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The current spending squeeze has changed our purchasing habits, on the high street and online. Slow fashion is fast becoming the way we buy, even if we don’t know exactly what ‘slow fashion’ means. It’s a term that’s increasingly being used by the top retailers and designers to define the way that customers are moving away from ‘fast fashion’ ie quick knockoffs of catwalk styles that are sold very cheaply and not expected to last more than a season, to ‘slow fashion’ which is increasing seen as multi-seasonal, locally-made, organic, recycled or fair trade clothing.
Multi-seasonal means classic styling – no faddy buttons or strange collars, no odd logos or ‘witty’ messages and in simple, easily harmonising colours. Locally-made means produced nationally or even regionally, like Arran sweaters or Harris tweed, and organic and fair trade clothing is seen as fairer to the planet and more likely to have high quality materials in its manufacture, while recycled clothing is obviously hard-wearing (after all its been worn once!) and usually reasonably priced.
What does this mean for polo-shirts?
It means solid classic colours: white, red, navy, grey, cream and simple styling. It means that people are likely to make fewer, and much better considered purchases, and to want to ensure that all new clothing works with a number of items in their existing wardrobe. It also means more sales at the premium end of the market for organic and fair trade clothing because customers are engaged by the issues involved and will be prepared to save money on other things to ensure they can feel good about the few and essential clothing items they are going to invest in.
August 18th, 2008
If you have to wear a shirt to work, then there are mysteries to be solved: one of them is the nature of the collar. To begin with, a fused collar has an interlining fabric, buckram, plastic etc, which gives shape to the collar itself. This means you don’t have to starch the shirt and it looks better for longer whether or not you wear a tie, as it doesn’t start to crumple around the neck. Beyond the fused or unfused collar there are then styles of collar, for example:
Button down collars – which are considered the least formal and date back to the 1900s, they were supposedly invented by professional pool players in the USA who wanted to get rid of stiff collars that cut their necks as they played shots
Point collars – reasonably self explanatory, but basically they should have a spread between the collar points of around two and three quarter inchesTab collars - where the collar points are joined by a button or snapSpread collars – where the collar points are spread more than three and a half inches – these are the most formal and are usually found on dress shirts – they allow you to wear a cravat or bow tie with ease Club collars – (a very American style this) which have rounded collar pointsPoint collars are the most commonly worn and will suit most offices – some institutions frown on the button down colour and many lawyers (again particularly in the USA) wear the tab collar joined by a gold or platinum bar.
Shirt photograph by makeshiftlove, used under a creative commons attribution licence.
November 26th, 2007
Diary dates for promotional clothing, event clothing and uniform 2007 and 2008
11 September, 2007 Trade Only National Exhibition - Donington, UK
13 - 20 September, 2007 ITMA 2007 - Munich, Germany
25 - 27 September, 2007 The National Incentive Show 2007 - Birmingham, UK
02 - 03 October, 2007 Brand Licensing Europe 2007 - London, UK
16 October, 2007 Footwear & Clothing in the Workplace
9-11 January 2008 PSI Germany Dusseldorf
25 - 27 January, 2008 TV 2008 - Textile & Promotion Trade Fair - Germany
29 - 30 January, 2008 Trade Only National Exhibition - Coventry, UK
17-18 February 2008 Printwear UK Cranmore Park
02 - 04 March, 2008 Printwear & Promotion 2008 - Birmingham, UK
02 - 03 April, 2008 Workwear & Corporate Clothes Show - Birmingham, UK
September 7th, 2007
Winter is almost upon us (did it ever really end?) and the choice of jacket styles has grown again. Advances in technology mean that not only can you buy an expensive waterproof jacket with ports for your mobile phone, iPod or Blackberry but that even standard jackets have features that were not available a few years ago. Fabrics are now more easily manipulated, and promising to be very popular this winter are jackets made using ’soft-shell’ fabrics.
Shell refers to the outer layer of a jacket designed to block wind and/or water from entering and there a three main types. Completely waterproof jackets protect against water and wind, but conversely prevent moisture from escaping. A hard-shell layer, such as Gore-Tex, is waterproof and somewhat breathable. They are typically made up of a thin, porous membrane that blocks liquid water, but lets through moisture. A soft-shell layer allows moisture to evaporate freely, provides protection from wind chill and partially blocks water. When combined with a water repellent coating this option provides cover over all three categories. Soft-shell jackets are also lighter, less bulky and more breathable than their counterparts.
David Sanders-Smith, of Result, states that: “Soft shell fabrics is the latest line-up of must-have performance jackets. The fabric is lightweight that stretches to further enhance performance and comfort levels required for today’s ever demanding outdoor lifestyle. In addition, Soft shell offers high levels of warmth and has to be the first choice outer layer when worn in dry and cold weather conditions”.
