|
SWEATERS:
SHEAR HEAVEN
by Tom Kerr
Mother always told you
to take along a sweater. Your promotional campaign should do
the same thing! Today’s sweaters are sharp, sexy, sporty and
sensible – in other words, the perfect piece of promotional
apparel.
Energy prices have skyrocketed,
and this winter many offices are keeping a close eye on the
thermostat. Time to break out the sweater.
Business casual is exploding, especially the “dressy
casual” trend. A sweater is a perfect fit. Your trade
show lasts three days, but you want to pack light. Shirts get
dirty and wrinkled. Consider a logoed sweater instead.
Workers these days are demanding more comfort in their
clothing – after all, they have to work in them. Sweaters
win again!
They also provide a neat, upscale look, says promotional
consultant Ira Neaman: “They standardize the appearance, yet
let everyone have a sense of individuality based on what they
wear underneath.”
You want apparel for your next promotion, but you’re
concerned about size, durability and ease of wear and care.
Not to worry. The sweater is a wise choice on all counts.
While it’s true that polo/golf shirts and jackets are still
number one and two among wearables in the promotional products
arena, sweaters are becoming increasingly popular for many –
well, sensible reasons. And since there’s a variety of
sweater styles, colors and textures available, you’ll find
they’re a fashionable choice as well.
Patriotic, Practical And Way More
National pride and patriotism are important organizational
values, given America’s position as the world’s only
superpower and economic dynamo, and many firms want their
promotional product choices to reflect those tenets. Since
most sweaters are manufactured domestically, “Made In The
USA” can easily become an integral part of your marketing
campaign. And because so many sweaters are manufactured
domestically, customization in logo design is much easier to
do. For that and numerous other practical reasons, sweaters
are tough to beat.
Yes, you could choose high-pile fleece, fashion fleece or a
windshirt, and all definitely have their place. Golfers, for
instance, have taken a strong liking to wearing windshirts on
the course. But sweaters are still the logical indoor/outdoor
imprinted wearable, primarily due to their warmth and
breathability.
“With the energy crisis going on, people tend to keep the
thermostats down and keep the environment cooler, which makes
sweaters an attractive option,” says Neaman “From a health
and comfort standpoint, sweaters are important as a business
casual product. It can also be a nice trade show item because
you can wear a sweater numerous times, perhaps for an entire
week, whereas with a shirt, you can’t. [Sweaters] can be
worn indoors, outdoors or both.”
Okay, they’re versatile. But what about style? In many
offices, more and more employees are shedding their suits and
sports coats in favor of more comfortable – and affordable
– apparel. Instead of having to spend $400 and up on these
items, they can spend $50 or less on a sweater and still look
professional.
“Accordingly, more fashion is required in sweaters now, just
as we’ve seen in polo shirts,” says Neaman. “It used to
be just solid white or navy cotton polo shirts, but now
there’s mercerized, tencel and all types of jacquard
fabrics. The same is happening with sweaters. As the product
becomes more standard in the office, the need for variety
becomes that much greater.”
Sweater FAQs
As you weigh the issue of whether or not to use sweaters in
your next promotion or as a company store item, consider these
points:
- What about comfort and function? Demographically
speaking, the older generation is buying and wearing more
sweaters for warmth and practical reasons. But we could
all stand to keep warm: Just as kids often run in and out
of doors, a lot of companies have campus-type
environments, so employees run in and out of buildings,
too. Sweaters are important where employees are exposed to
drafts, where doors are constantly opening or closing or
for those working at a counter or reception desk.
“People who work extended hours, where buildings might
be on automatic thermostats ... it will be cooler very
early in the morning or late in the day. In those cases,
sweaters are a good preventative health measure, in a way
– and they’re cotton or wool, so they breathe,” says
Neaman.
- What about size? People may come in all shapes and
sizes, but sweaters tend to be forgiving garments. Ten
pounds too thin or heavy, and you’ll still look good in
a sweater. To that end, it’s an effective garment for
work teams and individual departments – and there’s an
infinite variety of styles and colors to choose from.
- Will they appeal to both men and women? Sweaters are the
original unisex garment. “On the women’s side,” says
Neaman, “we’ve seen a move away from structured suits
– just like men – to knits. So a popular choice lately
has been the twinset: a women’s shell, plus a cardigan
over the top of it. We’re seeing new fabrics each year,
and the fact that sweaters are generally made here can be
an important selling point for companies. Imports tend to
be bulky items to bring in from offshore.”
Vested Interest
When considering sweaters, don’t overlook sweater-vests as
one possibility. They can be worn with T-shirts or polo shirts
for the classic layered look. A vest also gives the wearer –
and giver, for that matter – the flexibility of not having
to deal with the issue of sleeve length. (Of course, you can
always push up the sleeves of a sweater, unlike the cuff of a
shirt, since they all have a certain amount of stretch or
“give” built into them.)
“We’re seeing requests for lightweight fashion sweater
vests from Izod and Arnold Palmer, as well as a ladies’
sweater set from Bill Blass,” says promotional consultant
Mary Ellen Hudicka. “Vests seem to be the trend in the
executive market, mostly in lightweight, silky textures.
