the of-
Dress or fice, and the recent trend towards a
casual pants
more polished workplace wardrobe has
62%
generated renewed interest in wrinkle
resistance. The Lifestyle Monitor survey
Coat or jacket asked employed consumers how likely
they were to look for performance fea-
53%
tures when shopping for work apparel.
Wrinkle resistance topped the list, cited
T-shirt by 53% of men and 69% of women, fol-
lowed by stain resistance, mentioned by
45%
51% of men and 61% of women. In a
time of pinched clothing budgets, con-
Jeans sumers are attracted to the neat ap-
pearance, ease of care, and longevity of
41%
wrinkle-resistant cotton apparel, which
provides an economical solution for ap-
Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™
propriate workplace dress.
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MEN’S MARKET
According to the Retail Monitor, 49% of men’s wrinkle-
resistant cotton garments offered at retail are woven shirts,
30% are pants, 12% are knit shirts, and the rest fall into sev-
% responding
eral other categories, including jeans, shorts, outerwear, and
  34 sweaters. Of wrinkle-resistant woven shirts, two thirds are
dress shirts. These retail offerings reflect male consumer de-
  26
mand for wrinkle-resistant products (as assessed by the Life-
22 style Monitor) — dress shirts lead the list of wrinkle-resistant
cotton products that men say they are “very” or “somewhat”
likely to purchase (68%), followed by dress or casual pants
they are likely to purchase wrinkle-resistant coats or jackets,
T-shirts, or denim jeans.
COTTON INCORPORATED
SUPPLY CHAIN INSIGHTS SEPTEMBER 2009
TODAY’S MARKET FOR WRINKLE RESISTANCE
As the cost of manufacturing wrinkle-resistant apparel
has fallen, brands offering this feature have proliferated, and
consumer expectations for garment performance have risen.
As a result, the price premium that shoppers are willing to
pay for wrinkle resistance has eroded, especially in product
categories with historically strong sales of wrinkle-resistant
cotton apparel, such as pants. However, wrinkle resistance
still commands a premium in product categories where this
feature is newer to the market, such as knit shirts and denim
jeans. Among the 41% of male consumers who are likely to
purchase wrinkle-resistant denim jeans, 71% are willing to
pay more for the wrinkle-resistant product, and of the 45%
who are likely to purchase wrinkle-resistant T-shirts, 66%
are willing to pay a premium. Consumer interest in a broader
range of wrinkle-resistant products and their willingness to
pay more for these items suggests opportunities to expand
the market for wrinkle-resistant menswear.
Another way to expand the market is to add value by in-
corporating additional performance features. Currently, about
19% of men’s wrinkle-resistant cotton garments have an ad-
ditional performance feature (Retail Monitor data). Of these,
78% are stain resistant, 17% have a moisture-management
feature, and 5% are fade resistant. Wrinkle resistance often
is combined with stain resistance in dress shirts and pants,
but the opportunity exists for more products to combine
wrinkle resistance with moisture management — 30% of em-
ployed male consumers say they are likely to purchase work
apparel with a moisture-management feature. As the popu-
larity of moisture management in athletic apparel spills over
into non-athletic apparel, demand for this feature in office
apparel has potential for growth.
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WOMEN’S MARKET
Despite its popularity in men’s apparel, wrinkle resistance
commands a much smaller market share in women’s ap-
parel. Of women’s cotton apparel products that offer a
performance feature, only 10% are marketed as wrinkle re-
sistant, compared with 81% of men’s garments (based on Re-
tail Monitor data). Despite the limited offerings for women,
Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™ survey is a monthly on-line
research study that gauges the attitudes and behavior of U.S. con-
sumers regarding clothing, appearance, fashion, home furnishings,
fiber selection, and other topics. Each year, 6,000 consumers are sur-
veyed, 60% female and 40% male, aged 13 to 70, and representative
of the U.S. population based on ethnicity, income, education, and ge-
ography. Cotton Incorporated’s Retail Monitor™ survey is a quarterly
survey of textile products carried by national mass-merchant, chain,
department, and specialty stores. It is conducted in stores and via
the Internet, and data are collected on product category, brand, fiber
content, fabrication, price, country of origin, and product features.
© 2009 Cotton Incorporated. www.cottoninc.com INFO: Global Product Supply Chain 919.678.2262
the Lifestyle Monitor finds that more women than men are
aware of wrinkle-resistant apparel (92% vs. 86%). Women
are significantly more likely than men to look for wrinkle re-
sistance when shopping for clothing to wear to work (69%
vs. 53%). Women also prefer their wrinkle-resistant ap-
parel to be made of cotton — 77% cited cotton as the fiber
of choice for wrinkle-resistant garments. Lifestyle Monitor
data suggest that the desire for a neat appearance in the of-
fice could be driving women’s interest in wrinkle-resistant
apparel — women who are employed are significantly more
likely than those who are not employed to say they would
be likely to purchase wrinkle-resistant dress shirts (73% vs.
62%) or dress or casual pants (67% vs. 58%).
WOMEN WANT WRINKLE RESISTANCE TOO
% very or somewhat likely to purchase a wrinkle-resistant product
Dress shirts Dress or casual pants
73* 71
64 67* 66
62* 58* 60 Employed
Not employed
*Significant difference
between employed
and not employed.
Women Men Women Men
Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™
Women’s high interest in wrinkle resistance suggests an
opportunity to expand the market for wrinkle-resistant cot-
ton womenswear, especially in work attire. Of female con-
sumers, 67% say they are likely to purchase wrinkle-resistant
dress shirts, 63% say they are likely to purchase wrinkle-
resistant dress or casual pants, and 53% say they are likely
to purchase wrinkle-resistant coats or jackets — percentages
very similar to those among men. However, regardless of the
value added by performance features, the market must meet
female consumers’ needs for fit, fashion, style, and color.
OPPORTUNITIES TO ADD VALUE
Consumers prefer cotton for its comfort and softness, and
wrinkle resistance adds value to cotton apparel products
by enhancing performance, ease of care, and longevity. Al-
though wrinkle resistance is already the best known and
most widely offered apparel performance feature, consumer
attitudinal data suggest that there is opportunity to expand
wrinkle-resistant cotton offerings. Wrinkle resistance can be
combined with other performance features, such as moisture
management, and offerings in both men’s and women’s ap-
parel can be expanded — especially in men’s knit shirts and
denim jeans and women’s apparel for the workplace.
COTTON INCORPORATED