For the Business of Apparel Decorating
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20 1 4 M ay Printwear | 39 W omen's wear can be a particularly tricky market. "Women's fashion, for example silhouettes, colors, and trends, tends to be more volatile than men's, which creates guesswork for the wholesaler in terms of style selections and quantities," says Lori Helms, Carolina Made. Further, with a wide and diverse market, women's wear needs to address the needs of both casual and corporate customers, Ritchie Belyea, ash City, emphasiz - es. as such, it is especially important to keep abreast of the latest trends in the world of women's wear. Of first and foremost concern is fit and styl- ing, as these two factors reign supreme in the women's market, SanMar's Rhea aslin says. Style lines can additionally create a flattering appearance. and, Helms advises to look for com- plimentary cuts—details such as a tapered body, shorter sleeves, and a shortened bottom hem. The use of princess seams and darts can help tailor and streamline a women's garment, according to Belyea, setting silhouettes apart from men's apparel. "These style lines utilize more curves whereas men's wear has more an - gular lines," she adds. This is a far cry from the days when men's garments were simply sized down to create a "companion" style. In terms of silhouettes, we see everything from traditional fitted V-necks and crew necks, to crisp polos, to decidedly feminine designs. Currently on the market, drapey/flowy styles are particularly popular, says Helms. This can, in part, be attributed to wholesale's emulation of retail trends, which extends to prints and fabrics as well. as Ivy Mai, Kavio!, notes, 2014 will see more florals, stripes, and lace on the decorated apparel side. additionally, we continue to see burnouts, marbled, and heathered fabrics grow - ing in popularity, offering unique finishes to otherwise standard styles. For the corporate apparel market, polos are showing up with softer, more feminine plackets, while jackets are more body conscious with waist cinching belts or design details, explains Belyea. Other design components on the rise, according to aslin, include gathers and pockets, all creating unique choices in a once-homoge - neous market. On the color front, Helms reports that black is still the most popular color. Its more neutral progression, gray, is also an important hue, says aslin. From light hued to charcoal and slate, the color plays well with a number of cor - porate and brand colors allowing for versatility. and, for the coming year, Mai tells us to expect modern twists on traditional shades, such as brighter pinks, blues and purples. A Women's Prerogative Trends in today's women's wear CERTIFIED ISO 9001: 2008 VERSAUV® LEF SERIES 12"/20" UV flatbed printers starting at $19,995 US score oen create custom gis and promotional items for countless new sales opportunities For a free print sample visit www.rolanddga.com/lef When your customers come to you for apparel, don't stop there. Offer them scores of new choices with UV printing. VersaUV flatbed printers allow you to print directly onto a vast array of substrates and three-dimensional objects up to 3.94 inches thick. Combine CMYK, White and Clear ink for visual impact plus unique dimensional effects on awards, giware, and promotional products. PW_MAY14.indd 39 4/17/14 4:47 PM