Impressions - January 2020 - 27

Oleksik says keeping abreast of retail trends amounts to "a balancing act of being on the verge of fashion and knowing the kind of
styles that will have longevity in the market."

Decoration Methods
There's a certain level of collaboration among industry stakeholders that's necessary to ensure apparel styles resonate with end users.
"As manufacturers, we work closely with ink and equipment manufacturers to ensure that when a new fabric hits the market, everyone's
ready for it," Edwards says. "Yes, new fabrics can be more challenging
initially for decorators, but newness is driving sales."
Certain upcoming 2020 styles and fabrics translate into good news
for decorators, as text-based graphic designs can be easy to print. Some
decorators even have a standard shop setup for printing on blends.
Davis says any change in how a fabric is produced can have a
negative or positive effect on print quality - which is challenging
for manufacturers selling in the decorated-apparel market - but
innovation helps with market growth.
"Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing is a great example of a print
technique that's fairly new to this industry and has changed very
quickly over a short period of time," he says. "To actively participate
in this DTG market, apparel-manufacturing techniques have also

changed and [have been] updated to adapt to the challenges associated with this print technique."

Colors and Everything Else
Colors no longer are limited by seasons. Sure, oranges and yellows
often are synonymous with fall, but Pantone's 2020 spring/summer
palette includes colors such as saffron, orange peel and Biscay Green
- all of which will appear on tees. Holdovers from last year include
coral and mustard, as well as neutrals like oatmeal.
"Mashups will also be popular - think camo [patterns], raglan
and race stripes mashed up together in one T-shirt," Edwards says.
"Animal prints are also going into overdrive in 2020, with leopard,
snakeskin, zebra and crocodile being popular in prints and appliqués."
Davis says the 1980s and 1990s are inspiring trends such as bright
neon colors, cropped tops and mock-neck tees. Mintzman agrees,
saying throwback styles, like raglan and baseball shirts, have resurfaced. She adds that bright colors will reign for kids. 
Hilary Daninhirsch is an award-winning freelance writer based in Pittsburgh.
Her writing has been featured in a number of lifestyle and trade magazines.
She can be reached at hdaninhirsch@gmail.com or hilarydaninhirsch.
journoportfolio.com.

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New Styles: T-Shirts
7. Sport-Tek Ultimate Performance T-Shirt
Style ST700LS from Stahls'  Made of 5-ounce, 95% polyester/5% spandex
jersey  Stretchable performance makes training cooler and drier  Loose,
athletic fit and tag-free transfer label make it ideal for a wide range of sports
 Raglan sleeves lend a sporty look, according to the company  Available in
six colors and sizes XS-4XL

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8. LAT Apparel Code Five Camouflage Crew-Neck Tee
Adult style 3907  Made of 4.5-ounce, 100% combed, ring-spun cotton
printed jersey  Ribbed collar and shoulder-to-shoulder, self-fabric back neck
tape  Double-needle sleeves and bottom hem; side-seam construction; and
EasyTear label

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9. Vantage Apparel Hi-Def T-Shirt
Men's style 0290; women's style 0291  Lightweight, semi-fitted tee provides
vibrancy in multicolor prints and eco-friendly, water-based inks  A variety of
colors and sizes are offered
Use Info⋅Action #308 at impressionsmag.com/infoaction

10. Royal Apparel Camo Unisex Tee
Style 17551  Made of 4.4-ounce, 50% combed, ring-spun cotton/50%
polyester  Bound rib collar, double-needle hems, side seamed and satin label
 Made in the USA
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11. ComfortWash Garment-Dyed Short-Sleeve Tee
Style GDH100  Made of 100% ring-spun, American-grown cotton  Design
focuses on softness, color and printability  Proprietary dye process helps
eliminate the messy, unwanted side effects of printing and owning traditional
pigment-dyed garments  Available in 21 colors and sizes S-3XL
Use Info⋅Action #310 at impressionsmag.com/infoaction

12.Hanes Ring-Spun Heavyweight T T-Shirt
Style 5180  Made of soft, 6.1-ounce, 100% ring-spun cotton  High-stitch
density fabric allows for superior printability, according to the company
 Proprietary Clean Canvas process removes waxes and oils from the fabric to
reduce variation and inconsistency in print quality
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Impressions - January 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - January 2020
