Branded apparel remains one of the most effective and popular categories in the promotional products world. Far from the days when it was limited to the simple imprinted T-shirt, today's offerings reflect the wide range of the latest retail fashions. Not that T-shirts are going anywhere. Because very large imprints are appropriate, they make the best walking billboards. The trend seems to be lighter-weight fabrics, heathered colors and subtle textures. Bold and neon colors are still present; however, we’re starting to see more pastel and earth-tone color options come into play. Beyond that, desire for T-shirts equipped with moisture-wicking and anti-microbial features is increasing.

Polo shirt offerings are now including many more performance fabric blends. Polyester used to get no respect, but those days are gone. In apparel terms, polyester now means performance — clothes infused with comfort-enhancing, environment-battling properties like moisture wicking, stain resistance, wrinkle resistance, antimicrobial and even UV protection. The biggest new development for 2015 is that these features are now beginning to be available in woven shirts. For years, wicking properties were limited to knit fabrics, as they depended on having multiple layers. New developments make them available in the more professional-looking woven shirt.

Shirts aren’t the only apparel categories being revolutionized by evolving performance technology. Mid- and outer-layer styles are being invigorated, too, with items like hybrid fleece jackets that combine functional water-resistant body panels with moisture-wicking performance fleece. Performance-enhanced layer pieces in quarter-zip and full-zip jacket styles will be extremely popular. Beyond the clothes themselves, the ascendance of performance apparel is influencing trends in decoration, compelling more clients to select laser-etching and heat-transfer. These two methods lend themselves better to poly performance fabrics, as both methods are weightless and look more cohesive with the overall appearance of performance wear. They lend themselves well to the more subtle effects of tone-on-tone decoration that fit in well with lighter colors and earth tones. For more on decoration trends, and example photos, see our recent article.

As you plan apparel needs for your company in 2015, contact us here at APTCO. We'll help you to be fashion-forward.