T-shirts Market By Material Type (Cotton, Polyester, Lycra, Linen, Rayon and Blends), By Type (Customized and Non-customized), By Ink Type (Dyes Ink, Sublimation, Pigments) - Growth, Share, Opportunities & Competitive Analysis, 2019 - 2027

The global t-shirts market is rising significantly, expected to expand at CAGR of 6.0% throughout the forecast period from 2019 to 2027, starting from US$ 206.12 Bn in 2018. 

The global t-shirts industry has evolved, driving fashion trends in form of plain t-shirts, personalized t-shirts, graphic t-shirts, vintage t-shirt designs, and long sleeve custom T-shirts. With leading fashion brands across the globe embracing t-shirt industry, the future outlook appears positive. The global market for t-shirt is quite an established market and is further poised to offer strong growth opportunities, evolving beyond its early adopter stage to reach mass market during the forecast period 2019 - 2027. 

The rapid penetration of e-tailing in the fashion space had created a positive impact on the fashion industry in general. The t-shirt category, especially custom-print and designed, has exhibited a higher acceptance for e-tailing. The prevailing trend of Friday dressing is another important trend shaping the market demand. Most of the companies, domestic as well as multi-national companies (MNCs) allow casual clothing (mostly t-shirts with the company’s name and logo) as an official dressing on Fridays. This is stimulating demand for casual apparels especially t-shirts.

T-shirts are specifically targeted towards the young population segment. One of the main reasons behind the popularity among youth is that t-shirts strike chord with the creativity hidden inside each teenager. Teenagers have the flexibility to choose every element of their t-shirt including color, design, garment, logo etc., which allows their creativity to take over as they design a t-shirt matching their personality, style, and attitude.  Thus, every savvy retailer today knows that consumers buy products that are all about their sense of style, humor, and individuality.

Market Synopsis

Material Type Analysis

“Durability of cotton to spur the segment growth” 

Cotton is one of the most widely used materials for manufacturing T-shirts across the world. Cotton goes through a long process from the fields to the T-shirts manufacturing facility in order to be sewed into a T-shirt. Over the years, cotton has proved to a very durable and comfortable fabric for clothing in various weather conditions. For instance, cotton can provide insulation from heat in the summers while offering warmth during the winters. In addition, due to its breathable nature coupled with ability to absorb moisture off the body, cotton been a favorable choice of material for different types of clothing. Furthermore, cotton can be easily dyed to achieve the desired color as per the manufacturer’s preference. Thereby, cotton is commonly used in clothing industry across the world.

Ink Material Type Analysis

“High opacity & ability to boost the segment growth” 

The others segment which include water based ink, plastisol, discharge in segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 33.8% in 2018 in the overall T-shirts market by ink material. The others segment includes plastisol, discharge and water based inks. Because of its high opacity and ability to sit on screen for long periods of time without drying, plastisol ink is widely used on garments. Other factors such as durability, flexibility, and versatility have also led to the popularity of plastisol ink. Water based ink is popular because it saturates the fibers of the garment and in essence dyes the garment rather than resting on top of the fibers. 

On the contrary, sublimation inks are used on polyester, poly-Lycra, acetate rayon, and acrylics and require post treatment heat. It produces brilliant color and good light fastness when applied to polyester and polyester coated substrates. These inks are find extensive application in sportswear and are also used in heat transferring images onto pre-coated ceramics, plastic and metals. Applying heat to the printed image with a press, whether through transfer paper or directly, fixes these vivid inks into the polyester substrate allowing the item to be washed time and time again. Moreover, sublimation inks offer good image printing and are also waterproof. 

Regional Analysis

“Changing lifestyle is projected to enhance the Asia Pacific growth” 

In 2018, Asia Pacific accounts for the largest share, in terms of revenue as well as volume, of the overall t-shirt market globally. The market here is principally governed by the huge consumer base in the region. Asia Pacific is the largest market for apparels and related accessories. Thus, the region becomes a highly potential market for stylish and trendy accessories and apparels, such as T-shirts. With the increase in discretionary income of people here, spending on fashion clothing and accessories has risen substantially over the period of time. The region is also expected to witness fastest growth with growing domestic market in China, India, and Southeast Asia as well as increasing export from Asian countries. 

China represents the largest individual market for t-shirts, in terms of revenue and volume. The market here is primarily driven by the growing population and rise in the disposable income. China is estimated to remain the dominant market throughout the forecast period. In the following years, India is projected to register the highest growth rate in Asia Pacific T-shirts market.  

Key Industry Developments:

• In March 2019, Levi Strauss & Co. launched Wellthread™ x Outerknown Spring/Summer collection. The new collection is the first foray into the use of “cottonied hemp” denim. The new collection includes t-shirt made from recycled jeans material.
•  

List of Companies Covered:

• CustomInk, LLC
• Vistaprint B.V.
• Threadbird
• Printful Inc.
• Nike, Inc.
• Adidas AG
• Levi Strauss & Co.
• Tommy Hilfiger
• Gianni Versace S.p.A
• Guccio Gucci S.p.A
• Hugo Boss AG
• OP TIGER spol. S.r.o
• Spreadshirt AG
• Fanela Ltd.
• Ateliar Almelot
• Shirtracer GmbH
• Woot, Inc.
• Sunfrog, LLC
• Zazzle, Inc.
• ooShirts, Inc.
• Teespring, Inc.
• T-shirt Factory Thailand
• Thai T-shirt Factory Co., Ltd. 

Historical & Forecast Period

This study report represents analysis for each segment from 2017 to 2027 considering 2018 to be the base year. Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for each of the respective segments estimated for the forecast period from 2019 to 2027.