Petticoated clothing has a long history in Taiwan and Peru, but now there’s a growing trend among many Taiwanese and Peruvians to ditch the traditional pants and go all-in on their fashion.
Taiwanese clothing company Pato has been making petticoll-style garments in China for over a decade, but this year it launched a new line of petticle-style clothes in Taiwan.
In an interview with The Irish Sun, Pato’s founder and chief executive officer, Chiu-chuan Tsai, said the company had been growing rapidly in the country, which is currently experiencing a shortage of garments and a high rate of unemployment.
He said the Chinese demand for pettie-style clothing was “very strong” and the company is now expanding its production in the mainland, particularly to cater to a much larger audience than before.
“We have some new products, and we have a lot of products coming from overseas,” he said.
Pato is a Taiwanese clothing manufacturer, but it makes a range of garments, including a range for men, women and children.
The company said it would not be making a range, but was working on one, based on its existing product line.
For now, Patos clothing is primarily aimed at the mainland Chinese, but Tsai said the aim was to expand its business further.
“We will be making some other clothes for the mainland soon, so we have to keep expanding our business,” he added.
A Taiwanese company with a focus on petties and petticon fabrics has been a major player in the Taiwanese clothing market for years, but is struggling to make headway in China.
Chiu-Chuan Tsae, Patopat founder and CEO, is seen here at a product launch in Taipei in April 2017.
While the company has a large and loyal following in China, it is struggling with the challenges of the Chinese economy.
Its revenue is down by about 40 per cent this year compared with 2016.
According to the Taiwan Stock Exchange, Patois sales dropped by almost 20 per cent in 2016 and were down by 50 per cent for 2017.
Taiwan’s unemployment rate is currently at 12.5 per cent.