Apparel Decorating Trends for 2023-2024

What are the hot trends coming up for the end of 2023 and 2024? Citadel Brands, JERZEES, Next Level Apparel, and SanMar share their ideas on what the future holds.

Citadel Brands

Courtney Karam, General Manager

Q: What’s currently trending as far as most popular styles/types for decoration?

A: Right now, we are seeing a lot of matching suits. With it being warmer weather right now, our JHA080 campus shorts are a great option to our Just Hoods line, as well as our JHA074 Track Pants. They match with all the different styles that we offer in our Just Hoods by AWDis (All We Do is) line.

Q: Do you have anything new or in the works that accommodate different or specific types of decorating techniques?

A: Our Just Hoods line is 100% cotton-faced so our garments are a perfect match for any printing technique whether it’s DTG, DTF, screen print, or even heat-press transfers and vinyl.

Q: What changes can we expect in your color story for 2024?

A: More colors! We are always looking for the best colors to add to our already-existing 42-color pallet, so be on the lookout for a few more soon!

Q: How do you help decorators educate and promote your styles to their customers?

A: Test printing. Once a decorator has our products in hand, it is hard to turn us down moving forward; Just Hoods is never better and has stayed that way!

JERZEES

Katie Byrd, Assistant Brand Communications Manager, unless otherwise indicated

Q: What’s currently trending as far as most popular styles/types for decoration?

A: Our new NuBlend fleece shorts are super trendy and perfect for the transition from summer to fall season. For other types of apparel, we’ve seen direct-to-film decoration trending in today’s market for multiple reasons. It’s easy, meaning that anyone can do it. It’s also economical, provides a soft hand and print on the garment, and there are very few limitations to the fabric content needed for this process.

Q: What changes can we expect in your color story for 2024?

A: There will be a mix of color trends for 2024. A continuation of long-term colors that will carry into 2024, for example, Sweet Cream Heather and Golden Pecan. We will also see pops of color, often inspired by health, wellness, and sustainability. For example, Celery Juice is a new pop color that has a garment wash feel and is inspired by the health benefits that celery can offer, like antioxidants!

Kristen Vincent, Merchandising Manager

Q: How do you help decorators educate and promote your styles to their customers?

A: The key is to make sure decorators are aware of key features our styles offer which can help their customers choose the best product for their project. For example, if a customer has an audience that will primarily be outside wearing a style, it may be helpful to recommend products that are moisture-wicking, have UPF protection, and are ideal for performance. We achieve this goal by sharing informational videos that are engaging while still being educational about our products.

 Next Level Apparel

Torin Rea, Vice President, Marketing

Q: What’s currently trending as far as most popular styles/types for decoration?

A: The classics: Unisex tees for all. Get crazy with the colorways to match up with tonal graphics, which is still the driver for most e-commerce brands.

Fleece and matching sets: As we approach back to school and the holidays, people like matching sets. Comfort rules all, but having a color-coordinated matching set makes it look less sloppy and more coordinated.

Q: Do you have anything new or in the works that accommodate different or specific types of decorating techniques?

A: Next Level developments for the foreseeable future are looking to make sure our fabrics not only cater to existing popular printing techniques (plastisol, waterbase, discharge, sublimation, etc.) but also focus on the newer technologies of DTF and DTG. Santa Cruz Fleece: 80/20 blend with a 30 singles 100% cotton blend. Prints just like a 3600!

Q: What changes can we expect in your color story for 2024?

A: Fashion color families: washed grey/blues, coral red/pinks, and tans/neutrals, all coming out in some of our best-selling styles.

Q: How do you help decorators educate and promote your styles to their customers?

A: We provide resources for our printers so they can feel comfortable with their product recommendations. We also can provide one-page sell-sheets that have all of the information for each style. We will also work with our printers to provide imagery and marketing collateral so they can build out their websites to better display product for an easier sell. But when it comes to it, the best work to help our printers comes before anything has come to market. Next Level extensively tests the print quality of all of our fabrics during the R&D stage. Check out the Next Level Print Guide here.

SanMar

Alison Swift, Senior Marketing Manager

Q: What’s currently trending as far as most popular styles/types for decoration?

A: The longer lengths of certain styles allow for more space for decoration and more creativity in where the deco could be placed as a result. The MM2021 Mercer+Mettle Women’s Long Sleeve Twill Overshirt is a perfect example of this trend.

Additionally, there are key details that are also trending. I’m thinking particularly of outerwear where pockets and pocket flaps are getting larger as well as the fact that pockets are now increasingly placed on the outside of the garment, so they can be seen and accessed most easily: J919/L919 Port Authority Collective Outer Soft Shell Parkas and J363 Port Authority Latitude Waterproof Heavyweight Parkas are examples of this trend.

We also have a great blog recently published on PosiCharge and Cationic Polyester, a type of polyester fiber that takes deep and brilliant colors without bleeding or fading. Cationic polyester optimizes printability and is an ideal fabric for decoration.

Also, PosiCharge Mesh, a water-soluble dye process that breaks apart, or ionizes, in the dyeing solution to give off a positively charged colored ion. The cationic ions dye the polyester fibers by linking with the acid groups on the fibers – locking in the color. This results in better bleed-resistant colorfastness.

Recently added polos ST530 and LST725, ST725 using recycled poly + PosiCharge for a double whammy! See all 145 Sport-Tek PosiCharge styles at sanmar.com (search for posicharge).

Q: Do you have anything new or in the works that accommodate different or specific types of decorating techniques?

A: Direct-to-film (DTF) transfers are still the top trending new type of decoration with our decorator base.

Q: What changes can we expect in your color story for 2024?

A: A definite shift is the increasing importance of lighter neutrals being added into the mix in a wide range of product categories is something to note. So, seeing colors like Ivory Chiffon (LW701 Port Authority  Ladies 3/4-Sleeve Tunic Blouse), Sahara (J363Port Authority Latitude Waterproof Heavyweight Parka), and Soft Beige (NEA525 New Era Heritage Fleece Pullover Hoodie) is now becoming our new normal with more added each season.

These colors are easy to merchandise in collections because they provide a visual relief with their soft, minimal presentation, freshening up a page with a lighter, fresh color. Also, depending on the product, they offer a gender-neutral option, making them an easy option for anyone on the team to love.

A new take on tie-dye with some great color combos can be seen in PC143 Port & Company Allover Stripe Tie-Dye Fleece that is launching this fall. We’re continuing to add color to top styles, as well as matching colors in new silhouettes that will continue into next year.

Q: How do you help decorators educate and promote your styles to their customers?

A: We have many resources, including branded and category-specific Look Books, Product Navigators organized in a Good, Better, Best format, and a standalone site for sports customers at sanmarsports.com. We also have decoration spec sheets on every product detail page. These help decorators when suggesting certain items and decoration needs based on the equipment they have, which is a unique resource tool in the market.