Impressions - January 2019 - 35

Fabrics and Color

To be sure, all tees are not the same, and there's a style available
for everyone. "Fit and fabric are perhaps the most important characteristics in today's T-shirt," says Jennifer Oleksik, design and
merchandising manager, LAT Apparel. "The fit has to be right,
and it has to feel good when you put it on. Fabric is continuing
to grow in importance year after year. With all of the great new
fabrics in the market, customers want a great hand-feel with good
quality that is easy to decorate."
Gone are the days of rough, coarse-feeling tees. In 2019, they
are softer than ever and of premium quality. In 2018, some styles
ventured back to heavier weights, but ring-spun cotton fabrications and soft-hand feels dominate the market.
"People are falling back into classic items," says Marcus Davis,
product development manager for Hanesbrands. "Rather than
disposable, trendy tees, [today's] consumers are looking for classic, retro styles. A vintage look and feel, stripes and garment-dyed
[styles] - consumers want classic."
It's no surprise that sustainability is a consideration for socially conscious consumers. Sustainable trendiness is important to
Millennial and Gen-Z consumers looking for something new in
wardrobe longevity.
A trend that definitely has legs for the future is the augmentation of neutral color palettes, Edwards says. "People like neutrals
because a great neutral color can be paired up with just about
anything," she says. "Combine a neutral with a heather textile
construction and you've got a winning combo. The explosion in
black/gray heathers, along with shades of taupe, oatmeal and military green are great examples of sustainable trendiness."
Oleksik says LAT Apparel continually conducts market research
and studies sales trends in an effort to narrow down what "fashion"
really means to the wholesale market vs. at retail. "It's all about
the design details that elevate a garment without making it too
fashionable for the masses," she says.

Decorating to a Tee
New fabrics bring myriad choices to consumers,
but they also can facilitate various decorating challenges.
Different inks and heat settings must now be
considered, and screen printers may even need
to adjust platen heights if working with a
garment whose fabric has a raised surface. Understanding how a new fabric may perform with
any given decorating technique underscores the
importance of testing.
"At the wholesale level, we have to be very conscious of the fabrics we choose," says Jennifer
Oleksik, design and merchandising manager, LAT
Apparel. "It has to be decoration friendly. We
are always performing decoration tests to make
sure the fabric is a viable option as both a
blank option and a decorated option."

Finding a Fit

T-shirt silhouettes in 2019 will vary to accommodate the wide array of consumers looking to find comfort while looking fashionable.
"For men, we have seen the rise of the slim jean and from there,
the tee has also evolved to fit," Edwards says. "From classic, modern
and slim-cut tees, the more form-fitting styles are emerging as more
popular in the new year."
She also says the biggest trend in tees will be the continued growth
of online, on-demand printing that delivers a customized and unique
product to the customer. Text-centric designs remain on-trend, so
expect to see lots of slogans, fun phrases and ironic sayings. In terms
of graphic treatments and fonts, nostalgic road-trip graphics and a
return to the 1970s and 1980s also will trend strongly.
Gameday styling will continue to be a valid trend in wholesale
and retail channels. Color-blocking also will have a stronghold on
T-shirt styles this year. Likewise, cropped short- and long-sleeve tees,
and tank tops, will be relevant this year. In fact, on long-sleeve tees,
drop shoulders will take center stage in 2019, Amin says. Davis says
unisex and "boyfriend" tees are trending with women as gender-fluid
apparel gains traction.
The new year also will see more blends, textures and interesting
dye techniques in fabrics. Women's styles will continue to diversify
from slim and fitted to full, flowy and boxy, with fabrics that include
Modal, rayon and spandex.
Also, apparel decorators will be giddy to know experts agree that
logos will be prominent, opening the door for embellishment creativity.

Fabric is growing in
importance with T-shirts.
This ladies' Curvy Gameday
Lace-Up premium jersey tee is
made of combed, ring-spun cotton
premium jersey with a drop-tail
hem and side-vent construction.
JANUARY 2019

P.35

Impressions - January 2019

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