When it comes to corporate apparel, there is a multitude of fabrics, patterns, and materials trending—depending upon the item. High-quality, innovative fabrics, and treatments that utilize unique finishes and aesthetics continue to be very popular. And, as with other sectors of the promotional products industry, suppliers continue to take a cue from retail happenings. Fortunately, there is an array of tops, athleticwear, outerwear, and headwear styles to choose from. Consumers are also looking for versatile pieces that can go from the office to post-office evening events.
Trimark’s Teddy Tumulty breaks down the corporate apparel trends by item. He notes that T-shirts feature easy care and are soft and comfortable with the use of blended fibers with varied necklines - an updated V-neck is leading the design direction. Polos with classic silhouettes are popular, designed to fuse technical design with urban style. They are utilizing premium performance materials with benefits such as cooling finishes and continued support with UV protection. “Subtle fabric textures created by the weaving structure or graphics application playoff dull/low sheen combinations move this category further into trendy sophistication,” he comments.
The continued rise of all-inclusive designs is trending with headwear, which is street culture mixed with activewear Tumulty continues. Examples include unstructured crowns and adjustable hook and loop back closures. When it comes to outerwear, Tumulty notes that tech companies and urban start-ups are driving trends in vests. They are using innovative fabrics and designed with minimalist aesthetics. “The water protection trend continues to expand with the need for outerwear protection in the unpredictable weather patterns,” he adds.
Corporate fleeces/mid-layers feature sophisticated yet casual aesthetics to appeal toward modern relaxed office settings, Tumulty maintains. With athletic wear, suppliers are combining innovative materials with performance features such as moisture wicking, UV protection, and cooling finishes. Finally, wovens are proven to be sharp enough for work but relaxed enough for the weekend, Tumulty concludes, with wrinkle-resistant fabrics cut at a length for wearing tucked or untucked.
Taraynn Lloyd of Edwards Garment Company also notes that the gifting of fleece jackets or vests, and sweaters for company events has been trending. “The popularity is partly due to the holiday season and gift giving to employees, and partly because these garments make great additions to a corporate apparel program,” she comments.
Over at Vantage Apparel, Lauren Cocco reports that patterns such as ginghams, checks, and plaids are out-performing solids for both men and women. “Styles that are easy to wear and look good all day are important,” she emphasizes.
“Athleisure and retail-inspired styles continued to be top trends in the promotional apparel market,” John Perez of Tri-Mountain comments. “Much of the fashion and design trends on the market are inspired by top retail trends. This is being driven by consumer demand.”
This consumer demand has resulted in suppliers rolling out a multitude of new products to accompany current best-sellers. “We are very excited about the launch of our Spring 2019 collection and anticipate that several styles will become immediate best-sellers,” Trimark’s Tumulty enthuses. “Some of the biggest winners from our Fall 2018 collection were the Senger Knit Jacket, Odell Knit Zip Hoody, and Crane Knit Half Zip.”
Speaking of outerwear, Perez at Tri-Mountain notes that the company’s Layer Knit Collection of outerwear is athleisure apparel that can be worn in a business casual workplace, as well as some corporate settings. “We have men’s and women’s full-zip jackets and vests, plus a men’s quarter-zip and men’s full-zip hoodie,” he says. The company also has a few new retail-inspired women’s styles from its Lilac Bloom Collection—including a stretch-fit ultrasoft knit jersey top with a y-neckline, a long sleeve crewneck, a sleeveless V-neck, a short sleeve V-neck, a three-quarter sleeve cardigan, and a rib cardigan sweater. “Our Lilac Bloom styles are quite popular in the promotional apparel industry because of our unique styling and tailoring that is closer to what is found in the retail market,” he adds.
Vests are also up-and-coming at Edwards Garment. Lloyd states the company is offering a number of new fleece jackets and vests, along with our popular sweater styles. “The new fleece vests have been extremely popular these last two months,” she says. “What my distributors say is that their clients are looking for something that offers versatility, warmth, and corporate style. Sweaters continue to be popular for similar reasons, but most important is that Edwards offers a wide variety and selection to choose from. Men seem to like a traditional quarter-zip sweater while the ladies enjoy a long cardigan.” She adds that both pair well together and adding decoration to build the clients brand is critical.
Vantage Apparel has introduced a new color (light blue/white) for its Vansport™ Sandhill Dress Shirt, which is available in three colors: light blue/white, blue/white, and grey/white. It also features the trending mini check pattern. According to Aja Norman, this shirt is made of 95% polyester/5% spandex, 2 ¾ oz., mini check stretch poplin, modern spread collar with removable collar stays, and machine washable for a quick return. She believes this print adds an upscale edge and appeals to a younger audience. In addition, the company offers the Vansport ™ Cypress Vest, a luxurious layer with technical benefits and a natural look and feel. The Women’s Cardigan Sweater is the perfect weight for layering with a longer length that adds to its versatility, Norman adds. “Paired with our Women’s Vansport™ Sandhill Dress Shirt, this look provides effortless layering and stand-alone style,” she comments.
To sell corporate apparel items to clients, Perez of Tri-Mountain recommend selling items as versatile pieces of apparel for the office, a weekend hike, or an early morning workout.
Edwards Garment’s Lloyd weights in, mentioning that over the years she has heard that corporate buyers want to make sure they’ve selected the correct garment and that it fits true to size. “I recommend to any distributor that wants to sell corporate apparel is simply to wear them to the appointment,” she stresses. “The person who is ultimately making the decision to purchase will feel more confident about their selection if the distributor not only promotes the product but wears it too. Once the garment selection is made, then distributors should offer an easy way to get the correct sizes of their client’s employees.”
Tumulty of Trimark concludes that individualism is key to the consumer, which is driving the need for options to make a garment feel customized with color and branding choices. “Show your customer something new and different, innovative products with unique decoration capabilities.”
Case Study
Teddy Tumulty, Trimark: An agriculture company that’s expanded with the acquisition of four smaller companies wanted a special jacket reflecting a unified identity. With branding that would capture the company’s past and present, the jacket was to be sold at the first national sales meeting after the company’s most recent expansion: $55 to 60 per piece, 250 pieces.
This softshell jacket is a comfortable jacket with several imprint locations both on the exterior and interior of the garment. Tumulty notes Trimark used embroidery to reproduce the new three-color company logo at left chest. To avoid competing with the left-chest branding, Trimark recommended subtle tone-on-tone laser along the right sleeve for the company tagline.
Trimark used imprint locations inside the jacket for special branding showing the company history: a timeline of each company’s founding on an inside pocket panel and a custom label inside the neck. The jacket exhibits the current collective logo, along with the four individual smaller company logos.