After the Workout

Thursday 09th of April 2009 09:37:14 PM

After the Workout

Casual workout wear is not only for gym, say fashion industry experts. T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies are quickly becoming staples on the fashion scene. Thanks to designers like Ed Hardy these comfy cotton clothing items are hot, hot, hot!

A glance through any recent fashion magazine will show hundreds of ads featuring models in bold, graphic t-shirts and hoodies. Editorials and fashion layouts can also be found focusing on these big sellers.

What does this mean for both t-shirt manufacturers and distributers? Hopefully it will mean a big surge in sales for 2009. Consumers want comfortable clothing that is inexpensive, fashionable, and will last. T-shirts and sweats fit this desire perfectly.

Jac Johanson, an executive with a major t-shirt manufacturer, was recently interviewed by Textile. He addressed the topic of gym wear becoming everyday wear in the interview. “We have seen a huge demand for comfortable casual wear from retailers. Our customers say consumers are begging for low cost fashion. We can give them this with our graphic t-shirts for a reasonable price. As a result, we are now seeing more orders than ever before from mainstream clothing stores.”

Johanson’s company manufactures t-shirts and other clothing items for some of the design world’s heaviest hitters. He says their logo t-shirts have been their biggest sellers this season. Stores are stocking up on graphic tees in hopes of having enough in stores to meet consumer demand.

“It is not surprising to us at all,” Johanson states, “because if you can get a fashionable apparel item at a low price point would you not buy it?” Most consumers seem to be answering yes. Sales figures for the first quarter of the year show cheap t-shirts are one of the biggest overall sellers in a depressed market. These figures make Johanson and others like him very happy.