Infacet India’s D2C Athleisure Increase: Comfortwear because the New Way of life Code

Winterwear in India is now not only a seasonal area of interest. What was a requirement for heavy coats within the chilly months is evolving right into a year-round way of life class. Cozy hoodies, fleece pullovers, mild jackets, and layered outerwear have change into staples even in milder seasons and in metro microclimates. From cozy hoodies to streetwear-inspired jackets, D2C manufacturers are redefining how Indians layer up, each on-line and in shops.

In this text, we discover main D2C winterwear manufacturers in India and the evolving shopper dynamics behind their success. We will hint how these manufacturers transfer from clicks to real-world retail, and the way shoppers are shaping the evolution of winter vogue in India.

The Rise of D2C Winterwear in India

Urban India is witnessing a rising urge for food for informal, “always-on” attire. The youth, particularly in Tier l and Tier ll cities, spend money on fashionable layering items not only for chilly rotations however for journey, evenings, indoor chills, and vogue statements. This shift has made winterwear a part of the wardrobe year-round.

D2C gamers leverage knowledge deeply. With direct management over buyer touchpoints, they’ll monitor searches, heatmaps, buy dropout factors, and regional order patterns. This permits them to foretell demand even for cities with delicate winters however the place evenings get chilly. Brands use that perception to localize drops, dimension mixes, and cloth decisions city-by-city.

Beyond knowledge, storytelling and influencer partnerships are highly effective differentiators. D2C labels that inform a temper, an id, or a sustainability narrative, amplified by creators and digital-first campaigns, lower via the noise and construct model loyalty past reductions.

Leading D2C Winterwear Brands Setting the Trend

Below are a number of notable D2C or digitally native labels (or these transitioning into hybrid fashions) which have proven promise within the “winter/layering/outerwear” house in India. (Note: publicly out there knowledge is restricted; the place specifics on winterwear are modest, I give attention to their outerwear or layering experiments.)

1. The Indian Garage Co. (TIGC)

The Indian Garage Co. (TIGC) is certainly one of India’s fastest-growing D2C vogue manufacturers, recognized for its fashionable and inexpensive menswear and casualwear. The model has constructed a robust on-line following and is now increasing quickly into offline markets, with plans to open 100 shops throughout the subsequent two years. Its males’s line contains fashionable jackets, bomber silhouettes, quilted layers, and outer shirts with utility-inspired flap pockets. TIGC started its retail journey with three company-owned shops and follows a COCO (Company-Owned, Company-Operated) mannequin earlier than scaling up via franchises. The model focuses on mixing fast-fashion design sensibilities with data-backed shopper insights, providing city, on a regular basis clothes for India’s younger inhabitants. With a robust presence throughout marketplaces and social media, TIGC stands as a contemporary, agile label reshaping India’s males’s vogue panorama via each on-line power and offline retail development.

2. The Bear House

The Bear House is a contemporary Indian menswear model recognized for its clear, minimal, and versatile design method. Initially working as a digital-first D2C label, it has efficiently transitioned into offline retail by opening its first high-street retailer in Chandigarh. The retailer permits the model to current its full assortment — from shirts and chinos to light-weight jackets, overshirts, and transitional layering items. The Bear House focuses on creating easy clothes that mixes consolation with modern aesthetics, catering to the fashionable Indian man who values simplicity and performance. Its growth into bodily retail represents a strategic step to construct deeper shopper connections and ship a tactile model expertise. With plans to open extra shops throughout India, The Bear House continues to develop as a refined, design-led menswear model that bridges digital comfort with real-world vogue engagement.

3. Wildcraft

Wildcraft is certainly one of India’s most trusted homegrown outside manufacturers, providing an entire vary of performance-driven attire, backpacks, and kit. While not a conventional D2C vogue label, Wildcraft performs a serious function in India’s winterwear and outerwear section via its technical and useful designs. The model’s insulated jackets, windcheaters, fleece layers, and weather-resistant outer shells are recognized for his or her mix of out of doors utility and concrete fashion. With over 200 unique shops and a presence in additional than 5,000 multi-brand shops throughout India, Wildcraft has established a sturdy omnichannel footprint. Its collections are crafted to help each on a regular basis put on and adventure-driven life, interesting to shoppers searching for sturdiness with design. Focused on innovation and efficiency, Wildcraft continues to outline India’s outside attire market by merging safety, consolation, and magnificence for each local weather and exercise.

4. Kisah Apparels

Kisah Apparels is an rising Indian model recognized for its mix of ethnic and modern vogue. While its core lies in celebration and event put on, Kisah has been increasing into fusion-inspired layering items, jackets, and outerwear that replicate trendy Indian aesthetics. The model operates two offline shops and plans to open new shops, together with in Bangalore, utilizing on-line shopper insights to information retailer places. Recently, Kisah raised Rs 13 crore to strengthen its omnichannel presence and speed up retail development. Its product line combines conventional craftsmanship with trendy silhouettes, providing fashionable, versatile clothes for festive and semi-formal events. Positioned on the intersection of tradition and luxury, Kisah is step by step constructing a robust D2C id whereas connecting deeply with city consumers searching for Indian-made, design-forward apparel that transitions seamlessly between celebrations and on a regular basis life.

