June 2008

Novel Ideas

The plain white tee definitely has some competition, as new shirt styles and designs are exploding. Here are five novelty shirt categories to watch.

By Meghan Hurst

For most promotions, when your client is deciding what products he’d like to use, one of his first thoughts is most likely a shirt of some sort. Shirts are walking billboards, and the traditional white tee may work just fine in lots of promotions. Sometimes, though, that extra bit of creativity and flair is what you should pitch.

“With so many different garments available, it pushes the regular T-shirt to be embellished in new ways,” says Rick Roth, president of Mirror Image Inc. When it comes to decorating shirts, the “anything goes” mentality is definitely in right now. “Everything is much more creative out there,” he says. “The palette you can use to decorate a garment is much bigger.”

The new styles available also follow a similar path. “Urban and punk, and hippie and surf – it’s all come together; it’s all one thing,” Roth says. Burnout-style shirts, multimedia, sublimated, camp shirts and tie-dyes are only a handful of the styles gaining momentum in the ad specialty industry.

A twist on the traditional idea of a camp shirt, this safari shirt is made from 100% sanded-cotton canvas. The extended full-shoulder yoke adds durability and provides a great spot for embroidery. Comes in navy, desert and olive, in sizes XS-3XL. From Capital Apparel (asi/43775), product number P50120


This men’s cotton/polyester burnout-style T-shirt is specially treated to give it a vintage look and feel. Available in five colors, in sizes S-XL. From Broder (asi/42090), product number AA2606


This T-shirt has the trademark bold, all-over decoration of the sublimated shirt. Men’s sizes S-2XL. From Signatures/Snapshot Oval PKT Ashtray (asi/88005), product number RWSurfandSkate003

This Vansport moisture-management woven camp shirt provides UV protection and performance features. Laser etching visible on the left chest welt pocket. Sizes S-5XL. From Vantage Apparel (asi/93390), product number 1845

Camp shirts

Camp shirts have been making a name for themselves, particularly in the corporate and resort industries. The camp shirt stands out from the average-Joe and -Jane polos and button-downs because of its versatility and unbeatable comfort. “The camp shirt has a more resort or casual look than the traditional wovens you’d normally see in the workplace,” says Gina Barreca, marketing manager at Vantage Apparel (asi/93390).

The great thing about camp shirts is that while they do give off a casual vibe, they really are seen as a higher-scale wearable. Corporations use them for warm-weather company trips or sales meetings, while cruise lines and other coastal and vacation-oriented businesses deck their employees out in them. “When people see a campshirt, they think of something different,” Barreca says. “If I see a guy in a camp shirt here, I’m like, ‘Oh, where are you going?’”

Because camp shirts are viewed as more upscale, the general consensus is to go with embroidery when embellishing. “The camp shirt cries out to be either really subtle with a small embellishment and leave the focus on the shirt, or do a big logo,” Roth says.

A new decorating technique Vantage uses laser etching. This method allows for a tonal design to be produced on a solid shirt. “It lets you come up with a generic pattern, so you can do a repeating design,” Barreca says. The end result is a product with what looks like a custom, upscale design on the fabric.

If your client does decide to go with embroidery, Kevin Scharnek, president of public relations firm 14-West LLC, says not to go with typical left-chest embroidery. Rather, he recommends decorating on the cuff of a sleeve or the hip. When it comes to selling these shirts, their versatility as corporate-casual attire is a definite plus. Point out to clients that many suppliers’ camp shirts are made of performance fabrics that offer moisture-wicking capabilities and easy care.

This women’s burnout shirt has a vintage look and feel. Six colors available, in sizes S-L. From Alternative Apparel (asi/42090), product number AA2660

Burnout Shirts

While a burnout shirt might not sound like anything someone would want to pay for, it’s actually a very unique and interesting style. “What it looks like is a vintage shirt from the ’70s that’s been worn and washed for 30 years,” says Andrea Engel, vice president of merchandising at Broder Bros. Co. (asi/42090).

The burnout look is achieved on shirts made of a polyester/cotton blend, where the cotton is actually burned away through a chemical process. This leaves the shirt looking worn from years of washing, and leaves it incredibly soft as well.

“Of all the categories, I think the burnout is the most focused and the most specific category,” Scharnek says. The primary market he sees burnout shirts going to is the bar industry, where the look of uniforms or “gift shop” items can definitely be more casual and laid-back. They can also be marketed to college bookstores.

