STYLE Cover Story

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.

Just as runway looks often end up in retail, retail apparel often makes its way to the promotional world (to the delight of end-users). We spoke to Nadia Santoli, manager of corporate communications & media relations for alphabroder, Trevose, Pa., to find out why retail inspired apparel works and how to pull it off successfully.

It’s hard to imagine needing a fleece jacket right now in July. Before you know it, the days will get shorter, the leaves will change, and the temperature will drop. So now is the time for you to start thinking about fleece and fall apparel items. We spoke to John Perez, marketing associate at Tri-Mountain, Irwindale, Calif.; and Morey Mayeri, president of Royal Apparel, Hauppauge, N.Y., to find out about current market trends and what you can do to create new business opportunities with fleece and fall apparel.

The secret’s out: Women’s apparel generates big business. According to the NPD Group, a global information company, total U.S. women’s apparel retail sales reached $116.4 billion in 2013, up 4 percent from 2012. That number has caught the attention of industry giant Nike and it’s tailoring its marketing messages accordingly. At press time, Nike launched its #BetterForIt campaign as a way to inspire women trying to reach their personal fitness goals. The company hopes this major advertising spend will turn its $5 billion women’s wear business into a $7 billion business by 2017.