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.