Q: "I sell directly to end-buyers, but I'm interested in breaking into the contract decorating market. How can I start to connect with distributors who sell decorated apparel? What are the upsides and downsides of contract decorating?"

For decorators accustomed to working solely with end-buyers, the lure of winning  larger, more regular orders as a contract decorator might be too tempting to resist. Getting there, however, requires doing some homework.

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"Make sure you understand what comes along with contract embroidery," says Andy Shuman of Rockland Embroidery (asi/734150), a contract decorating shop in Topton, PA. "You're stepping into a very competitive market." It's a market that makes its own demands on the decorator, and those not prepared to master its challenges may not be long in the business.

First, of course, is getting your foot in the door. Both Shuman and Stitch Designers' (asi/741145) Joe Thompson recommend looking locally for help connecting with distributors. "Identify those in your area and go call on them. You have a built-in competitive advantage by being local," says Thompson.

He also suggests using an e-blast service as one way to announce your arrival. Or something bolder, perhaps:  "I go through some of the magazines," Thompson says, "and the people who are highlighted, I'll call them. Doing it that way, you're going to come into contact with movers and shakers." Connecting is also possible through social media, but probably more likely through groups like regional trade associations, where you can "connect on a networking basis," as Shuman explains.

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Once in, be ready to be on your game. "You have to be super-efficient," Shuman says. "You need to do everything possible to carve out a margin to make it worth your while." Unlike working with end-buyers, where you may be selling both the product and the embellishment, in contract decorating,  "if you can't make money on that $2.50 embroidery, there's nowhere else to make money." Profit comes solely from the quality of the work and from quick turnaround. The industry's tight margins won't provide much wiggle room, either. "You have to make your focus something other than price. You have to make it about personal service and quality," says Shuman.

When it comes to the advantages and drawbacks of becoming a contract decorator exclusively, Joe Thompson sees a paradox. "On the upside, you're dealing with a clientele who are educated," he observes. Those clients will understand how the decorator makes a profit and will know what can and can't – or shouldn't – be done. On the other hand: "The downside is – you're dealing with an educated customer base! They know what you should be charging. They know how fast you should be able to do it. They'll be more likely to hold your feet to the fire, because they're not ignorant of the process." Which is where Thompson sees another, more personal, advantage: "It'll make you a better decorator." 

This men’s three-layer bonded fleece vest (FW3041) from Fersten Worldwide (asi/53974) features an interior membrane, self-mock neck, zipper guard, two front pockets with zipper and extended sport hem. A women’s companion piece (FW3045) is also available.

When the synthetic fabric now commonly known as polar fleece was first released, it was polyester designed to have the same texture and warmth as wool, but with easy-care, lighter-weight properties. Nowadays, polar fleece comes in varying weights for all kinds of garments, including activewear, warm-weather outerwear, and accessories like scarves, mittens and hats.

This season, outdoor retailers L.L. Bean, Cabela's and Land's End carry full-zip, quarter-zip and fleece-lined flannel jackets, as well as sweatshirts, blankets and accessories that offer wind-resistance, water-resistance, four-way stretch and easy-care properties. Some are even treated to be anti-pill and anti-static, and others are made partially from recycled plastic bottles.

In the promotional industry, polar fleece continues to hold its own, particularly as a material for jackets and vests. Fleece vests are great for fall and winter days when people need a bit of extra warmth but don't want the bulk of a thick quilted vest or coat.

"The demand for vests re-emerges about every two to three years," says Kate Souza, public relations specialist at Charles River Apparel (asi/44620). "Although it's a continuous classic staple in our line, the interest in vests has been on the rise. It's a great grab-and-go piece that's perfect for a variety of weather conditions or for the office. Many people are starting to use vests in their daily attire, especially in the cooler months."

Fersten Worldwide (asi/53974) currently carries the bonded fleece vest, which is slated to be a primary outerwear item because of its versatility, says Catherine Kelly, business development manager. "We sell it as the perfect layering piece," she says. "It's a great fall/winter garment to wear over a sweater, and it keeps you warm without the bulk."

The Ridgeline fleece vest (9503) from Charles River Apparel (asi/44620) is made of anti-pill Loftex fleece and includes a covered zipper, zippered side pockets, elasticized cuffs and stand-up collar with wind-resistant Taslan nylon.

