10 Tips for Choosing Hoodies to Customise
We’ve said it before, and we’ll no doubt say it again, hooded tops are great garments. That’s to say, they combine those essential elements of a go-to piece of apparel in that they’re both practical and stylish. Which, of course, makes for an excellent bit of clothing to print and embroider. With this article on tips for choosing hoodies to customise we’ll take a closer look at what makes the perfect hoodie for your printing and embroidery project.
Wholesale Hoodies
Here at Fifth Column, we’re known for supporting and promoting the use of ethical and organic products. However, we can provide a massive range of blank merchandise which covers the spectrum. And there are plenty of plain hoodies available to the wholesale market. In truth, at times, the choice can be bewildering. But you remove most of that when you have a clear idea of the factors involved and what is most appropriate for your needs.
Find the perfect hoodie for your project
Okay, let’s get into what you ought to note when choosing hoodies to customise. Below, we have ten points that are worthy of consideration when looking for the perfect hoodie for your project.
1.Quality
You have to think about quality with most blanks and hooded sweatshirts are no different in that regard. Because quality is a definitive characteristic with clothing and one that can reflect on your brand. So, how long do you want the finished item to last? Will it become one of those favourite that’s worn for years to come? The material, the finish and the detailing all contribute to how that quality is perceived by the wearer. Incidentally, you’ll tend to find that certain wholesale brands have a reputation in this area. We’ve shown one such, AS Colour, in the images that we’ve used.
2. Price
Closely allied to quality, the cost of the plain hoodie obviously has to sit within your budget. And, let’s face it, we all have a budget and the biggest chunk of that with a print and embroidery job will be the cost of the base garment. Whether you’re printing a hoodie for retail sale, as a promotional giveaway, or as part of a staff uniform. As you might expect, as quality increases, cost usually goes up with it. That’s not to say that cheaper plain pieces have to ruled out when you’re choosing hoodies for printing and embroidery. Because they can be perfectly acceptable so long as they fit in with your intended use. For example, you might not want to use a high end product for a freebie promo.
3. Style
Now, here we have a consideration that shouldn’t be overlooked. The style of the garment can be super important to the success of the project. By way of illustration, think about the recent trend for over sized, drop shoulder styled sweat tops. They’re fashionable and very much of the moment but not everyone is comfortable wearing them. Truth be told, they don’t suit everyone. That said, they’re probably an excellent choice if you’re producing a fashion line for a youthful market. But, you’d be on safer ground with a standard fitting if you need staff uniform for a varied work force.
Hoodies also come in pullover and zip up options. It’s fair to say that there are fewer zip hoodies because they offer less flexibility in terms of the design. That is, the zipper can require adapted artwork and it can complicate the printing process.
4. Fabric
What the garment is made of will also be a factor when choosing hoodies to customise. These days, hoodies are commonly manufactured from a cotton and polyester blend. So, the type of cotton will have an impact on the overall feel of the hoodie. Which in turn can affect how well it prints. For instance, combed is classed as higher grade than carded cotton. Of course, you can also get pure cotton hooded tops and others that are 100% polyester. Ultimately, the choice may be down to your own preference and what you think fits your market or purpose.
5. Seasonal
Clearly, the time of year affects the clothing that we want to wear. Consequently, you ought to consider when your custom branded hoodies are going to be worn. Whilst they are an all year round garment, heavier weight fabrics are likely to prove less popular during milder months. So, the lighter and mid weight hoodies are the most seasonally versatile choices. The heavyweights, and there now some super heavy hoodies out there, are good if you’re specifically targeting the colder winter period.
Match the garment to your market
6. Colours
Virtually all custom clothing orders have a specification when it comes to the colour of the plain hoodies. And as mentioned, there a lot of wholesale hoodies available for printing and embroidery. However, not all of them come in wide colour ranges which reduces the choice when you want a shade that isn’t on the basic palette. But that’s not an insurmountable issue because some brands offer big colour cards in their core styles. Check out Stanley Stella, Anthem, Bella + Canvas to name three.
7. Sustainability
These days, sustainably made fabrics should be on your radar (we’re talking organic cotton and recycled polyester). And why’s that, you might ask. Well, there a couple of good reasons other than the obvious environmental ones. High grade organic cotton generally produces good printed results. Amongst other things, organic cotton tends to provide a smoother surface for printing. Beyond that, the public is increasingly ecologically aware and favouring products which are kinder to the planet and people.
8. Size
Size range may or may not be important when you’re choosing hoodies to customise, By which we mean, most blank hoodies come in a reasonable selection of sizes. And therefore meet your needs if extra small or large sizes don’t figure in your plans. Needless to say, the choice decreases when you want sizes such a 5xl.
Other than range, size can also be interpreted in the sense of how a garment is cut. That’s to say, slim, standard or loose fitting. Which will always be relevant to your decision and largely depends on who is going to wear the hoodie. It can be a tricky one. For example, we recently spoke to a retail brand that had switched from slim to the current trend of boxier fit. With unwelcome results in that uptake on the new line was very slow. Put plainly, their customers simply didn’t want looser hoodies.
9. Minimums
This is a point which is most applicable to small print runs and embroidery project. Some wholesale suppliers may have minimum order quantities. To be clear, we’re talking about buying the actual garments and not something like the minimum quantity required for a screen printing run. That aside, it’s an issue that cause problems because having to buy a whole carton of each size can won’t be feasible for small orders.
Create outstanding branded apparel
10. Partner.
Perhaps not directly related to choosing hoodies to customise, picking the right printing partner to decorate them is still incredibly important. Not least because a good print company will be able to help you right there at the start with sourcing suitable garments. People like ourselves have the level of experience to give solid advice. We’re familiar with the manufacturers and their products. And we want your project to be a success.