Riding on the winds

Ketan Sanghvi,managing director of the Berge line of windcheaters and sportswear,says,“People used to buy only raincoats earlier,but now windcheaters have become a compulsory buy. They are popular even among school and college-going youngsters. The unique thing about windcheaters is that they are no longer seasonal,but can be used all through the year. Women,who were never a major market segment for this product,now amount to almost 10-15 per cent of the sales. We sometimes get inquiries from female customers weeks before the start of monsoon. So there is a new range of product designs available in subtle shades for their use.”

Take a walk down any market area and one gets to see rows of kiosks and shops selling a variety of jackets and windcheaters in numerous fancy colours. Priced to be easy on the pocket,most of them see brisk sales,the demand especially coming from everyday bike-riders. The high-end,more expensive ones are sold at branded shops,which guarantee quality and longevity of the garment. The fabric and final coating distinguish the street buy from the designer wear. Arif Siddiqui,General manager of Corp One clothing and accessories,says,“With increased spending capacity of people,budgeting has altered tremendously. Our younger customers prefer more vibrant colours and imported fabric. Taiwanese nylon is especially in demand for its ultra soft texture. Windcheaters are now available in many patterns,the jacket-pattern being the most popular. Minor tweaks like a full-zip or a half-zip can in fact change the entire look of the jacket.”

Windcheaters have always been an essential part of this breezy city’s dressing requirement,but manufacturers are fast coming up with new ideas to make them look more attractive and push them up to being fashion accessories and not just utility items.

“Nowadays,they come in variants which provide excellent protection in the rain. The look and feel of the jackets have become more sophisticated and trendy. Reversible wind-cheaters can be worn both sides out,and are adorned with attractive dual colours,like bright yellow,red and blue. Hoods are a recent addition,which lend them a hip-hop style,laid-back look. World class zippers add some bling to the entire package,” says Sanghvi.

Another big customer segment group for windcheater manufacturers is the corporate world. “They order for high-quality,durable and customised windcheaters with their logos and messages imprinted,” adds Siddiqui. Apart from this,windcheaters have started coming in attractive broken prints which look like peel-offs in the rain. Amit Shukla,a management student,says “I have recently purchased two windcheaters,a black one and a fluorescent -coloured one. The black one is for the heavy rains,as it is made up of textured nylon with a two-weave ply which keeps the water out. The fluorescent one is excellent for night-use.” Whichever is one’s preferred corner to shop,windcheaters are here to stay and rule the roost in the wet climes.