Versatility Breeds Success in Wovens

Specialty detailing, functional features and washes give wholesale wovens advantages that rival those at retail.
Oct 1, 2008

For 2009, Edwards Garment will introduce 10 new woven styles for men and women. Among them is this wrinkle-free oxford that features contrasting inner collar and cuffs, as well as a soil-resistant finish.

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.

FASHION + FUNCTION
Offering something for everyone isn't exactly easy. Manufacturers and distributors must wade through a sea of designs to choose the ones that best suit their customers. When it comes down to it, today's corporate wovens customers want updated classics with a slew of performance features. "The corporate market seeks products that fit the wearer's needs in terms of functionality and personal fashion," says Cindy Sims, public relations and promotions manager for Heritage Sportswear, Hebron, Ohio. "Plus, the overall workplace presentation must look top notch, delivering the perception of service excellence."

Sims points to easy-care, wrinkle-free, moisture-wicking and anti-microbial properties as features that enhance functionality. "A majority of wearers home launder their apparel, so reducing ironing time and pre-washing stains adds a convenience factor that's worthwhile," she says. "Soil release, stain resistance and improved colorfastness lend value to the garment and extend the life of the product and its overall appearance."

Edwards Garment's wrinkle-free oxford is tailored from premium 20s two-ply fabric and features taped seams for wrinkle-free construction. The men's version has a button-down collar, back-box pleat with locker loop and left chest pocket, while the women's version has a fused soft collar, no pocket, a straight back-yoke seam and a contoured fit. "This style offers a contrasting inner collar and cuffs, which sets it apart from other oxfords in the corporate market," says Tarayn Lloyd, marketing director for the Kalamazoo, Mich., company. "The shirt also has mitered cuffs and pearlized buttons, and is wrinkle free with a soil-resistant finish."

Sierra Pacific Apparel, Houston, recently debuted Featherlite oxfords for men (regulars and talls) and women in both long and short sleeves. "These are made from softer, smoother fabrics that breathe," says Mark Goldwater, sales and marketing manager. "Our Featherlite brand signifies performance. In this case, performance properties include stain resistance, soil release and liquid repellence."

River's End Trading Co., Minneapolis, added several new dress shirt styles to its Tommy Hilfiger collection. "These styles have some great colors, stripes and patterns," says Lori Anderson, marketing manager, adding that the Harry shirt is one of the collection's best sellers. "It is a great buy for the corporate market because it offers fresh colors and an interesting checked pattern for an understated style that can be dressed up for the office or worn as a fun, casual shirt any day. It also appeals to a wide age range."

FABRIC + COLORS
Each industry seeks different features for their wovens, and currently, fabric type and color are major trends in the corporate market. "Today's corporate [clients] are looking for a style and color that set their brand apart from a competing business," Lloyd says. "They want a tailored look that reflects their corporate colors and is an extension of their brand. Traditional oxfords in white, blue, black, gray and French blue are mainstay colors in the corporate market."

Outer Banks, a division of Hanesbrands Inc., Winston Salem, N.C., produces an Ultimate wovens collection, which include solids, oxfords and classic patterns in a full range of colors. Those hues include everything from traditional corporate shades to more vibrant coastal-inspired colors for which the company is known. At Sierra Pacific, Goldwater says, "Fashion colors are great, but the colors that shine year after year are Nantucket navy, safari yellow, glacier blue, onyx black, stone, sandalwood and arctic white."

River's End's Anderson points to traditional colors like black and navy as best sellers, "but we are doing very well with patterns, stripes and checks across all our brands," she adds. "If you offer customers a simple, subtle pattern in a dress shirt, then logos and designs will still stand out. With a fun, interesting shirt, it may be noticed even more."

Heritage's mainstays are oxfords, pinpoint oxfords and twills, but Sims says solids continue to outsell patterns due to decoration ease. "But delivering a choice is crucial," she adds. "Subtle patterns and textures like herringbone and houndstooth mini checks are gaining in popularity." The supplier recently added a Bill Blass gingham check to its line in basic colors. For Heritage, white, black and French blue dominate when it comes to woven colors, but light blue- and khaki-striped wovens are in increasing demand as corporations define their identities, Sims says.

As with color palettes, suppliers also are offering various fabrications. Outer Banks carries a range of woven fabrics, including 100% wrinkle-resistant cotton, a lightweight 60% cotton/40% polyester poplin and a cotton/Lycra spandex stretch for women.

Sierra Pacific carries 70% cotton/30% polyester shirts, while Featherlite twills are made from 60% cotton/40% polyester and represent the true crossover from dress to casual, Goldwater says. "Either shirt can be worn with a tie, with the twill working for any environment," he adds.

Heritage carries a Van Heusen shirt made of silky poplin fabric that "is treated to create a truly silk hand that wears and performs like a dress shirt, but is easily worn in a relaxed corporate-casual atmosphere," Simms says. Similarly, other retail brands like Tommy Hilfiger from River's End offer a softer fabric with its 100% cotton peached poplin.

WOVENS FOR WOMEN
Women's companion styles are common in today's wholesale apparel market. Suppliers have been producing specific styles for women for a few years, and have perfected their women's designs to include more than just female silhouettes. Features distinctive to women's wovens include fitted darts in front and back for a contoured appearance, 3/4 sleeves, narrow plackets, covered plackets, oversized buttons, dyed-to-match buttons, soft pointed collars, pleated fronts and French cuffs, according to Sims. "Women want to look fashionable and shop for workwear that mimics the retail marketplace," she adds. "Manufacturers are tuned in to this trend and have stepped up to the plate to select softer fabrics, contoured fits and added details that women want."

Outer Banks' Stretch Poplin Shirt features a touch of Lycra spandex for stretch and recovery, and its Twill Dress Shirt is made from 100% wrinkle-resistant cotton. "These shirts are tailored specifically for women, [featuring] front and back darts and a tapered waist," says Matt Waterman, senior marketing manager for Hanesbrands. Similarly, Sierra Pacific's women's wovens are princess darted in front and back. "Ultimately, the cut and style will allow the female form to be shown appropriately vs. the old baggy straight-laced women's garment cut from a men's style," Goldwater says. "The garments are tailored with an open collar and no pocket."

"Women want retail-inspired styles with blouses that are tailored to their shapes," says Lloyd, adding that all of Edwards' new blouses have contoured side seams — many with darts for added shaping — short-, long- and 3/4-sleeve lengths, shirts without left chest pockets and choices in placket and collar type. "Our tailored stretch broadcloth blouses are appealing not only because the style is retail-inspired, but the cotton/polyester blouse has added stretch in the fabric for additional comfort."

DECORATION TRENDS
When it comes to embellishing wovens for the corporate market, left-chest placements are still No. 1. "The left-chest area will probably always be the most popular logo placement for woven shirts, but some customers are mixing it up with embroidery on the cuff or even the back collar," Waterman says. "Typically, subtle or tonal embroidery is preferred on fine woven shirts."

Heritage's Sims agrees that smaller, more subtle decoration and tone-on-tone designs are popular trends for executive wear. "Quality drives the market and customers prefer to let the quality of their apparel convey their message vs. large, obtrusive decoration," she says. "Decoration on the cuff, center back yoke and even the shirttail are common."

In the end, the key to happy corporate customers is meeting their needs — even if clients aren't completely sure of what they want. "Knowing your clients — how and where they will wear the apparel, how it will be laundered, etc. — will help you match up the appropriate product to fit their needs and the overall feel of the work environment," Sims adds. "Asking questions is imperative to a good fit."

For more information or to comment on this article, e-mail Haley at hhobson@impressionsmag.com.

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