At a recent meeting at Dow Fiber Solutions’ New York City offices, Trend Forecaster Bengt Jacobsson
showed colors and fabrics for Fall/Winter 2010-11, presenting new developments containing Dow XLA™
comfort stretch and woven by commercial mills.
Casual, comfortable fabrics have a soft touch and a rustic appearance. Colors are muted and
have a washed look. Mid-range warm browns, reds and bronze are in this group, along with vanilla
and a soft lilac.
Casual shirting fabrics in cotton/XLA blends include oxfords, brushed end-on-ends,
lightweight flannel, ombre checks and striped dobbies. Bottomweights are soft, washed and dense.
There are heavy chinos, heathered and marled corduroys, velvet, moleskin and canvas. Some have a
washed or peach-skin finish. For casual jackets, there are supple tweeds and flannel in wool or
linen blended with XLA.
Another direction is elegant and sophisticated. Colors are rich and subdued, with an Art Deco
feel. There are what Jacobsson calls “In-Between” shades of grayed brown, amber, light beige, dusty
rose, and mauve-cast gray.
Dow Fiber Solutions’ Fall/Winter 2010-11
Dow XLA™ trend collection includes
this plaid shirting fabric from Arvind Ltd.
Sophisticated shirting fabrics with a silky touch are woven with long-staple cotton, Supima®,
silk or viscose blended with XLA. There are white-on-white effects, satin weaves, pointelles,
diamond patterns, microscopic black-and-white patterns and discretely textured stripes.
Bottomweights include flat gabardine, lustered surfaces, pinwhale corduroy and velvet. Suiting
fabrics are lightweight and drapey with a smooth surface. There are fancy pinstripes, satins and
fluid crepes with a grainy hand. Many of the fabrics shown are woven in blends of wool with silk,
mohair or cashmere and XLA.
The last trend is the most innovative. Colors are pale neutrals and what Jacobsson describes
as essential darks with a blue cast. They are sparingly accented with bright red, blue, yellow or
green.
Fabrics are structured and compact. “It’s actionwear versus activewear,” Jacobsson said. A
lot of the shirtings are woven with effect yarns for added shine or are foil-printed. Some have a
soft, tech hand. Bottomweights include twills and cords, some with rubbery or oily finishing
treatments. Two-way stretch, metallic shine and laminated surfaces are among the tailored fabrics
shown.
July/August 2009