We’ve also seen many companies choose microfleece garments
– vests, zip-ups and pullovers – in lieu of traditional
knitted sweater styles, because of the popularity of the
fabric in the retail market.”
The trend today is upscale business casual, more tailored
lines, Hudicka continues. Sweaters and fashion-forward sweater
vests can complete the corporate ensemble, achieving an
executive tailored look.
“You’re seeing a resurgence in the vest option because of
the popularity of the golf circuit; polo shirts are worn
underneath,” says wearables expert David Holmes. “You can
give men a vest, say, and the female can have the choice of a
cardigan.”
Decorative Details And Trends
When it comes to logos, sweaters provide some unique
challenges. Experience in decorating them is critical. “A
company may have a logo that works very nicely on a jacket or
canvas bag, but that same logo may not look as good on a
sweater unless there’s an adequate amount of stitches –
what’s called underlay,” explains Neaman. “The fabric of
a sweater has compression, pull compensation and stretch,
which must be taken into account when being embroidered.”
While a polo, golf or T-shirt can be screenprinted or
embroidered, the same as a jacket or cap, sweaters can only be
embroidered, says Neaman, adding that from a decorative
standpoint, very often an unobtrusive or small imprint greatly
heightens the item’s perceived value. With vests, the
standard embroidery position is still left chest. But there
are other options too. Consider the sleeve area above the
cuff, or perhaps behind the neck.
Hudicka suggests another classy look that can be achieved with
sweaters: “One of the most popular embroidery treatments,
especially with the executive set, is tone on tone – the
same or similar thread color as the garment color,” she
says. “This creates a subtle, classic image that looks
as if the embroidery was a part of the original garment, not
an embellishment.” Popular colors include basic corporate
shades like khaki, navy, black and gray, she continues, but
the executive market is also embracing a color she calls
“butter.”
What does Hudicka think is the cutting edge in sweaters these
days? “Designer names are the hottest trend in wearables
today of any kind,” she says, adding “People love to be
associated with what they consider to be the best.”
Material And Design: Interwoven
Overall, the best choice in sweater material is 100% cotton.
It can be worn by almost anyone. “Some people are allergic
to wool, but very few are allergic to cotton,” says Holmes.
“There are basically two grades of cotton: 100% combed, and
carded cotton. The impurities have been literally combed out
in the former, so you have ease of wear, machine washability,
reduced bagging and sagging and easy care for the
recipient.”
Sweaters are usually made (and should be purchased) in
different torso lengths. “We’ve found that some sweater
makers use the same torso length for all products,” Neaman
says. “Or if they say it’s a 26-inch length, it’s really
not. Specific, separate lengths are important.”
The buyer might be a medium, but she should take into account
that people may need different torso lengths in the same size.
The same is true for sleeve width: Sweaters must be wide
enough to accommodate a shirt. “The cut and fit is very
important,” Neaman continues. “Generally, you want
to order a large or extra large – and if you order double or
triple [extra large], make sure they’re the proper
proportions.”
Patterns, Pebbles, Pointels
Since sweaters are a fashion staple, customization in knit
patterns is key as well. “[There are a] lot of different
jacquard products,” says Neaman. “Since the embroidery is
part of the manufacturing process, you can save money –
especially with full-chest designs. There’s a type that’s
half pebble stitch and the top half is jersey stitch. The top
half [above the chest] is clear so the decorator has a clear
surface to work on.”
Chest stripes can allow for a color accent that coordinates
with a logo design. This provides a lot of flexibility.
“This design ties to ski market for sports, fall season for
football games, the collegiate market, etc.,” says Neaman.
“You often see sweaters draped over the neck or tied around
waist ... when the climate changes, it gives you the extra
piece to go with. Fine gauge vs. bulky is a fashion choice,
but over 50% of what we sell to companies are bone or natural
color, because it goes with everything. The second most
popular color is navy.”
Texture is also important. “We see unique stitch variations
which seem to be holding true,” says Holmes. “Because of
embellishment of embroidery, we try to keep them monochromatic
– not a lot of over colors. But then it’s tough to bring
forth the quality of the embroidery. We also like to mix the
patterning so that we leave a place for embroidery to get a
good identification of the logos.”
Holmes notes the increase in the number of women in the
workplace has led to improvements in styles and sizes, since
they demand better fits and looks: “Cardigan sweaters are
waist-length and not as long and bulky,” he explains. “The
stitch is more feminine, such as a pointel or seed stitch
pattern. And you can get them in sizes from extra small to
6XL.”
Casual Comfort
Interestingly, when logoed sweaters first appeared, they were
usually V-neck acrylic cardigans. “Now, there’s a
department-store quality and look to logoed sweaters, with
ease of care and washability,” says Holmes. “Sweaters are
great for the dress casual environment, but still give you the
comfort level you want. A ladies’ cardigan matches with polo
shirts. Men’s and ladies’ items can be brought together
for one total promotional package.”
In short, sweaters are a good promotional item because they
tend to have a much longer life than most other apparel. And
where your logo’s concerned, longevity is a key
consideration. Bottom line: Sweaters almost never look out of
place and can fit nearly any business situation, body style
and budget. As wearables go, they are truly a sensible – and
sensational – choice.
Tom Kerr, former editor-in-chief of Imprint, is a freelance
writer based in Cleveland. |
