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*WearableStyle*	Volume 127 / July 19, 2010
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PODCAST

Chicago Fashion Finds

Want to know about the latest styles to present to clients this summer and fall? Nicole Rollender, editor of Stitches and director of ASI Education, found some cool apparel as she visited supplier booths at ASI Chicago. Click here and click here to watch the two episodes of Fashion Finds.

What did you think of these videos? Send your feedback to cmittica@asicentral.com.

Trend Alert: Gray In The Summer

Gray, as a descriptor, is hardly a positive term. From gray skies to gray hair, the color that is half white and half black can seem half as good. But gray is making a comeback this summer as a popular neutral when paired with bright, contrasting pieces. "Gray has both black and white, so it can pair with virtually any other color. It's a natural complement," says Mary Ellen Nichols, director of marketing communications for Bodek and Rhodes (asi/40788). "If you're designing an outfit, you should stick with one of the three palates. They include the brights (red, blue, green, yellow, black and white), the earth tones and the pastels. Gray goes in every one of those fields."

Gray works as a sophisticated neutral in summer because it allows end-users to stay cool over many darker colors. "It's more flattering for work or for play, and it won't show the wear or tear," says Nichols, adding that it's a favorite choice of techies currently.

Nichols says it's important to decide whether gray is your feature or background color before assembling an outfit. "You also have to consider the mood that you want to convey," she says. When choosing shape and color, it's important to complement the gray, according to Nichols. "Right now, it's yellow, blacks, and whites," she says.

Most importantly, you have to have a sense of "hierarchy." If your gray item is unique, and you'd like to feature it, don't draw attention away from it with an eye-catching accessory. Have a unique and colorful accessory? Wear a toned-down gray garment to give that accessory some extra wow-power.

Listen to ASI Internet Radio
Be sure to tune in each week as a team of ASI editors takes to the airwaves for the ASI Internet Radio show. For a half-hour each Tuesday, we debate the most important topics facing the industry, as well as offer an offbeat look at the market.

If you missed any of our shows, don't worry. Recordings are available at www.asicentral.com/radio. And don't forget to join us every Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time, when we broadcast our radio show live. We'll be taking calls from the audience, so please call us at (215) 953-4979 to hear your voice on the air.

Successful E-Mail Marketing Tips

Getting friends to read your e-mail is easy. Getting clients and associates to do so may not be. But if you're able to get people to read your messages, you can turn e-mail into a valuable marketing tool.

Rob Watson has picked up a few tricks that help him to do that, but he starts with the basics. "Design your e-mails with a nice, compelling logo up top, relevant text, and don't try to put a book in there," says Watson, who runs MediaTree (asi/70303) in Parsippany, NJ.

But there's more to do than just that. Half the job is getting your recipients to open your e-mails. The recipient sees two key details before determining whether to open and read the e-mail: Your name and the subject header. You can't do much about your name, but you can choose a subject that draws the reader in. Keep your subject lines under 50 characters and don't use all capital letters, exclamation points, or the word "free," because they're likely to go unread or caught in spam filters.

Then when you get into the e-mail, deliver what you promised in the subject line. "The e-mail ideally expands on whatever the promise or benefit was in the subject e-mail," says David Blaise of Blaise Drake & Co., a Wyomissing, PA, marketing firm that specializes in promotional products and offers a sales newsletter at TopSecretsWebSite.com. "There needs to be, ideally, some kind of offer. Am I offering them some kind of catalog? Am I offering them some kind of deal?"

Online services such as MailChimp.com, iContact and Constant Contact provide numerous features to support your e-mail marketing campaign, such as managing your e-mail lists, tracking who's opening and reading your e-mails, and integrating them with social networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook. If you can track who's reading your e-mails, you'll know what's working.

Join ASI Online Learning Center
Did you know you can take self-paced, on-demand courses at ASI Education's Online Learning Center? This is the newest and most convenient way for distributors, decorators and suppliers to get educated. In our newest course for distributors, "Break Into These Five Hot Apparel Markets," we unveil five markets that are buying lots of decorated apparel (think: education, high-tech companies, government entities and more), the types of apparel they buy and how to make the pitch and close the sale.

Click here to take the course.

