Hoodie Decoration Trends

Aug 1, 2008

Royal Apparel produced several thousand of this Dave Matthews Band fleece hoodie to mark the start of the band's new tour. The lettering is partially shredded, similar to the Abercrombie look [at retail], says Morey Mayeri, president. The company sewed down the applique, shredded it, then washed it to get the full effect.

Once a popular street or hip-hop item, the hoodie has now infiltrated all markets. "It started out as a more rugged, street look, but now, a lot of retail designers have been buying it," says Morey Mayeri, president of Royal Apparel, New York. "Distressed and vintage looks are probably the hottest treatments that people are doing to our hoodies. You can do an enzyme wash or a stone wash. There are so many ways to make it look worn." Edge grinding has been popular, he adds, but it's more for the designer market.

For full-zip style fleecewear, Royal usually decorates on the chest or across the zipper, says Mayeri, adding that the hood also is popular. "We have put embroidererd patches on the hood," he says. "Also, appliqué across the chest is popular. We decorate fleece using plastisol inks, water-based inks, appliqué and foil."

Cindy Sims, public relations and promotions manager for Heritage Sportswear, Hebron, Ohio, says decorators should look for kiss-close zippers so the design on the front is uninterrupted. "Be creative!" she says. "Decoration can wrap around the entire side, be added to the hood and embellished with sequins, studs, metallics and more." — H.H.

Growing Green
Effective marketing unlocks the profit in eco-friendly products and processes; here's how.
The worldwide "greening" of industries is not a passing trend, as social responsibility has become a mainstay in conducting business these days. Companies in the decorated apparel industry are doing their homework to properly educate and deliver green products and an eco-friendly philosophy to customers. But effectively marketing green products presents unique challenges for apparel decorators, so it pays to learn some green marketing lessons from the big boys.
October 01, 2008

Versatility Breeds Success in Wovens
Specialty detailing, functional features and washes give wholesale wovens advantages that rival those at retail.
The old saying, "You can't please everybody," doesn't apply to woven shirts in the wholesale apparel market. Today's wovens manufacturers offer an array of styles, fits and performance qualities to suit even the pickiest of customers. Specifically, in the corporate realm, these wholesale manufacturers have added specialty detailing that will allow custom decorators to give retail wovens a run for their money.
October 01, 2008

How to Create Easy Embroidery Effects, Part 2: Puffy Foam & Trapunto
Follow these simple steps to add dimension to basic embroidery designs.
This month we will continue to look at processes in embroidery that are a little outside of the norm. While some of these processes are popular, like 3-D foam, there are other special techniques, like trapunto, that are less well known. Most of these are pretty easy to pull off, as the complicated work is done in the digitizing.
October 01, 2008

How to Sell to Religious Institutions
Churches could be a great market for your custom embroidery work.
Religious-themed embroidery is some of the most beautiful in the world, and is crafted using time-honored methods. Today's commercial embroiderer can continue the tradition of creating ceremonial worship embroideries, as well as selling more contemporary products to churches and other religious organizations.
October 01, 2008

Tips for Using Metallic Thread
Think of metallic thread as the equivalent of the foil effect that's popular on screen printed T-shirts sold at retail today. It adds a similar trendy look whether used in concert with other apparel decoration applications or alone.
October 01, 2008