One of the key performance criteria in modern sports and active outdoor wear is moisture management the ability of a garment to transport moisture away from the skin to the garment's outer surface.

The market is dominated by Invista's portfolio of moisture management fabrics which include CoolMax, Tactel Aquator, ThermaStat, Thermax, and Thermolite Base. However, the pace of development has accelerated over the past ten years, and a growing number of other companies have started to compete. Such companies include American fibers and yarn, Comfort Technologies, Hind, Honeywell, Intera, Intex, Lenzing, Marmot, Milliken, Mitsui, Nano-Tex, Nike, Patagonia, Pearl Izumi, Polartec, Reebok, Rhovyl, Schoeller, Tomen, USA-Pro, and Wellman.

For applications in which wicking is essential'such as base layer garments the most commonly used material is polyester. This is often chemically modified to create a fabric in which the fibres encourage moisture to migrate through it. However, fabrics which are made from modified wool, cotton and polyamide (nylon) may provide similar or superior properties to polyester.

The number of moisture management fabrics on the market has increased dramatically in recent years. This trend is likely to continue over the next few years as manufactures strive to boost the comfort of their offerings.

As the number of fabrics and fibres with moisture management properties increases, so will the number of applications. In addition to sportswear and active wear, there is growing interest in the use of moisture management fabrics in the flame retardant apparel market.

The next generation of textiles is likely to incorporate nanotechnology, as it has already been proven that extremely fine fibre surfaces have beneficial properties. In addition, the near future could see the development of smart fabrics which are able to respond to changes in the environment by adjusting their pore size or thickness at a given moment to facilitate moisture transmission.

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Four times a year, Performance Apparel Markets provides subscribers with business and market analysis of worldwide trends in high performance activewear and corporate apparel. Each issue of Performance Apparel Markets contains:
	A report on major developments in the global performance apparel market, focusing on new products, new technologies, new fibres and key players
	A detailed, independently-researched report on one of the following topics: moisture management; temperature regulation; stretch; high strength; reflective wear; support wear; UV protection; windproof, waterproof and water-resistant technologies; flame retardancy; and "smart" textiles
	A company profile, outlining the business, product, market and manufacturing strategies employed by a key player in the performance apparel industry
	A summary of business news and developments affecting global performance apparel markets, majoring on innovations, mergers and acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, and financial performances.
Why performance apparel?
Performance apparel represents one of the fastest growing sectors of the international textile and clothing industry. Market growth is being fuelled by the emergence of new fibres, new fabrics and innovative process technologies. The market is also being boosted by changes in consumer lifestyles. People are living longer and spending more time on leisure activities. New high-tech fabrics are being developed for a wide range of active sports such as aerobics, athletics, running, cycling, hiking, mountaineering, swimming, sailing, windsurfing, ballooning, parachuting, snowboarding, and ski-ing. Exciting innovations are emerging in fire retardant materials and those which protect against extreme temperatures. Added to that is the growing market for corporatewear which, in some cases, is becoming increasingly fashion-oriented. And, increasingly, high-tech fabrics and apparel designed for high performance wear are crossing over the boundary into everyday fashion.