Take It Outside

From hayrides to campfires, pumpkin picking to jumping in that big pile of leaves on our front lawn, there are plenty of reasons to get outside in the chill of early fall—and even the cold of winter.

It’s around this time of year that we don’t leave the house without our favorite jacket (and a travel mug of hot tea). Don’t worry, we’re not talking about the jacket Ralphie’s brother had to wear in “A Christmas Story.” Nowadays, jackets—both promotional and retail—are designed to ensure the end-user remains both stylish and protected from the elements.

But that doesn’t make it an easy sell. With so much customization and functionality, it can be a daunting task to find the right fit for your client. To help you out, we spoke to three industry professionals—Norman Bishop, president of Bishop Custom Clothing, Vancouver, B.C.; Terry Chen, general manager of Landway International, San Francisco, Calif.; and Barry Lipsett, president and CEO of Charles River Apparel, Sharon, Mass.—who gave us these tips to help you warm up your sales this winter.

1. Think retail, look retail

Dubbed “the king of wearables” by Bishop, outerwear reigns supreme due to its functionality—and its visibility. The key to getting end-users to wear it (and build your client’s brand awareness) is to give them something they want to wear.

“We want our clients to feel like their jackets were created specifically for them and that their logo wasn’t applied after production, but incorporated during the design process,” Bishop said, noting logo integration is fundamental to create a retail look.

Draw from retail for color and fabric ideas, too. “Today, we are seeing corporate clients looking for more splash in colors and fabric texture,” said Chen, citing heathered colors and mélange fabric as current trends.