S&S Activewear

FROM THEIR INCEPTION as appropriate-for-daytime-wear wardrobe standby (or inappropriate, depending on who’s doing the judging), T-shirts have been the put-upon younger brother of the apparel clan. Slacker. Underachiever. Slob. Uniform of the basement-dwelling video-game player, or worse, the go-to garment for sweaty work outside or on a treadmill. Yet, in the last 10 years or so, there’s been a bit of a shake-up in the hierarchy. T-shirts grew up. In fact, they became king. In an effort to emanate a more offbeat vibe, many designers began adding them to their collections, emblazoned with rock-and-roll icons and/or ironic witticisms. Likewise, in a nod toward

S&S Activewear, a leading national distributor of imprintable sportswear, will celebrate 20 years in business and 10 years of hosting guests at its headquarters in Bolingbrook, Ill. with a daylong open house on Friday, April 25, 2008. The open house will run from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm and feature an up-close look at S&S Activewear’s newest brands: Augusta, bella Exclusives, Doggie Skins, edun LIVE, J. America, L.A.T Sportswear, Umbro and Van Heusen. The event will be held in trade show format, feature products and representatives from the leading mills in the industry and will include: • Tours of S&S Activewear’s 454,000 sq. ft.

S&S Activewear of Bolingbrook Ill. announced its 2008 collection features 18 exclusive items from bella, one of the industry’s best-known brands for fashion-forward styles. The “bella Exclusives” line features styles for women in today’s popular silhouettes for T-shirts, tank tops and casual dresses. All items are made from premium and custom fabrics like gauze jersey, burnout jersey and poly rayon. Margaret Crow, marketing director for S&S, says that the company has carried a full range of Bella products for many years, and that the Exclusives line fulfills a growing demand for younger, retail-inspired styles. “Bella is one of the leading brands in the

FORGET THE FOUR SEASONS. 2008’s fashion forecast is all about states of mind. Better-cut styles will have wearers exuding confidence. Reinvigorated color choices illustrate newfound energy. Going corporate takes a turn toward the future, while organic looks keep consumers’ feet and thoughts on terra firma. Below, suppliers take stock of their offerings for the industry’s most fashion-friendly new year in recent history. “For 2008, we are thrilled to introduce our brand new Missy division, which features basic to fashionable apparel that is cut to fit the everyday woman. Nine new styles will be available at the start of the year.” —Dean Vuong, vice

FOR A LONG time, outerwear has been somewhat on the outskirts of the promotional apparel landscape. Much more attention had been given to its business-ready, corporate casual counterparts. These days, however, promotional outerwear is charting its own course and marching to the beat of its own drum. With a rise in environmental awareness and a greater focus on fabrication, outerwear has redefined its role in promotional apparel, and thus distributor profits. “Fabrications are the big story in promotional outerwear,” noted Cathy Groves, vice president of marketing at Overland Park, Kansas-based Dri Duck Traders. “Bonded soft-shell fabrics, cotton canvas waterproof and fabrics with any type of

With more than 330 pages of new and classic styles, S&S Activewear, Boilingbrook, Ill., has introduced its 2007 catalog featuring the largest and most diverse apparel collection in the company’s history. The new catalog offers more than 1,200 styles from 56 top brands, and boasts an innovative lenticular cover with images that change and merge to highlight styles from several of the product categories. “We chose to use a lenticular cover because it allows us to show many of our styles all at once,” explained Margaret Crow, marketing director. “It’s like having three catalog covers in one.” Crow said the diversity of the