Sales Challenge: Headwear

Now more than ever, choosing a successful promotional product to market is as easy as can be. Just put on your thinking cap – literally! When it comes to increasing visibility, your clients should look no further than headwear.
"No other advertising medium delivers the same power without the use of spoken word," says Tony Karlicek, President of Headwear USA (asi/60282).

The baseball cap is the most common type of headwear in the ad specialty industry, specifically low-profile style. Karlicek says a low-profile cap is one that hugs the head while a high-profile cap is more "old-school," sitting really high off the head. "Low-profile style is just what people prefer to buy and see."
The most eligible clients for a headwear decorator will be companies dealing with outdoor activities and services. The key is the company's customer base. Market your headwear to companies who cater to dirt bikers, campers, hunters, runners, and even car owners. These people are more likely to wear the hats, and are more likely to appreciate them as gifts.

Lidia Knapp, owner of LK Embroidery and Gifts in rural Norcatur, KS, says that most of her decorated hats go to similar companies, like construction companies, plumbers, electricians, and welders. According to Jimmy Lamb of Sawgrass Technologies, this is because "companies that deal with male clientele and those who spend time outdoors do well."

When decorating promotional headwear items, certain methods are almost guaranteed for success. Embroidery, for example, is perhaps the simplest way to decorate a cap. Conversely, Lamb says that heat transfers tend not to look so good on caps.

Though some designers will argue over how to decorate a hat, most will agree on the success of hats as promotional products. "Everybody should be using hats because ultimately, the end user can either use it for fashion, fun, or function" says David Goldman, vice president of sales for Philadelphia Rapid Transit (asi/77945).

Our Favorite Wearables
Tie

Believe it or not, the tie is one of the longest surviving fashion trends, first originating as a "cravat" worn during the reign of Louis XIV of France at the end of the 17th century. Now, ties can raise awareness just as much as they can symbolize power. This silk ribbon tie uses a pink ribbon pattern on a neutral black background to raise awareness for breast cancer. Available from Wolfmark (asi/98085).

Selling Tip: Pair this with a matching pink or black scarf for an excellent awareness giveaway come October – Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Ask An Expert

Q: I am looking for a source for 100 Under Armour hoodies, all black, sizes small to extra-extra large. Please help!
A: They seem in short supply, and we couldn’t find a single supplier with black Under Armour hoodies. Other brands have similar products though. Try product F244 from San Mar (asi/84863); (800) 346-3699; www.sanmar.com. It features sport wick technology, like Under Armour, which wicks sweat away from its inner layers.

There’s also Alpha Shirt Company (asi/34408); (800) 523-4585; www.alphashirt.com. Its product (S1945) is a Champion sweatshirt with similar moisture-wicking technology. Both are 100% polyester.

Selling Tip: Customers may ask for brand name apparel, but don’t be afraid to show them your best private label wares. The difference in price may be enough to sway them.

Q: I am looking for safety-green T-shirts in tall sizes. Any idea where I can find them?
A: Check out Carhartt Workwear and Haws USA Inc. (asi/55570); (919) 267-3231; www.hawsusa.com; product K212. It’s a short-sleeve bright lime T-shirt with anti-odor technology, a left chest pocket with Carhartt’s logo sewn on, and is available in sizes LT to 3XLT. For a different shade of green, try a long-sleeve tee: product K227. Both are made of 100% polyester.

Selling Tip: Bright colors and neons continue to enjoy a renaissance in interest. Sell your clients on purchasing a whole range of bright apparel to make sure they truly stand out.

News Briefs

Ash City USA (asi/37127), will release its Fall 2011 catalog in August, and will include 35 new styles, a new contemporary design for its North End label, and the launch of its first-ever Team Wear Catalog.

Fame Fabrics added Dan Pezzotti as the regional sales manager for the Southwest, covering Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

FildiUSA is the first yarn company in the U.S. to be granted Control Union's Global Recycle Standard for its EcoTech line.

Great Garment Graphics added a new educational video covering how to make red, white and blue-themed apparel called "Stars & Stripes Patriotic Garment Decorating." The video is on its website.

Imprintable Wearhouse has announced the Spectra Eco-Film Plus, designed for uncoated woven nylon.