When embellishing a burnout shirt, water-based inks should be used, because the fabric is so thin and delicate. Roth suggests maybe even leaving a particular area of the shirt somewhat untreated, to provide a better base for printing. Subtle prints are best for a burnout shirt, since the fabric has a lot of texture and color gradations. A great way to market these shirts is to play up their comfort and style levels. Products in retail stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch or Urban Outfitters are testimony to the fact that all things old and vintage are new and trendy right now.

This shirt can have a sublimated print on the front, back or both. Comes in men’s and women’s sizes. From FP Services Inc. (asi/53475), product number IMP101

Sublimated Shirts

Typically, any sublimated shirt design will be big and bold. Sublimation lends itself to all-over decorating, vivid colors and strong messages. Scharnek and Roth say they see this type of design on a lot of performance wear. For example, cycling jerseys often have sublimated designs of sponsor names or logos. They’re also great for trade shows, when a bolder shirt design will be expected. Scharnek says he sees the sublimated shirts as more of a billboard-type opportunity, so for clients who want to grab some extra attention, sublimation should be a top choice.

Since a sublimated design typically acts as the main embellishment, the shirt does not need a lot of extra work done to it, although screen printing is another option. Sublimated shirts are a hit in the sports market, so a team that wants to imprint its jerseys with bold colors would benefit from this style.

This cotton, hand-dyed swirl T-shirt is a unisex garment perfect for sororities, fraternities or fundraisers. Each shirt is a unique piece. Sizes S-2XL. From Atlantic Coast Cotton (asi/37355), product number ASRBA

Tie-Dye Shirts

Tie-dyes are “an industry staple,” Engel says. The shirts have been around for what seems like forever, and it doesn’t appear their popularity will wane any time soon.

They range from the most inexpensive types, where plain shirts are taken and dyed, to fancier treatments. Schools, youth organizations, churches and summer camps are all great markets for the tie-dye shirt, since the style promotes the idea of a fun and casual atmosphere, especially for a younger age group.

Screen printing is probably the best bet for embellishing a tie-dye shirt. Roth suggests leaving space to print on when dying the garment. He says it’s very important to take into consideration what colors will be used in the shirt and in the print. Red screen printing on top of pink tie-dye may not look too sharp.

For a not-so-extreme tie-dye effect, treatments like ocean and acid washing are growing in popularity, because they give the impression of a tie-dye without the jarring boldness. “I really see the tie-dye market moving more into these kinds of looks,” Engel says.

This 100% cotton women’s T-shirt has a multimedia design with print and rhinestones. It’s available in four different patterns and colors (beach blue blossom, hot pink paradise, olive garden and white). Sizes S-XL. From MV Sport/Weatherproof (asi/68318), product number W8966

Multimedia Shirts

Multimedia shirts are showing rapid growth in popularity, in the wearables sector and at retail. There’s a lot of mass appeal with this style, which combines various embellishment and design options. Multimedia shirts can have print and embroidery, rhinestone embellishments with print, digital print with an appliqué, and a wide variety of other combinations.

This women’s 100% combed-cotton tee has two-tone raglan short sleeves, rhinestones at the collar and a rhinestud bald eagle design. Comes in women’s sizes M-2XL. Multiple colors available. From V-Twin Motorcycle Apparel (asi/94221), product number BB2-S
Reader Service #142

Roth says that popular combinations lately have been print and foil, print and glitter, and print and embroidery. Multimedia designs are mainly found on T-shirts, where they can be dressed up and made unique. Barreca says Vantage can now do multimedia decorations all on one machine, which works for customers on tighter deadlines.

Scharnek says that while the multimedia shirt may be more labor intensive, the end results are worth the extra effort. Multimedia shirts can appeal to colleges and even corporate; it just depends on the embellishment used. Collegiate shirts can have some rhinestone effects and print, while a more corporate shirt can have embroidery and printing or laser etching. When describing a multimedia shirt, it can sound loud and even downright gaudy, but showing an actual, physical sample of the garment typically works wonders. “You need to show some type of physical sample,” Barreca says. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be a logo.”

MEGHAN HURST is an editorial intern for Wearables. Contact: mhurst@asicentral.com.