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With its unique texture and vintage-inspired appearance, corduroy is a great staple this season. Better yet, it is relatively inexpensive and is versatile enough to be coordinated with different styles of shirts, sweaters and shoes. While typically used for pants, skirts, jackets and caps, the fabric also makes a sharp suiting fabric for men, according to GQ. Top fashion names like Faconnable and Band of Outsiders are featuring the fabric.

One of corduroy's best assets is that it's comfortable and stylish without being showy. "We are headed into an era of people searching for the 'everyday man' look – non-branded or logoed apparel, headwear and outerwear that offers function with anonymity," says Nancy Robitaille, principal designer/import manager at Fersten Worldwide (asi/53974). "It is a throwback to a time when life was less stressful and the look more casual."

Corduroy also works wonderfully on trimmings and as an accent. "We have a very successful jacket line that combines a microfleece chest with soft, supple corduroy on the shoulders and arms and also bonded to the inside layer," says Steve Pinzon, spokesman for AKWA (asi/33280). "The interior layer of corduroy is very soft against the skin, traps heat very effectively and provides a wonderful, cozy feel."

There are multiple varieties of corduroy, particularly with different-sized wales, or ridges in common parlance. Depending on the wale count, the wales can look thicker or thinner. Corduroy varies from 100% cotton to blends, like the polyester-nylon mixes used in Fersten Worldwide's 2015 collection, according to Robitaille. She adds that the technical fabric blends have moisture-wicking and breathable capabilities.

AKWA's line of corduroy includes a full-zip crewneck, a quarter-zip crewneck and full-zip hoodies. In addition, there will be a full-zip vest for 2015. Fersten Worldwide has corduroy in outerwear (FW3161 AND Women's FW3165). "They are mid-weight with an inner soft-shell fabric vest detail, critically seam sealed, moisture wicking and breathable, with an anti-RFID security pocket on the inside to keep valuable information safe," Robitaille says.

When it comes to decorating corduroy, there are so many options. "Corduroy is a versatile fabric, easy to decorate – it can be embroidered, debossed, embossed and even lasered," says Robitaille.

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Ask An Expert

Q: My client needs a microfleece full-zip jacket in kids' sizes. Can you help?

A: Zip on over to Country Line Inc. (asi/46764); www.countryline.ca; for the youth microfleece jacket (Y6900) and the wicking youth microfleece jacket (Y8100). Both are available in a variety of colors and in youth sizes XS–XL. 

Your next stop is Codet Newport Corporation (asi/45605); www.bigbill.com. Ask for the Northland microfleece youth jacket (CNYF01), a 100% polyester microfleece garment sure to keep the young ones warm. It even features two hand-warmer zippered pockets and an adjustable elastic cord waistband.

Finally, warm up to the youth Port Authority soft shell jacket (Y317) from SanMar (asi/84863); www.sanmar.com. Wind- and rain-resistant, this apparel staple consists of a polyester woven shell bonded to a 100% poly microfleece lining.

Selling Tip: Jackets are wonderful apparel staples year-round. Don't overlook children as end-users, as they can be valuable walking billboards for your customers' brands.

Q: I'm hoping you can assist me. My client, an environmental organization, needs jute wine bottle bags to give out for the holidays.

A: Get your eco on with the jute wine bag (B8016) from Ad Products Bazaar Inc. (asi/31522); www.bazaarline.com. It's made of easy-to-carry, laminated jute with cane handles and holds one bottle.

Or, check out the jute wine bottle carrier (1151) from Busrel Inc. (asi/42920); www.busrel.com. This lightweight bag has a laminated interior and rope handles.

You might also try the colorful drawstring jute wine bag (B163) or the natural jute wine bag with handles, both supplied by US Box Corp (asi/92775); www.asi92775.com.

Selling Tip: Wine totes, regardless of material, make excellent gifts. They are even more effective when branded with your client's logo and filled with a bottle of holiday cheer.

American Apparel (asi/35297) has named Scott Brubaker as interim CEO, replacing John Luttrell. The company also appointed Hassan Natha as executive vice president and chief financial officer, and promoted long-time employees Patricia Honda and Nicolle Gabbay to the positions of president of wholesale and president of retail, respectively.

Bugatti-sedona (asi/42394) has acquired Bond Street Ltd., the parent company of supplier brands Bond Street and Stebco (asi/40895).

Cap America (asi/43792) announced that the territory covered by K.C. Fields and Associates (asi/822150) has been expanded to include Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio.

Charles River Apparel (asi/44620) has added three outside sales representatives. Sharon Wohlleber will focus her sales efforts in Southern Texas; Scott Schaefer is the new rep for Western New York and Western Pennsylvania; and Scott Blankenship will rep for Northern Texas and Oklahoma.

