When your company seeks a shirt of casual elegance without the price tag of silk, you might consider rayon garments for your uniform program.  “Rayon is a great economical alternative to silk.  It offers similar properties found in silk – a nice sheen combined with a soft drape of hand.  It’s really just a great price conscious choice,” says Shelley Renning, general merchandise manager for Sanmar.

Rayon has a variety of textile applications.  It can be woven or knitted.  Because of the natural properties from its raw material (cellulose) it can replicate the hand of many natural fibers, like cotton, wool and linen, as well as silk.  “Rayon is a soft, comfortable fabric.  It’s silky and drapes nicely so it makes for a great, loose-fitting casual shirt,” says Lori Anderson, marketing manager for River’s End Trading Co.  “It also has few static and pilling problems and can be blended nicely with other fabrics like cotton, acrylic and polyester.”

A style perfect for this fabric is the camp shirt, which has ridden a surge of popularity recently.  Many manufacturers offer versions made of 100% rayon or a blend.  “The camp shirt is meant to be a more casual, comfortable shirt and worn un-tucked.  The silky rayon fabric allows the shirt to drape nicely and doesn’t wrinkle easily or get static.” Anderson explains.  “Even though a camp shirt is casual and worn un-tucked, the silky look of the rayon still gives it a dressy appeal that works well for Corporate America business wear today.”

In keeping with the upscale image, Anderson recommends embroidery to embellish rayon shirts.  “You want to make sure the fabric is not too lightweight and silky.  Have a little heavier rayon shirt works the best.”  Both the River’s End Contrast Panel and the Port Authority camp shirts work well because their fabric is textured and a little heavier.

Rayon has a great many benefits: It has a soft hand, drapes well, is cool to ear and has great absorbency.  However, a major drawback is that regular or “viscose” rayon has low wet strength – meaning it may stretch or shrink when wet – and thus typically requires dry cleaning.  A modified version of viscose rayon however can be machine-washed and tumbled dry.  This type of rayon is often marketed as Polynosic rayon.

Article written by Tonia Cook Kimbrough of Wearables Magazine.

“When looking for a fabric that’s durable, it’s important to consider the following variables weight of fabric, fiber content, fabric construction and technological features,” says Jessica Strain, sales and marketing administrator at Dri Duck Traders.  “The weight of the fabric describes the density of the material or the thickness of the barrier between the wearer and the elements.  The fiber content and fabric construction go hand-in-hand in developing a well-built, durable garment.”

For the ultimate in rugged longevity, choose fabrics that combine natural fiber advantages with performance technologies.  “Technological features can play a large role in the durability of the fabric,” Strain says.  “Added features such as waterproofing, wind resistance and UPF sun protection can extend the life of the garment and protect the wearer from the elements.”

You should also consider the type of environment in which the fabric will be worn.  Is it hot or cold, sunny or rainy?  Strain recommends heavyweight cotton canvas and soft-shell polyester jackets for the cool-weather climates.  “Cotton canvas is durable and warm when constructed in a tightly woven pattern,” she says.  In contrast, she suggests a 6-oz., 100% cotton ridge cloth for warm weather environs.  Dri Duck uses this ridge cloth in its Brick 4286 short sleeve work shirt, with added benefit of UPF-50 protection.

Excerpt from Wearables Magazine – Article by Tonia Cook Kimbrough

Performance wear has taken the industry by storm over the past few years, and nothing suggests that will stop. “Performance apparel is going to continue to be the king out there for 2010. It’s continuing to grow and build more and more traction,” says Marc Held, national sales director for Bodek and Rhodes.

Why? Well, the name itself, for one thing – these shirts actually perform to a higher standard. They offer properties – antimicrobial, moisture-wicking, no-fade and no-roll collar, just to name a few – that end-users simply love. “It’s one trend that shows no signs of slowing,” says Lee Strom, senior marketing manager for SanMar .  “People want their shirts easy to care for.”  Another plus for performance apparel is that the price is right. Factories have gotten better at producing performance wear, and increased supply and competition has driven down the price.

It’s no coincidence, then, that price has played a dramatic role in influencing eco-friendly buying habits. While costs have come down on the whole as factories and suppliers perfect the process, organic and other eco apparel items are unsurprisingly a little more expensive than standard apparel – a difference not insignificant enough to simply ignore.  Although eco-friendly apparel is on everybody’s mind and everybody wants to do the right thing, the economy has overshadowed that and they’re going back to buying on price.

Suppliers agree that the eco-friendly movement is here to stay, but clients who don’t specifically have an eco angle are relying on cheaper options. But there remains room to grow as the economy recovers. Also, the greater availability of recycled polyester will flourish, as polyester is increasingly coveted because of its performance properties. Bottom line,  there is definitely an interest in eco-friendly, but it has to be a good value and it has to be a little bit more price sensitive.

“Cause the other teams can’t stop staring at those darn pinstripes,” says Frank Abagnale Sr., played by Academy Award winner Christopher Walken in the movie Catch Me If You Can. Do you think that’s what distracted the Phillies in this year’s World Series? Or could it have been Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard who set a World Series record with 13 strikeouts? (We’re just throwing it out there.) 

Regardless, pinstripes have been a fashion statement for decades. “Just take a look at the mobsters back in the ’30s and ’40s,” says Justin Rieder, manager at Trimark Sportswear Group Inc. “They wore pinstriped suits to show others they have power and class. It’s a classic throwback that never goes out of style.”

In fact, Rieder, who owns a pinstripe suit but never gave anyone an “offer they couldn’t refuse,” says he’ll wear it for special occasions. “It’s definitely a ‘power suit.’ If I want to make a good impression or am meeting someone of importance for the first time, I’ll pick my pinstriped suit over any others,” he says.

If you’re looking to mix and match your pinstriped garments, there are rules that every individual should go by. “You never want to wear a pinstriped suit with a pinstriped button-down shirt,” Rieder says. “It’s either one or the other. Wearing the suit? Pick a solid colored shirt to go underneath. Wearing a pinstriped shirt? Choose a solid-colored suit to compliment the shirt.”