Souza says left-chest embroidered logos continue to be among the primary decorating options for fleece vests, while Kelly says laser etching has been Fersten's most requested technique, followed by embroidery, debossing, appliqué and woven labels. "Fleece vests present a great opportunity for company logo visibility since they can and will be worn on more than one occasion," she adds.

Both Souza and Kelly say fleece vests are ideal for all demographics, from corporate wear to school and athletic promotions. "They appeal to all markets because the look is stylish and the fit is not oversized," explains Kelly. "They can be worn as a layering piece with a sweater underneath or another jacket. We've received requests from a wide range of industries, and we see the demand staying consistent with a slight uptick for 2013."  

The Advertising Specialty Institute, Stitches' parent company and the largest media and marketing organization in the promotional products sector, held its annual Power Summit for industry leaders at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, FL, Nov. 11-13. Here are four topics and trends that garnered much conversation during the special event:

Innovation. Internet entrepreneur and ad industry icon Cindy Gallop opened the conference with an important message: "You can't do essentially what everybody else is doing," she said. "You need to redesign your business so that it's more creative than that." Ultimately, Gallop's point was to implore industry companies to revamp how they market, how they connect with clients, and how they operate. "You can't do new-world-order business from an old-world-order place," she said. "Old-world-order business models are being destroyed by technology, the Internet, and how information is accessed today. There's an opportunity here for marketers to take advantage of this by creating a more one-to-one approach and connecting more closely with buyers. But you have to be set up to do that. Traditional marketing just doesn't work anymore."

Proof of the Value of Promo Products. In a session that unveiled groundbreaking new research that calculates the ROI and value of ad specialties, attendees learned that the cost per impression of a promotional product is .6 cents – less than nearly every other form of media – and that 87% of consumers can name the advertiser on a promotional item they've kept. Terry McGuire, senior vice president of marketing for HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000), believes such data is important for industry professionals to share with clients. "We're always trying to convey cost per impression and the value of promotional products," McGuire said. "This clearly shows that people who receive promotional products tend to see the advertiser's message for a long time. That's a powerful selling point." To view the complete survey, go to www.asicentral.com/study.

Changing Demographics. During multiple sessions, attendees discussed the importance of appealing to a shifting audience in the U.S. Gallop said that companies in this industry must find a way to appeal better to women. "Women are the majority of purchasers and decision-makers, but many marketing decisions are ultimately made by men," she said. "This has to change. The new creativity is female-informed and needs to be a close collaboration between men and women." Also, in a conversation on hiring in this industry, panelists talked about the need to recruit in a diverse manner. "We can't just hire the same people over and over again," said CSE's (asi/155807) Tom Savio, "because then we won't effectively be targeting all buyers."

The Economics of Trust. At a workshop led by FranklinCovey's Donna Burnette, Power Summit attendees heard about the importance of cultivating trusting relationships – with employees and with industry partners. "Trust is an economic driver. It can be measured and used to drive business," Burnette said. "When you improve trust, you'll improve your company, because trust is really an enabler of productivity."

Varsity Fleece & Brandable Bandanas

Q: Hi Phil,
I have a customer who needs the fleece baseball-style varsity jacket. I ordered these a couple of years ago, but I am having a problem locating a source for them now.  Do you know where I can find them? – Patricia

A: Have no fear ... Phil is here to help. I found one varsity-style fleece jacket, item 4136, from Bishop The Garment Co. (asi/40585); (604) 255-5461; www.bishopwear.com. It’s a neat, snap-front hooded jacket with striped knit cuffs and waistband for a vintage baseball feel. 20 Degrees Below (asi/92366); (215) 918-2030; www.20belowasi.com; offers a slightly different style of varsity jacket (J108-JACKET) that features full zipper front, double piping from the cuff to the underarm, a convertible collar, elastic cuffs and a bungee draw cord. You can also check out the Varsity PolyFill Fleece Jacket, item 9921, from Fossa Apparel Inc. (asi/55141); (510) 656-5561; www.fossaapparel.com. It features stripes on the sleeve cuffs and waistband for an athletic appearance and is made with a 100% polyester shell and fleece interior.

Selling Tip: The varsity-style jacket is trending in fashion-forward circles and enjoying a resurgent popularity among youth, making this piece a fine match for the high school and collegiate markets.