Expert Brand (asi/53404) welcomes Jason Grindall as the vice president of national corporate sales.  

Garmatex Technologies has partnered with BASE360 Inc. to introduce a new generation of protective hockey wear to the Canadian market. The apparel lines BASE360 and BODYARMOUR feature shirts, pants and socks with protection against laceration from skates, as well as Garmatex's compression, moisture-wicking and antimicrobial technologies.

Graphics One now offers the Metalnox PTS 12000 dual-shuttle heat press. It features industrial semi-automatic pneumatic dual platens, each with 39 inches by 58 inches of transfer space. The PTS 12000 meets virtually all requirements of industrial pressing without the high product cost.

Graphic Solutions Group (GSG) hosted the 15th Annual Hank Granberry Charity Classic golf tournament in Texas. It raised $30,000 for PanCan (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network). To date, this event has collected more than $130,000. The company will also host an open house with free lunch on Nov. 7 at the company headquarters in Dallas. Contact Clay Houser at Clay.Houser@gogsg.com to make a reservation.

Inksoft has added Bodek and Rhodes (asi/40788) to the growing list of wholesalers in its integrated catalog lineup. The company now also offers a guide for online fundraising programs. You'll learn the elements of a successful presentation and how to use InkSoft's professionally designed, customizable fliers to help convey your message and that of your customers. Download How To Create A Successful Online Fundraising Program for free.

Madeira USA has announced the release of the Multifunctional Frame System (MFS), along with a webinar that shows how to produce small to medium runs of badges cost-effectively, reduce high stitch count embroidery on performance wear, create badges in advance then customize as needed and achieve clean, crisp borders, with no need of merrowing or laser trimming. Reserve your webinar seat now.

Penn Emblem Co. (asi/77120) has hired Eric Garced as graphic designer. Also, the company's Healthcare Division will be at the AHCA/NCAL 65th Annual Convention and Expo in Washington, D.C. Oct. 5 to 8 at booth #413. You can learn more about garment identification in senior care facilities. For more information about the company's complete labeling solution, contact Stephen Bachow at (215) 632-7800 ext. 242 or email sbachow@pennemblem.com.

Proforma (asi/300094) announced that Petty Marketing, a multimillion-dollar distributor firm based in Cleveland, TN, has joined. Ralph Petty, president of Petty Marketing, and his 10-person team will now operate as Petty Marketing powered by Proforma. 

Roland DGA (asi/18201) announced the winners of its Creative Awards Contest, a competition designed to showcase the diverse array of projects produced by Roland users. The three winners included StickerCity in Sherman Oaks, CA; Monster Image in Huntington Beach, CA; and SignCo from Vancouver, British Columbia. For more information on Roland's Creative Awards Contest, or to see images of the award-winning entries, click here.

SanMar (asi/84863) welcomes Yen Gao as director of sourcing.

Sawgrass and Unisub have partnered to conduct a survey aimed at determining the design needs of sublimators across industries. The five-minute survey, which will run through Oct. 31, focuses on identifying specific challenges sublimators encounter most often and what kinds of resources they feel would be most helpful for their businesses. Those who participate will be offered the chance to enter a drawing for a free Kindle Fire HD. The survey can be accessed here.

The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) welcomes Ray Weiss to its team as the new digital imaging specialist.

Stormtech Performance Apparel (asi/89869) has released its 2014 Stormtech magazine, which follows the global travels of Stormtech ambassadors. The most recent edition includes an interview with Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe, on the set of The Water Diviner, his directorial debut. View the publication at www.stormtech.ca.

Transfer Express (asi/91804) offered a free webinar in September showing embroiderers how to boost sales by becoming a full personalization business with the addition of heat printing. View this webinar and scroll down to see other recent webinars. 

TSC Apparel (asi/90518) now offers garments by Comfort Colors by Chouinard, including garment-dyed T-shirts, tank tops and fleece in more than 90 colors. Comfort Colors also custom-dyes fabric to match more than 15,000 PMS colors. For more information, visit www.tscapparel.com.

The Wild Side has a new vintage patch collection of dog breeds. More than 50 breeds are represented from Australian shepherds and bloodhounds to shih tzus and vizslas. View the new collection here.

Victorinox Swiss Army (asi/93755) named Andrew Spellman as vice president of corporate channels. Spellman will be responsible for updating his newly expanded team's approach to selling and marketing all Victorinox, Victorinox Swiss Army, Wenger and Swiss Gear products.

Brushed Cotton: Cotton fabric brushed to remove excess lint and fibers from the fabric, leaving an ultra-soft, smooth finish.

Buckram: Coarse woven fabric, stiffened with glue, used to stabilize fabric for stitching. Commonly found in caps to hold the front panel erect.

Washout Booth: Booth used for washing out stencils and reclaiming screens.

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