By Barry Lipsett, President & CEO
Distributors… you’ve had this happen before, you have a client who wants advice on picking the right color for their employees jackets. So what do you do? How do you know if a bright color or a more traditional dark color is best for them? Bright colors in apparel - from polos to jackets – have been popping up everywhere these days. Here are a few tips that can help guide you in recommending the right color.
The first question you should ask your customer is “What is the purpose of the garment?”
Really take into consideration how and where the items will be worn. I recently met with Bill Fine, the President of television station Channel 5 WCVB in Boston. Bill explained that in his line of work, reporters most definitely need to wear bright colored garments so they can stand out on TV. Reporters sometimes find themselves in the middle of crowded, chaotic scenes and the viewer needs to be able to focus in on the reporter. Channel 5 uses the color royal frequently in their newscast to catch the audience's attention. In this instance, a bright fun color works to their advantage as it reads better on camera.
Above: Navigator Jacket style 9934 shown in Royal
When Color Sends a Message
A bright color that has far-reaching applications is "hi-visibility" lime green. Once just thought of for police and construction workers, hi-vis colors have recently become fashion items for everyday wear among teenagers. It is now also considered an "energy" color and is associated with well known brands targeting teens from vitamins to energy drinks. If lime green is just too bright for your client, then try suggesting a yellow or bright teal as a slightly more subdued choice. Also consider the hot fashion colors at retail- especially if your end consumer is female. The latest colors such as teal and turquoise, raspberry and lavender are fashion forward colors women will enjoy wearing.
At Right: Women's Soft Shell Vest Style 5819 shown in Raspberry
But what if you are giving away shirts to employees as a gift and you expect that they will wear them out of the office? In that case, a bright yellow polo might not be the best choice to get the maximum wear on the weekends. This is a perfect opportunity for a more subtle, traditional color such as black or navy, or even a neutral such as white. These are more familiar "comfort" colors that employees can easily pair with khakis or jeans.
Consider the logo and the garment colors
Charles River's Designer, Gina Gaudet says you should always consider the "contrast in color between the garment and the logo. Some contrasts are more visible than others, like a black shirt and a red logo. By choosing a darker color garment and a lighter, brighter logo you make the company's logo really pop."
It’s important to be a good source for your client and be able to confidently guide them to great choices. On our website, you can create free virtual samples by dropping your client’s logo on to any style/color combination. This can help your client envision what the final product will look like and help aid them in their decisions about colors. And let our experience work for you! Gina, our in house designer, also regularly advises distributors on color combinations and what colors really work best together.
You want them to show off your logo
When the primary concern is to reward an employee or customer it may be best to offer a color that you know most people would prefer. That is probably why black and navy are still the two most popular colors purchased. Giving away a popular conservative color also ensures that the garment will get worn and your logo will be out on display more often.
Whether you have a client who is looking to try an energetic, bright color or if they choose a more traditional dark color, you can count on Charles River Apparel to have exactly what you’re looking for!
Happy Selling!
I couldn't agree more, having a colorful palette always gets you more sales, it brings up good moods when people are wearing it of course.
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Workwear
Posted by: Josh Stone | December 24, 2010 at 09:29 PM