Q: Hi Phil,
Hope you are well on this autumn day. I have a client looking for a bandana-type head covering that is actually all one piece and has a stretch back so you don’t have to tie it. Any direction would be greatly appreciated! – Barb

A: Boy, do I have the perfect solution for you! Suppliermart (asi/90262); (909) 563-8849; www.suppliermart.com; carries headband bandanas that have elastic in the back, making them flexible to fit most people. The headband, item UST-00954, comes in black, lilac, pink, purple, red and white, and is made of soft, comfortable cloth. Another interesting product is the multifunction fashion hybrid piece (item WK100) from Muddees (asi/72673); (619) 488-4455; www.muddees.com. It can be worn as a headband, bandana or neck scarf due to its thicker material and width. This gem is available in several fun colors, plus it has wicking and UV-protection technology.

Selling Tip: This style of bandana would be a great accessory for 5K runs and walks. As you sell buyers shirts for such events, tack on this fun, brandable bandana.

Double Needle: Two rows of parallel stitching at the sleeve and/or bottom hem that create a cleaner, finished look.

Looping: Loops on the surface of embroidery, generally caused by poor tension or tension problems. Loops typically occur when polyester top thread has been improperly tensioned.

Modular: This is a machine system in which many separate stitching heads, or configurations of heads, are controlled by a central computer.

Dec. 2-5, 2012, Myrtle Beach, SC
Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show
(678) 285-3976; www.grandstrandgiftshow.com

Jan. 5-7, 2013, Orlando, FL
The ASI Show
(800) 546-3300; www.asishow.com

Feb. 15-16, 2013, Columbus, OH
Embroidery Trade Show (NNEP)
www.embroiderytradeshow.org

American Embroidery Supply offers RinseAway embroidery topping.

Art and Ink, Inc. (asi/36981) of Houston has joined ASI as a supplier decorator. 

Bodek and Rhodes (asi/40788) recently earned four major distinctions in this year’s Promo Marketing Excellence Awards.

Brother International Corporation is distributing the new MacBroidery Embroidery Lettering Software for Mac OS. Brother also offers GraffixPro Studio Software, a T-shirt design software that works in conjunction with Brother digital garment printers.

Chouinard offers a preshrunk 100% cotton heavyweight short-sleeve youth T-shirt (9018) in fashion-forward colors that include kiwi, royal, crimson and burnt orange.

Clava (asi/45335), an Englewood, NJ-based supplier of bags, luggage, briefcases and more, is fully operational again after having no phone, power or Internet following Hurricane Sandy.

Dalco Athletic offers new laces appliqué – one-color pro twill lettering combined with the laces of a sports ball.

Floriani Commercial Products offers FuFu Thread, a high-quality polyester thread with a high luster.

Graphic Solutions Group is offering a free embroidery class from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 13, at its Dallas, TX facility. The class will be taught by Liz Beavers, an embroidery industry innovator with more than 25 years of experience in commercial machine sales, production and education. To register, call Lauren Mason at (800) 366-1776; (214) 712-6200 or visit www.GOGSG.com.

Great Garment Graphics has a new video on how to apply leg transfers. To view this video, go to www.greatgarmentgraphics.com/show-off-your-legs-with-leg-prints.

Independent Trading Co. offers a new unisex fitted raglan crew sweatshirt (IND30RC) made of 55% cotton and 45% polyester.

SOS From Texas offers a ladies’ lightweight T-shirt, which is made of 4.8-ounce knit jersey from 24 singles yarn. This super-soft fine gauge fabric is 100% organic cotton that is grown and sewn in the United States.

SVP Worldwide has announced the creation of TruEmbroidery, a new embroidery software brand dedicated to providing personal embroidery products exclusively for Mac computers. The solution is compatible with most embroidery machines.

Tri-Mountain (asi/92125) has announced the release of its first-ever Team Sports catalog, which features over 140 apparel styles made with athletes in mind.

Penn Emblem Company (asi/62485) announces that Rita Leybelman recently joined its marketing team. Leybelman will oversee and develop social media initiatives and increase Penn Emblem Company’s Internet presence.

Royal Apparel (asi/83731) has expanded its popular line of tri-blend styles with product #20002, a new long-sleeve V-neck jersey made of 50% polyester/37% cotton/13% rayon.

Stahls’ Transfer Express (asi/91804) has added five new Christmas designs to its Transfer Extreme line. These four-color simulated process transfers combine high-quality, sharply detailed images with the ability to be heat pressed to a garment in just four seconds. Additionally, Transfer Express has named Sean Oakley its new general manager.

World Emblem International has launched digital print emblems, which are available in standard and intricate laser-cut shapes and can include a merrow border or be borderless.