Styled for Success
Interested in beefing up your product line in 2014? Maybe it's time to give promotional apparel a try. Fortunately, our sister publication, Promo Marketing, has been hard at work reporting on this profitable sector over the last year. From T-shirts and outerwear to fun prints and decorating techniques, check out this collection of helpful tips. Happy selling!
T-SHIRTS
1. Offer Options
Basic T-shirts are a go-to for promotions because they're affordable, easy to decorate and diverse. Educate your clients about their options. Ivy Mai, marketing associate for Kavio!, Commerce, Calif., suggested showcasing the fabrics, textures and colors of fashionable tees along with more basic styles. "[This] contributes to a wider collection of styles for our consumers. [They] gain a multitude of innovative styles to consider as compared to traditional T-shirts," she said.
– From May 2013's "Fierce Femme Fashion"
2. Consider Fun Prints
Kristin M. Bayer, merchandising manager/designer for L.A. T Sportswear, Ball Ground, Ga., explained what's new for fabric. "The hand-feel of the fabric for the tee is extremely important for 2013," she said. "It is all about soft, supple and buttery, and lightweight, but not sheer."
While the fabric might be delicate, the patterns are eye-catching. Kevin Miles, imprintables marketing manager for Alternative Apparel, Norcross, Ga., predicted prints, such as stars and stripes, houndstooth and colorful camouflage to be in demand this season. He advised distributors to encourage their clients to take advantage of these bold prints for a sales boost in promotional apparel. "Leveraging patterns and prints allows advertisers to tap into these current fashion trends for their promotional efforts," he said. "Because these fashion-oriented items get more repeat wear than the standard white imprinted tee, they translate into increased exposure and a better return for the customer."
– From April 2013's "Warming up in Style"
3. Be Bold with Color
According to Miles, runway and retail trends are more influential now than a few years ago. "The overall imprintable product line was previously fairly static, but we are now seeing fashion trends influence promotional wear in terms of colorways, fabrications and silhouettes," he elaborated. Bayer said it's a gradual process, but color trends are the first to trickle down into the promotional industry. So what colors are predicted to sizzle this summer? Bayer had the hot list. "Tees are coming in a huge range of colors, but the two major trends are brights and vintage heathered tees," she said.
Maggie Magellan, marketing coordinator for Los Angeles-based Bella+Canvas, agreed. "Bold, bright colors such as neons, and new textures that play on color as well, such as Bella+Canvas' new marble fabrication [...] have been hugely successful for us," she said.
– From April 2013's "Warming up in Style"
4. Put on a Fashion Show
Boxy cuts were all the rage in the early '90s, when wearing a T-shirt was more of a grunge-inspired protest against the excesses of '80s fashion sense. But T-shirts are anti-fashion no longer—they're in style, and consumers want fashionable options. "Fitted cuts have now become a fashion staple because the majority of consumers no longer want (or wear) a boxy, unflattering T-shirt," said Yvette Corona, wholesale coordinator for Los Angeles-based American Apparel. "Fitted T-shirts provide a more fashion-forward look so the consumers can feel good in what they're wearing."
Likewise, where buying a plus-size T-shirt once meant forfeiting your right to style, many T-shirt manufacturers now offer fitted options in all sizes. "Many brands are coming out with shirts sized from XS to 2XL to fit a wide range of individuals with a slightly fitted cut to flatter women, while offering a trendier look for men," explained Ashley Adams, marketing coordinator for S&S Activewear, Bolingbrook, Ill.
– From February 2013's "The Tao of Tees"
5. Know Your Customers
A draped, heathered T-shirt with neon lettering might be great for a cheerleading squad, but for a corporate event? Not so much. You need to know what's in style, but you also need to know your customer's needs. "The most important aspect of this is that you are targeting the right customers when distributing these products," advised Adams. "If you have a corporate client that doesn't focus much on T-shirts, then it doesn't make sense to send them a new T-shirt with an innovative decoration."
– From February 2013's "The Tao of Tees"
JACKETS AND OUTERWEAR
1. Narrow the Generation Gap
It's natural that different generations disagree on what clothing styles are best. Heather Brunner Kelly, marketing manager for Charles River Apparel, Sharon, Mass., pointed to "tight, form-fitting cuts, unique performance fabrics and flashy embellishments, decoration and colors" as the top trends with the 20-something market. "The older market seems to prefer more conservative jackets—both in style and color," added Susan Farino, account manager, MV Sport/Weatherproof, Bay Shore, N.Y.
– From September 2013's "Coat Culture"
2. Choose Materials Wisely
You must understand who the end-users are and how they're going to be wearing the jackets. Are they wearing them while working outside on construction, or are they wearing them to walk from the office building to a subway? This information will dictate the right material and style for the program. "For rainwear (landscapers, construction, recreational sports/teams), new microfiber fabrics and laminates allow for breathability and air-flow and have wind-breaking and waterproof properties without being as bulky and heavy as traditional waterproof rainwear," said Brunner Kelly. "For work-wear (outdoor workers, industrial/mechanical, emergency service and response) the traditional materials such as cotton duck, flannel, denim, synthetics, ring-spun cotton and insulated linings continue to be the best materials to offer protection from hazardous materials and extreme weather conditions," she added. For everyday jacket use, Brunner Kelly suggested insulated materials. "Materials including fleece, down and synthetics (Thinsulate, etc.) offer breathability, wind repellence and warmth, and are lightweight and condensable," she explained.
