Men's casual jackets

	Women's aviator jacket model CSL-0469 from Zhejiang Stage has a pig nappa shell and 2x2 acrylic ribbing on the collar, waistband and cuffs.

The dominance of men's models coupled with weak sales is leading aviator jacket companies in China to concentrate R&D efforts on traditional designs. For an upscale look, many of them are using genuine leather either as trimming or main material.

Approximately 80 percent of all China-made aviator jackets come in men's styles. Although women's models make up a larger share at some makers, the proportion is not expected to change in the months ahead.

Since men's fashion is not as fickle as women's, most buyers continue to favor classic aviator jackets. These usually have a loose-fitting body, standing collar, ribbed or elastic waistband, patch or slot pockets, and zipped front closure.

As a result, such designs dominate exports in the OEM-oriented industry. In fact, nothing has changed in terms of jacket style in the past two years. The majority of makers release just 10 new models annually, at most, with changes limited to shell or padding material or finish. Many of these jackets have polyester or nylon shells, although a few styles adopt cotton or PU leather.

Suppliers also attribute the dearth in design innovation to lackluster sales. Slowing economies in the US and the EU, China's main markets for aviator jackets, have resulted in a 20 to 30 percent drop in 2008 orders. Rising material and labor costs have exacerbated the situation, with makers increasing product prices to compensate for higher expenses. With quotes not expected to go down in the months ahead, companies are projecting exports to fall by another 5 percent in the next half year.

These factors have led a number of suppliers to divert some resources to domestic sales or increase production of their other export lines. On average, aviator jackets account for only 15 to 25 percent of output.

Nevertheless, there are a handful of companies that continue to harbor optimism for the product line. While such makers do not anticipate aviator jackets' market share to increase in the months ahead, they are positive of at least stable sales.

In line with the trend for traditional designs, these companies are devoting their R&D resources to material sourcing, finishing and sampling. More than two-thirds of the jackets continue to be made of nylon and polyester, but an increasing number of suppliers are now adopting genuine leather in releases.

Among the companies in this report, Zhejiang Stage Enterprise Co. Ltd offers aviator jackets in lambskin, pig nappa or PU leather. Unlike most suppliers, Zhejiang Stage specializes in women's models.

Winmark Garment Co. Ltd uses lightly oiled pig nappa or waxed pig split on some designs. Some of the leather is washed to make it softer and lend a weathered look.

Pinghu Jinyi Garments Co. Ltd incorporates washed lambskin for the front pocket flaps. Many of the company's releases have a vintage feel achieved via raw edge finishing on the cuffs and waistbands.

Companies that are not adopting leather as trimming or shell material are incorporating various types of textile coating and finishes.

One of the most commonly used versions at Nanjing Textiles Import & Export Corp. Ltd is metallic coating in silver, gold or jet black.

In addition to metallic finishes, Jiangyin Jiudine S&T Co. Ltd employs wax and PU coating on nylon and polyester shells.

More than 90 percent of the jackets are shipped to OEM and ODM buyers, the majority of which are based in the EU and the US. Japan is also a major export market for some companies.

Prior to sampling, suppliers usually incorporate one or two changes to buyer-provided designs. Clients normally send two to four styles per season. It generally takes 10 days to complete a mock-up. One or two revisions are made before a prototype is approved for mass production.

The majority of China-made aviator jackets are priced between $10 and $20, although some upscale models can be at least $60. Quotes depend mainly on the materials.

Lower-priced models have polyester, nylon, cotton or denim shells. These are often unpadded and top out at $15. PU leather designs and nylon versions with polyester fiberfill, down padding, washed finish, or metallic, wax or PU coating can reach $20. Many of the jackets have genuine leather flap pockets or artificial fur collars.

Similar styles in genuine leather are generally priced at $50. Nylon models with heavy down padding and genuine fur collar may be as much as $60 each.