5. Bewakoof

Bewakoof has emerged as certainly one of India’s hottest D2C vogue labels, recognized for its youth-driven method and quirky, pop-culture-inspired designs. While the model’s basis lies in casualwear, graphic tees, joggers, and hoodies, it has steadily expanded into outerwear and layering items similar to fleece sweatshirts, zip-ups, and light-weight jackets. These additions replicate a rising shopper demand for comfort-led vogue that fits each residence and streetwear wants. Bewakoof’s winterwear vary captures relaxed matches, simple styling, and expressive prints that resonate with college-goers and younger professionals alike. On the retail entrance, Bewakoof is enhancing its offline visibility via pop-up shops, mall kiosks, and model collaborations, aiming to merge its digital dominance with bodily engagement. As a D2C innovator, Bewakoof continues to blur the road between casualwear and all-season vogue, representing India’s evolving way of life preferences.

6. The Souled Store

The Souled Store stands on the forefront of India’s pop-culture attire motion, mixing consolation, creativity, and fandom into one cohesive expertise. Originally well-known for its licensed merchandise collections from Marvel, Disney, and DC, the model has expanded into versatile winterwear, together with fleece-lined hoodies, zip-up jackets, and outsized sweatshirts. Each piece balances perform with expressive storytelling, interesting strongly to city youth who search identity-driven vogue. Beyond its robust digital attain, The Souled Store has quickly grown its offline presence via unique shops in high Indian cities like Mumbai, Pune, and Delhi. These shops provide interactive procuring experiences that enable clients to attach immediately with their favourite fandom-inspired collections. Positioned as each a comfortwear and way of life model, The Souled Store is redefining outerwear as a canvas for creativity, reworking on a regular basis clothes right into a vibrant expression of persona and popular culture.

Retail Insight: Omnichannel Is the Future of Winterwear

Driving foot site visitors in cold-weather classes calls for greater than broad retailer rely. Online knowledge is feeding offline technique: click on warmth zones, city-wise curiosity, drop-frequency, and magnificence affinities information the place and the right way to open shops.

Brands are staging pop-ups and influencer-led retailer launches to create buzz. Limited “micro-capsule” drops, say, a bomber jacket drop solely in Bangalore, drive urgency and footfall. Malls in Tier l cities are reworking from retail hubs to discovery zones: shoppers anticipate to the touch materials, strive matches, and experiment. The scale of this shift is seen: D2C manufacturers’ share in retail leasing rose from 8 p.c in H1 2024 to 18 p.c in H1 2025. Fashion and attire account for about 60 p.c of that newly leased house. In impact, the bodily retailer is changing into an experiential frontier, not a fallback.

Wear it With Style!

India’s D2C winterwear story is occurring in shopper expectations: they need seamless layers, lasting high quality, sustainable logic, and immersive experiences. D2C manufacturers that grasp layering as a life-style (not only a seasonal line) and transfer fluently between digital and bodily touchpoints will win the subsequent wave. Today’s youthful shoppers favour seasonless and travel-ready attire. They don’t watch for winter; they decide items that fold into their way of life. That makes hoodies, quilted vests, light-weight puffer jackets, and hybrid fleece shells extra priceless.

There is a transparent shift from international fast-fashion manufacturers to fashionable Indian D2C labels. Consumers need one thing “of ”India”, tuned to Indian physique sorts, climates, tales, and ethics. Sustainability, native manufacturing, and transparency matter. When a D2C model emphasizes “Made in India, recycled insulations, low waste runs,” it strikes a chord. Consumers are additionally extra prepared to experiment with new manufacturers, particularly in the event that they see social proof (opinions, creators, real-life use). In reality, within the digital vogue report by Bain, digitally native manufacturers grew ~30 p.c yearly since 2019, aided by newer shopper openness.

FAQs

1. What are the highest D2C winter put on improvements in India?

Answers: Innovations embrace modular outer layers (zip-on liners, packable jackets), recycled insulation, region-specific cloth blends (breathable fleece for hill climates), and restricted capsule drops tied to climate alerts.

2. Why are D2C manufacturers investing in offline retail?

Answers: Offline shops provide tactile expertise, increased model visibility, and a bridge for undecided consumers. Moreover, efficiency knowledge on-line helps manufacturers decide optimum retailer places. The soar in retail leasing share by D2C manufacturers (from 8 p.c to 18 p.c) alerts this strategic pivot. 

3. How is the winter attire market rising in India?

Answers: While arduous winter clothes continues to be area of interest in lots of components, the market of layering, mid-season jackets, and classy outerwear is increasing. The general attire sector is projected to develop ~10–12 p.c CAGR from 2024 to 2030. 

4. What makes D2C winter manufacturers stand out to Indian shoppers?

Answers: They provide direct transparency, native match design, fast iteration, story-driven narratives (e.g. sustainability, made-in-India), and an emotional id that international fast-fashion usually lacks.