Still the best selling jackets for outdoor activity are completely waterproof examples, with those such as the Regatta Stormproof Jacket proving particularly popular. And if it is too cold for the traditionally thin jacket it can always be used in conjunction with the warm but absorbent fleece, such as a Uneek Fleece Jacket.
August 24th, 2007
The rate of technological advance means that new embroidery machine models are constantly being introduced to the market and the latest area of innovation seems to be among the single-headed embroidery machines, being manufactured with smaller dimensions yet packed with more technology. This type of machine is perfect for those needing a small-scale production line yet wanting a professional piece of kit. Here is a comparison between 5 of the most popular machines that you will no doubt be considering.
Brother:
Brother’s PR600II has many enticing features, chief among which is a dedicated attachment which allows you to embroider caps. However with only 6 needles, a relatively small 200×300mm embroidery field and being far less technically orientated this will no doubt be rejected by even small-time professionals. The PR600II is clearly aimed at the dedicated home user but these may be put off by the not inconsiderable price tag of £5,295, however this includes software, delivery, training and a 12 month warranty.
Happy:
The Happy 1 Head HCD 1501-40 at £7,995+VAT costs a similar amount to Brother’s machine. However despite its rather off-putting name this machine is a far more advanced piece, offering easy USB and Serial access points allowing the user to simply incorporate it into a pre-existing LAN network with no hassle or expensive specialist accessories. A large memory bank allows you to not only store designs but also the set-up information for each design, meaning that large and complicated designs need only be entered once and saved. With small enough dimensions to be tucked away into a corner, 15 needles, 1,200 stitches per minute, a 440×420mm field and delivery, software and installation included this is a powerful machine for a reasonable price making a great package for the small-time business or home enthusiast.
SWF:
Packed with thoughtful features such as directional LED’s which negate the need for bulky lights over the work area and the ability to enlarge or reduce your design, the SWF/E-U1501 is a viable alternative to the Happy and a machine to be seriously considered if you are beginning an embroidery business from scratch. It also has 15 needles, automatic trimming to ensure the neatest possible job and an automatic recovery system in the event of power failure. However this model is larger and bulkier than the Happy so if purchasing be sure to have measured out the necessary space. There is no listed price and you have to ask the manufacturers for a specific quote.
Baruden:
Their V Series C01 is the self-proclaimed “most powerful single head embroidery machine ever built”. Utilising the same welded frame construction and needle drive as their 12 head model the C01 can handle heavy jackets, canvas bags and horse blankets as well as t-shirts ensuring that stitching is both quiet and accurate even through the heavier garments. A colour LCD screen with easy-to-follow icons make this machine easy to use for amateurs and professionals alike, and the memory backup option makes sure that all logos can be saved so there will be no time-consuming re-entry of information. With its 15 needles operating at 1,000 stitches a minute this machine is as speedy as it is simple and its 450×520mm sewing field means that even the largest jackets can be handled.
Tajima:
The TEJTII-C series boasts “The ultimate value for the beginning embroidery professional” and it is hard to disagree. Offering almost everything the other models do including a cap embroider, high-speed yet quiet operation, 1,200 stitches per minute, a 640,000 stitch memory, thread trimming, power failure control measures and the ability to check whether a design will fit into the frame before you sew this machine packs an incredible amount into a small easy-to-install package.
It is important to remember before purchasing any machine to be sure to enquire as to which software will work best with it, the one provided by the company may not always be the one to get he best out of your machine.
July 23rd, 2007
US!
Our Berol markers are a huge success and it seems that trendy music publication NME has cottoned on (forgive the pun) to the fact that these are an essential purchase for those wishing to express their individualism and customise their t-shirts in an attempt to escape generic brands worn by thousands.
When NME needed their markers in a hurry it was us they turned to, and after recommending our website for all your Fabric Marker (and t-shirt) needs, what are you waiting for?
July 2nd, 2007
Fabric markers available for immediate delivery. We are pleased to advise that we have sourced a new range of fabric markers The Setaskrib fabric markers are produced by leading European craft pen supplier Pebeo. These fabric pens are ideal for decorating T-shirts and other cottons items. The markers can be used to produce various lines and effects. Colours can be mixed together by drawing different colours on top of each other before the colours dry. To fix the colours onto the t-shirt or fabric they should be ironed (on the reverse side for 2-3 minutes). These fabric markers are available for immediate delivery at £9.99 plus VAT. Click here for more information on SetaSkrib Fabric Markers.
