Message to the cheap, stiff, one-and-done throwaway wearable: Your time is up. Suppliers and distributors know that for a promotional item to be helpful and handy – and yes, even loved and treasured – it has to be high quality and on trend, as if it were just plucked from the retail racks. To that end, the promo industry is taking its cues from in-demand fabrics, finishes and fashions to get items into end-users’ hands that will be worn again and again. “I never want anything we make to be one-and-done,” says Cloud (no last name), president of Red Cloud LLC (asi/305616), a global agency with offices in Los Angeles and New York. “We have to strive for something people want to keep wearing. Otherwise we’re in the business of waste.” To help you find that beloved apparel item, here’s a look at what’s trending across five popular categories.
Click on each categories to see the trands.
Women’s festival crop tee (5080) from Next Level Apparel (asi/73867); nextlevelapparel.com
1The cropped tee continues to be huge. “This started in retail and is making its way into our business,” says Amanda Mitzman, marketing director at Next Level Apparel (asi/73867). “It’s being sold for music festivals and to tourist shops in downtown areas and airports that sell apparel bearing a city name.” Mitzman adds that travelers want a “true memento of an experience,” she says, as opposed to a more standard corporate polo or classic T-shirt.
Tri-blend unisex crew T-shirt (01973E1) from Alternative Apparel (asi/34850); wholesale.alternativeapparel.com
2Softness plus style equals wearability. The industry is striving to turn the promo tee into someone’s favorite shirt. “They’ll love it because of the feel of the fabric,” Cloud says. “Our clients like a soft, thin T-shirt. The more it looks like something you can buy in Nordstrom, the better. The days where you slap a logo on a coarse T-shirt are done. It’s the little things that make it not look like a giveaway.”
Cotton pocket ringer tee (3604) from Next Level Apparel (asi/73867); nextlevelapparel.com
3Retro tees are hot right now. Pick a retro look, and rest assured that it’s coming back around. Neon colors, for example, are appearing on the scene once again. “People want to stand out on social media and express themselves,” says Mitzman, explaining the trend’s popularity. Also in demand: styles like ringers and baseball tees in natural and neutral colors that conjure up the laid-back vibe of the ’60s and ’70s.
Devon & Jones plaited polo (DG20) featuring cotton-blend on the inside and polyester on the outside from alphabroder (asi/34063); alphabroder.com
1Distributors have polyester fatigue. The traditional woven poly polo is falling out of favor, says Andrea Routzahn, senior vice president of portfolio and supplier management at alphabroder (asi/34063), because of the synthetic feel of the fabric. Instead, she says, there’s a “huge shift” to cotton-feel performance fabrics. “No one wants to give up the ability for stretch and wicking, but people miss the feeling of cotton against their skin,” Routzahn says. “We’re seeing that from our retail partners.” As a result, there’s a rise in cotton/poly blends that still feel a lot like cotton. Alphabroder is also featuring polos that have plaiting, where the cotton yarns are spun on the inside with poly on the outside.
Women’s heathered wicking polo (SPL-1W) from Stormtech (asi/89864); stormtechusa.com
2Fits should be flattering. Top suppliers are making a conscious effort to differentiate the silhouettes and features of their women’s polos compared to the men’s counterparts. Jeff Silcock, senior manager of marketing operations for Stormtech (asi/89864), says the supplier is seeing strong sales with its women’s polos, which are different from the traditional three-button placket. “The women’s style has no buttons and is a little more flattering,” he says.
Women’s graphic wicking polo (TM96705) with mandarin collar from Trimark (asi/92121); pcna.com/trimark
3Change is constant. “There’s a distinct movement away from the solid traditional rib-collar polo,” says Shoo Passey, director of global product design & development for PCNA and Trimark (asi/92121). Gift shops and company stores are embracing items inspired by leading retail athletic brands with new twists, such as asymmetrical details. Kate Boyce, vice president and general manager for Trimark, adds that “Texture is important and exciting. Sometimes it’s new fabrics, other times it’s subtle prints that create the feeling of dimension. Individualism is driving new variations in collars, sleeve lengths and variations on colorblocking.”
Women’s mid-length waterproof rain jacket (WRB-2W) from Stormtech (asi/89864); stormtechusa.com
1All-inclusive sizing matters in jackets. Thanks in part to the body-positivity movement, inclusive sizing is a new standard for retail that has shown up in promo. At Stormtech, in addition to adding more retail-inspired colors like rose or raspberry for women’s outerwear, “we want our products to cater to anybody, no matter their body type,” Silcock says. To that end, the supplier has recently begun offering extended sizes, and details like belts on rain jackets to emphasize a woman’s figure.
