The devil may wear Prada, but brand marketers will be wearing plaid, camouflage and patriotic styles emblazoned with their logos this year. Straight from the runway to your corporate showroom, fresh new looks in branded apparel steal some of the hottest fashion trends and personalize them for use as wearable promotional apparel.
Apparel and accessory companies at the Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI) Show Dallas in February looked to capture the attention of show attendees with new items and emerging trends. Here are the wearable trends you’ll want to replicate to enliven your promotional products catalog:
The Great Outdoors
Whether your customers are weekend warriors or serious fitness fanatics, you’ll want to add your logo to products they can wear outdoors, such as visors and fabrics that protect wearers from sun damage and exposure. In addition, we are seeing a fashion revival of camouflage, which retailer JC Penny calls out as a print appropriate for all ages.
Mad for Plaid
Tartan is taking a trendy turn and tearing up the runways. You can make this look fit a range of company images, from preppy to punk, by ordering brand-appropriate swag. You might hand out plaid goodie bags at your next trade show or tart up T-shirts to give out as employee perks.
We Are the Champions
The last flicker of the Olympic flame has long been extinguished, but Team USA fever continues to sweep the world of promotional products. You will see this trend play out as more and more brands choose to buy wearable advertising specialties made in America or add patriot-themed patterns to logoed shirts, hoodies and hats.
To spur your thinking about how to include promotional products into your integrated marketing strategy, check out this handy overview.
