Trendy, Decorated and Colorful Promotional Apparel for Summer

By Colleen McKenna

The Sunshine Market

Jessica Clifford, marketing coordinator for Kavio!, Commerce, Calif., offered guidance on selling summer styles. "Your marketing effort/plan should be based on your target market. The same tactics used to attract one group are not going to be effective on another group whose lifestyle and demographics are so dramatically different," she advised. Rather than just marketing a T-shirt, find out specifically what kind of T-shirt the end-buyer wants. "You will get more positive responses if you hone in on what matters most to that targeted market. Both age groups might like T-shirts but not in the same cut or colors. You need to tailor your marketing efforts according to the demographics of the group you want to target," she concluded.

Margaret Crow, director of marketing for S&S Activewear, Bolingbrook, Ill., suggested marketing trendy looks to all clients. "Like looks from the runway, young styles are meant to inspire the mainstream to translate those 'fun' looks to ones that work for the typical consumer. It's best to market the latest trends and styles, even if they are geared to a young demographic, but be mindful of the fact that you're selling to all demographics and use your marketing to inspire everyone," she said.

Crow and Clifford also had recommendations on which industries are best for summer apparel sales. "The resort wear market is huge, but that's kind of a given," said Clifford. If you are looking for a new market for trendy styles, Clifford suggested youth camps. "Another profitable market is camp wear, especially for dance and cheer. Camp programs run in the summer so always have demand for T-shirts. It's the cheer and dance camps that are profitable markets when it comes to the fashion forward styles," she said.

Also, look into one time or annual events over the summer like concerts. "Since summer is the most active outdoor time of the year most outdoor events are successful markets too, such as festivals, fairs and concerts," said Clifford. Crow noted employees and event-goers need garments for those events. "Remind your customers to purchase promotional apparel for staff uniforms (camp counselors, counter workers) and for resale to attendees and fans," she said.

It may only be April, but the increasing temperatures promise that summer, the season of bikinis, barbecues and beaches, is only a few months away. The sun-tastic season welcomes outdoor activities like concerts, festivals and midnight rollerblading. All of these events need imprinted clothing to broadcast their brands and event attributes. To aid your summer selling, some of the most stylish suppliers in the business have provided advice on the best promotional apparel for summer.

WHAT'S NEW WITH HUE?
"Our fashion-inspired styles are great summer styles for us," said Jessica Clifford, marketing coordinator for Kavio!, Commerce, Calif. According to Clifford, the runway is the inspiration for most summer styles. "It's where the styles originate and trickle down from. By the time they reach the wholesale market they are definitely more subdued, but that is where a lot of the silhouettes, colors and general inspiration come from," she said.

A big benefit of following runway trends this year? The minimalist trend of white, white and more white. "White is actually really big in fashion right now," said Clifford. Margaret Crow, director of marketing for S&S Activewear, Bolingbrook, Ill., noted that white is not just a basic, but also is worn "as a statement color." If your client's event calls for a more flamboyant hue, Crow listed other colors for summer. "Popular colors this season are: yellow, in many tones, even to the extreme of safety yellow as a fashion statement; pink, more in berry shades than pale; blue, all shades but in particular navy blue … and orange, bright and especially in accessories. Round out these color trends with earth tones, particularly in the spice family," she said. Clifford offered some other colors choices: watermelon, island blue, grape and titanium. This range of colors allows distributors to please all end-buyers and end-users.

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