Consumer demand for linen apparel fashion in Sri Lanka

In the last few decades of the twenty-first century there was a great revival in consumer demand for linen, particularly in the form of apparel fashion products. This trend has continued into the first decade of the twenty-first century, and promotional activities to increase consumer awareness of the desirable characteristics of linen have intensified, especially in European countries. Linen is an expensive fabric when compared to the other fabric types like cotton, viscose, nylon, and polyester. Due to the complexity of the manufacturing process linen is considered a luxury fabric material. Linen is manufactured from the flax plant which is taking more time to source it as a raw material for fabric manufacturing. Therefore the cost of the linen fabric is higher and apparel prices are relatively higher in cost. Most of the consumers prefer the hand feel of the linen fabric and its comfortability factor. They also demand the elegant look of the linen fashion apparel too. Therefore even at a higher price, consumers in Sri Lanka are not reluctant to buy the linen fashion apparel. The climatic changes in Sri Lanka have also become a significant factor for choose linen fashion apparel. It brings a comfortability to the wearer in a hot climate. However, In Sri Lanka, linen is consumed by different groups of consumers who are highly demanding linen fashion apparel. But this demand is not normal. According to the demand and supply theories, when the price for a particular product rises, the demand for that particular product falls. However, when considering linen apparel, although the price is higher, demand does not fall. This study aims to find out factors that caused unusual demand for linen fashion apparel in Sri Lanka. Factors that influence consumer buying behavior will be discussed. Adopted quantitative and qualitative research methods used to gather, sort, and analyze data. The research is focused on female consumers and the age limit is denied in the research.