Corporate Apparel Trends in 2022
Whether you require employees to wear uniforms or you’re just looking for gift apparel items they can wear on and off the clock, make sure to choose high-quality, comfortable pieces that fit each person, both in body type and lifestyle.
Environmentally conscious and comfortable are two corporate apparel trends, as many workers have shifted to remote or hybrid work that sways them to wear a sweatshirt rather than a suit coat.
By providing your team with branded corporate apparel, they can promote your business in the office, online, and around town, as they head to dinner, sit on the sidelines at a youth sports practice, or attend appointments.
Why is Corporate Apparel So Popular?
For many years, corporate apparel missed the mark. Executives selected one or two options for an entire company without considering the varying employee body types and personal preferences. There are many dry clean-only button-downs adorned with an embroidered logo withering away in closets because the recipients aren’t quite the button-down type.
But with an increasing catalog of corporate apparel available for purchase today, you can provide employees with exactly what they choose to wear, just with your company’s logo as the icing on a free piece of clothing.
Reasons to invest in corporate apparel:
- Easy, Stress-Free Dress Code. You can eliminate decision fatigue for your teams when they know that anything available for purchase from the company apparel vendor is something they can wear to the office.
- Work From Home. Encourage your teams to lean into the casual wardrobe that remote work provides, and provide them comfortable options like hoodies or sweatpants.
- Maximize Brand Exposure. Even though some of the team may be working from home, they’ll still leave to hit the grocery store or run other errands. When you provide comfortable clothing that fits their lifestyle, they’re more likely to keep wearing it after the workday ends.
- Logo Exposure. When your company’s logo appears on the breastplate of a shirt or jacket, you’ll be able to reinforce the brand through virtual meetings, too.
Corporate Apparel Trends to Watch in 2022
Work attire is more casual these days, and smart casual is typical for those leaving home each day. Your teams are seeking items that can be worn with jeans and quickly dressed up or down.
With many people working from home or hybrid, the demand for comfort clothes increased significantly. Many consumers also want to make their wardrobes more sustainable, which can be accomplished by owning fewer garments of greater quality.
Consider the trends below when selecting corporate apparel.
Layers
A jacket, vest, sweater, or scarf can quickly transform an outfit, dressing it up or down based on need. Consider a piece that team members can layer and get multiple wears out of before it needs laundering.
Sustainable
Many people place greater importance on clothing made via sustainable manufacturing processes or eco-friendly materials. When you go green, you focus on quality and sustainability for the environment. Rather than provide a dozen mediocre items, consider investing in a few terrific pieces that will be an immediate choice following laundry day.
Promotes Health
Consider all the hats your colleagues wear daily, and make sure to provide apparel for those uses. Many people work out, so consider providing athletic clothing that promotes personal wellness. Athleisure is a growing sector, and items with UV protection, moisture-wicking properties, or water resistance are likely to be coveted.
Colors and Patterns
Let your company’s personality shine and go beyond the logo. Think about ways to show the brand’s persona by incorporating patterns, textures, and artwork into the selected apparel. While you want to provide your team with options, company colors are always a good idea.
Comfortable
Comfort and function are top priorities these days, so focus on clothing that fits into those wants. If you provide hoodies, quarter zips, and loungewear with the company branding emblazoned on it, your team members are more likely to wear that than their old college sweatshirt when working from home. While polos are great because people can wear them year-round, remember to provide cold weather gear — you can still rep the company while bundled up!
Accessories
Consider the other wearables your employees need — socks, slippers, hats, and face masks — and determine whether any of them could carry your company’s marks.
As you select items, think about the apparel people wear these days. If you own a funky restaurant or bar that bucks conventional dress, lean into trendy crop tops. If your employees regularly play tennis or golf at the country club, perhaps you want an understated logo on a tennis dress, pair of golf shorts, or a visor. Think about where life happens for your employees and top-tier customers, then select items that serve those situations.
Allow Lettering Express to Help You Find the Right Fit
When you’re providing someone something they may not purchase for themselves — like company-branded clothing — choose a high-quality or unique item that matches their style. Give your team members something they like so much that they reach for it every time they open the closet, not another T-shirt to throw in the drawer.
Be intentional about understanding the individuals who will wear your brand and provide options that fit their style. Choose something durable, nice, and desirable, even if your team may not use it daily or weekly. All-weather jackets and knit ski caps have use limitations. Still, if they’re top-quality material, the one promoting your company will be chosen repeatedly, even if the team member moves on.
Lettering Express provides businesses with the products they need to be noticed and remembered, so let us help you find the right apparel for your employees and their needs. Contact Lettering Express today to get your corporate apparel order started.