Inkcups Now Corporation unleashed its newest product: the ICN-150L – a two-color automatic pad printing machine that features a linear conveyor for large images and parts, 150mm ink cups, and a 12-station linear conveyor.

Page & Tuttle Corporate (asi/72725) announced that it has named MVP Promos as its sales representative for New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Washington DC.
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Royal Apparel (asi/83731) announced that it has a new address: 65 Commerce Drive, St, Hauppauge, N.Y. 11788. The new office phone number is (631) 213-8299, the new fax number is (631) 922-8438 and the toll-free number remains the same.

Sassy Scrubs has announced its Asia-inspired scrub top design. These mock wrap tops are customizable in 14 different trim options and hundreds of fabrics.

Siser North America has announced its newest product: EasyWeed Stretch CAD-Material. The material was crafted to follow the fibers of the fabric, making it less challenging to decorate performance wear.

Stahls' ID Direct announced it has expanded the Team Perfect line to include field hockey, swimming and golf graphics.

Transfer Express announced it is now offering Pearl Prints, custom pearlescent transfers available in five colors.

Wearables Terms

Knowing these terms will make distributors who just started sound like they’ve been in the business for years.

Acrylic: A manufactured fiber derived from polyacrylonitrile. Its major properties include a soft, wool-like hand, machine washable and dryable and excellent color retention.

Kapok: A short, lightweight, cotton-like vegetable fiber found in the seed pods of the Bombocaceae tree. Because of its brittle quality, it is generally not spun. However, its buoyancy and moisture resistance makes it ideal for use in cushions, mattresses, and life jackets.

Piqué: A fabric of cotton or spun rayon woven lengthwise with raised cords.

Show List
July 20 Car Decals – Add On Sales For Your Garment Printing Business - Great Garment Graphics Webinar 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST www.greatgarmentgraphics.com. July 22 Score With the Best Looking Jerseys – CAD-CUT Series Part 1 - Great Garment Graphics Webinar 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST www.greatgarmentgraphics.com. July 23-24, Pittsburgh, PA The Embroidery & Direct to Garment Extravaganza (877) 793-3278; www.embroideryextravaganza.com July 24-27, Orlando Orlando Gift Show (678) 285-3976; www.orlandogiftshow.com July 27 Heat Printed Decorated Camp Wear - Great Garment Graphics Webinar 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST www.greatgarmentgraphics.com. July 29 The Easiest Way to Print on Bags & Totes - Great Garment Graphics Webinar 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST www.greatgarmentgraphics.com. July 31-August 3, San Francisco, CA San Francisco International Gift Fair (914) 421-3200; www.sfigf.com AUGUST August 3-4, NYC DIRECTION by Indigo and SURFACE (973) 761-5598; www.directionshow.com August 4-5, Long Beach The SAAC Show (818) 346-1796; www.saac.net August 6-7, Houston, TX Embroidery Mart – SOUTH (800) 866-7396; www.nnep.net		August 12-13, Murfreesboro PPAMS PromoShow (931) 695-3117; www.ppams.com August 12-14, Long Beach The Printwear Show www.nbmshows.com August 15-18, New York City New York International Gift Fair (914) 421-3200; www.nyigf.com August 16-19, Northlands, Edmonton, AB Alberta Gift Show (888) 823-7469; www.albertagiftshow.com August 18, Houston "Hot Stuff" Booth Show (281) 238-4772; www.houstonppa.org August 18-19, Live Oak (TX) CAPPA Show (830) 980-9077; www.cappatexas.org August 20-21, Nashville, TN Embroidery Mart – EAST (800) 866-7396; www.nnep.net August 21-24, Seattle The Seattle Gift Show (213) 430-2300; www.seattlegift.com August 22-25, Marlboro, MA New England Apparel Club Show (781) 326-9223; www.neacshow.com August 22-25, Montreal, Quebec Montreal Gift Show (888) 823-7469; www.montrealgiftshow.com August 25-26, Orange County The PPAF Expo (888) 827-7723; www.ppaf.com August 30-31, Boston, MA and Long Island, NY Advantages Roadshow (800) 546-3300; www.asishow.com

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