– From September 2013's "Coat Culture"
3. Think About the End-Use
If your client needs fleece for outdoor use—say, for workwear or athletics—you'll want to offer something sturdier. Mary Ellen Nichols, director of marketing communications for Philadelphia-based Bodek and Rhodes, mentioned breathable fabrics like microfleece or wicking fleece, while Jessica Strain, marketing manager for Dri Duck Traders, Overland Park, Kan., suggested items with technical properties. "Some features to look for include anti-static, anti-pill and UPF sun protection," Strain noted. "These properties can make an ordinary fleece more rugged and appropriate for the workwear industry."
– From July 2013's "Cozy Capital"
ATHLETIC AND PERFORMANCE APPAREL
1. For Golf, Keep Cool
You've heard this one many times before, but it is still the most important element of golf shirts: moisture wicking. "Moisture wicking materials benefit the players by pulling the moisture away from the body keeping them cool and looking fresh which is a great benefit," explained Phillip Ambros, marketing for Sierra Pacific Apparel Group, Houston. "This helps them also become less fatigued during a match," he added.
Kate Souza, public relations specialist for Charles River Apparel, Sharon, Mass., mentioned breathable fabrics are top picks for golf promotions. "Anything lightweight, breathable and with raglan sleeves (for extended range of motion) are attractive properties for golf apparel," she said. "Also, easy care is a huge plus."
– From March 2013's "Fore! Fashion!"
2. Consider Fabrics
Joy Shi, marketing associate for Tri-Mountain, Irwindale, Calif., explained that cotton/polyester blends have traditionally been the most popular for T-shirts, but moisture-wicking and anti-microbial fabrics are becoming more desirable.
"Materials like spandex and nylon in the fabric blend are also popular, especially for activewear shirts," she noted.
– From February 2013's "The Tao of Tees"
3. Look to Celebrities
According to Shi, performance T-shirt styles aren't limited to the field. "Executives will be influenced by what athletes are wearing, styles that were once just team-oriented have definitely found their way into corporate America as a result," she explained. "As one of our sales reps says, what CEO doesn't want to be like Tiger Woods out on the turf? The businessman admires the athlete. For this reason, we increasingly see T-shirts with athletic features in corporate boardrooms and team-building activities."
– From February 2013's "The Tao of Tees"
4. Think Outside the Gym
"Activewear is a dominant trend that doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Now that activewear designs have innovative silhouettes, technology features and vibrant color selections, women are more comfortable taking their active looks outside their fitness regime," said Mabel Kwok, director of design & merchandising for Lenexa, Kansas-based Ash City USA.
– From May 2013's "Fierce Femme Fashion"
DECORATION
1. Embrace Full-Color Digital
The print industry has been using digital printing for years, and apparel decorators have recently co-opted the technology—with good reason. As the name implies, full-color digital printing can produce a broader spectrum of colors, allowing for complex, high-definition logo designs.
According to Carleen Gray, chief marketing officer for Stahls' ID Direct, St. Clair Shores, Mich., full-color digital logos also offer fast turnaround times and no per-color fees. They can be applied to almost any fabric, including cotton, polyester, Lycra, spandex, nylon and leather. "Full-color digital logos make it possible to decorate various promotional items all with the same technique, to keep a consistent logo for brand recognition," she said. "It's a great decorating solution for short runs and difficult-to-decorate items."
2. Consider Indirect Embroidery
Standard embroidery has some disadvantages. It can be difficult to apply, limiting the number of placement options on a piece of apparel, and the interior stitching can be uncomfortable for the wearer. Heat-seal patches can be used to avoid these problems, but patches don't necessarily replicate the look of embroidery and may not hold up as well over time.
That's where indirect embroidery comes in. "Indirect embroidery is actually created a completely different way, front-to-back, top-to-bottom, than a typical heat-seal patch," explained Brian Fuchs, president of Windswept Marketing, Asheville, N.C. "What that allows us to do is deboss the actual embroidery into the apparel so it resembles direct embroidery, as well as allows it to withstand [...] normal wash-and-wear usage." Fuchs said that applying the embroidery through a debossing process removes the need for stitching, resulting in a more comfortable feel. "The other thing is it's also a much better look from the outside, because on thin apparel, especially light-colored apparel or Dri-fit shirts, you oftentimes see that outline of the background stitching or buckram on the inside of the shirt," he added.
3. Have Fun with Special Effects
Sometimes, effective apparel decoration comes down to the following: the shinier, the better. "Another technique that's becoming more and more popular is that bedazzled look where they're putting sequins or other types of jewels on a shirt to give it that flashy appearance," noted Paul Kory, vice president of sales for Dyenomite Apparel, Hilliard, Ohio.
"We're seeing a lot of that, especially on some of our shirts that are called an ombré or a dip dye, where it starts off darker at the bottom and then the color graduates lighter at the top," he continued. "People are doing sequins or little rubies or things like that [which] give it a high-dollar-value look where the price doesn't really come out to all that much, because that process is relatively inexpensive."
– All Points from June 2013's "It's the Outside That Counts"
- People:
- Kevin Miles
Elise Hacking Carr is senior production editor for Print & Promo Marketing magazine, and managing editor for PRINTING United Journal.