North End men’s puffer jacket with synthetic down (NE708) from alphabroder (asi/34063); alphabroder.com
2Demand is up for synthetic down. Down used to be the ultimate in luxury, Routzahn says, but it’s still expensive and more difficult to care for than many of the wash-and-go items selling fast in apparel today. “This has to do with both allergy and animal-rights concerns,” she says, “and synthetic down traps air just like regular down.” Puffers continue to sell well, and alphabroder has a new technology (no-sew welding) that uses heat and pressure instead of traditional sewing to join pieces of fabric, creating stronger bonds between pieces, which leads to increased stretch and prevents breaks and leaks.
North End men’s mélange fleece jacket (NE712) from alphabroder (asi/34063); alphabroder.com
3Warmth without weight is a reality. As the technology for fabric development shifts, Routzahn says, the end-user is seeking increasingly lightweight outer layers. This trend has origins in mountaineering wear, which is all about squeezing every last bit of performance from ultralight fabrics. This means lighter weights in knits as well as an uptick in the variety of fabrics that boast water-repellent properties. “Previously, weatherproofing would typically have meant a shell fabric,” she says, “but we can put it on lighter-weight styles now.”
Devon & Jones nylon/spandex wicking wovens (DG542 and DG542W) from alphabroder (asi/34063); alphabroder.com
1Performance wovens enter the office. Five years ago, performance features took over quarter-zips, and they’ve been “on fire” ever since, says Routzahn. Now a similar transformation is happening with office-appropriate wovens. “Performance wovens have been fishing or trekking shirts historically,” she says. “People love wearing those because they are lightweight and comfortable – but they are too casual for the office. Now that technology is in wovens, but they look appropriate for professional situations.”
Fleece pullover hoodie (9303) and men’s denim fleece jogger (9800) from Next Level Apparel (asi/73867); nextlevelapparel.com
2Look for head-to-toe styles. Mitzman at Next Level says consumers are pairing fleece outerwear with a fleece jogger – buying the full outfit “to look the part,” she says. The style promotes being the healthiest and sportiest version of yourself, which Mitzman says is a trend that came from streetwear. Logos can be put on both the zip hoodie and the pant. Potential clients include colleges as well as gyms and others in the health club industry. Next year, due to market demand, Next Level will begin offering an expanded line of head-to-toe styles.
High-waisted leggings with laser-cutout details (AQ1034) from Expert Brand (asi/53404); expertbrand.com
3High-waisted leggings are popular. “Those are always best-sellers,” says Cynthia Liu, marketing director at Expert Brand (asi/53404). “Performancewear is all about fashion but also being functional.” In 2020, look for legging SKUs from ExpertBrand that feature another trend: laser cutouts. “This is trending because of the ventilation design, which adds more details on the legging,” Liu says. “The laser-cut designs create patterns that make more of a fashion statement. This also helps keeps people cool and comfortable during any workout.”
Sportsman pigment-dyed trucker cap (SP530) from Kati Sportcap (asi/64140); katisportcap.com
1The trucker cap still rules. Gary Mosley, co-owner of Kati Sportcap (asi/64140), says out of his 200-page catalog, “the trucker is still the biggest thing going. Things are cyclical in this industry, and it’s fantastic for me that this doesn’t seem to want to end.” Typically a structured front bill with a mesh back, the number of colors now available is staggering – “almost any color combination you can imagine,” he says. The Dad Cap – an unstructured, low profile, twill-based cap – provides an alternative to the stiffer trucker mesh.
Field & Co. canvas and vinyl computer tote (7950-93) from Leed’s (asi/66887); pcna.com/leeds
2The basic tote, now less basic. Heavyweight cotton canvas bags that suit multiple purposes have usurped the traditional promo tote bag, Cloud says. Think extra pockets, a zipper or extra handles to wear it different ways. “The thing with a tote is usability,” she says. “It can be a laptop bag or your gym bag.” Details such as finishing stitches and attaching stitches matter. “We would rather you order fewer items and build it to last so it’s something people can really love,” Cloud adds.
Cap decorated with leather patch by Emerald City Embroidery; emeraldcityemb.com
3Patches and embroidery are in. Mosley says he prints “very few” caps these days, and that the embroidered patch (in any shape a client wants) is making a comeback. Heat-sealed or sewn on, patches were big in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and they’ve made a strong comeback now that embroidery has become more efficient. Today, the patches can even be laser cut if need be, “even the state of Texas as a patch if you want,” he says. It fits in with the push for more subtle designs. “A cap can still have the name of the movie,” says Cloud, whose company has clients in the entertainment industry, “but it can have retail decorations, like 3-D lettering, side patches or under-the-bill branding.”
