Ryuko Nippon: Heat-retaining materials becoming winter regular products

Heat-retaining materials for women's under-wear and active sports innerwear have become regular items for winter products. This function is distinguished from heat generating, heat storing or warming functions. Heat-retention is popular among consumers because the effect is easy to understand and is immediately experienced. Heat-retaining materials have come to be used also for outerwear and living materials. For fall/winter 2002-03, new participants have increased. Each firm showed expectations for a major increase in the quantity by 5-50% compared to the previous year. Anticipating fierce competition, a large volume of materials given complex functions such as light weight, non-stiffness, and healing effects with negative ions in addition to warmth retention have appeared.