Best Dressed in 2014
Clothing: it's one of of the most apparent ways we express our personalities. When it comes to corporate apparel, there are more options than ever before. So how do you navigate the seemingly endless garments on the market today and make sure your clients are best dressed in 2014? It comes down to identifying your client's brand's attributes and aligning these attributes with garments through color, fabric and fit.
A Rainbow Of Colors
Gone are the days when corporate apparel was only available in basic red, navy, black and white. Today's styles are offered in a virtual rainbow. Of course you can match garments to corporate colors, but you can also integrate complementary colors into the mix to be on-trend.
For Spring 2014, PANTONE has built a palette of 10 colors that will be seen from the runway to the boardroom. It begins with the pale pastels of placid blue, violet tulip and hemlock (green) and moves into the bright freesia (yellow), cayenne (red), celosia orange, radiant orchid (the color of 2014) and dazzling blue. Combine any of these with neutrals paloma (gray) or sand.
Mary Bostwick, director of marketing for Duluth, Georgia-based Delta Apparel, which carries 59 colors of T-shirts, said the company bases its color research on industry information, trend houses and trade shows across the country as well as on top customers who own hot licenses in the marketplace and what their needs are.
She noted that neon orange, green and pink have been trending for the last 12 months and continue to be hot. "Neon colors are popular in beach stores, restaurants and bars, as well as in the hospitality industry, such as vacation destinations and hotel gift shops," she said. "In addition to the light or sunwashed-looking neon colors that have sold well, we have received requests for the more brilliant colors and have added those to the lineup as well."
Since 1998, Lisa Horn, CAS, (a.k.a. The Publicity Gal) has been reporting on the issues that matter most to the promotional products industry. Currently, she writes about brand safety and responsible sourcing on behalf of Quality Certification Alliance (QCA). Reach her at lisa@lisakhorn.com.




