Commerce, Calif.

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

WOMEN’S APPAREL IN the promotional products industry is a single creature with two contrasting personalities. The Dr. Jekyll of promotional apparel is the side of the industry focused on office workers and business-casual attire. After hours, Ms. Hyde likes to come out wearing tank-tops and scoop-neck T-shirts in flashy colors. Both sides of the promotional business are trailing behind the younger, crazy sister known as the retail market. Dean Vuong, vice president of Kavio, Commerce, Calif., said it is a “good thing” that promotional apparel is “one step behind” retail. “We know that if you can modify from [retail] to the promotional, then you will