Cutter & Buck has been a long time staple in upscale corporate apparel as well as on the golf tour with stars such as Annika Sorenstam and Stuart Appleby being the prime time promoter.  While CB was founded in 1990, we have been working with Cutter & Buck for over 17 years.   Since those early days I have not seen such a diverse selection.  Last April a European company named New Wave aquired Cutter and Buck.

New lines such as Clique and New Wave that have significant strength in European markets are welcome additions to the CB family.  While they have always been known for “higher end” apparel, Clique and New Wave open up the middle tier price point, still focusing on the highest quality standards.

What I like most with Clique is the full compliment of retail colors in the jacket line.  The upper scale hoodies in the New Wave line are great quality at a mid price range of $24 to $32.  Cutter Bucks full corporate markets line is filled with winners.

One trend I am finding from many of my clients is that they are giving out fewer promotional products and logo apparel during these down times.  In contrast, they are using higher end products and brands like Cutter & Buck to ride on the coat tails of these well developed brands.

A few of the decoration methods being used are also changing.  While a big left chest custom embroidery was always the standard, now we are seeing more subtle methods.  My favorite is using a PVC rubber or Woven Label that is attached to the zipper pull or attached onto the sleeve.  When giving an item to a customer, less is always better.

The next time you need an idea that makes your company stand out, particularly for custom embroidery Cutter and Buck, contact us at 800-350-1796.

Another supplier of ours has introduced a new line of products known as Vantage Green. It is full of sustainable apparel designed in their most popular styles. Some products include polos, sweaters, wovens, and accessories made from 100% organic cotton. Or you may like their PET fleece hoodie made from recycled soda bottles.

If this is not enough to make you environmentally friendly, they also offer eco-friendly decoration and unique packaging options to make your entire order “green.”

The organic cotton in the shirts below is grown without the use of pesticides. The material does not contain chemicals, bleaches, or dyes thus reducing the amount of pollutants in the environment. Aside from shirts, they also showcase totes and caps made of the same organic material.

Another new idea in our market is known as eco-friendly digital printing. The process features water-based designs which are printed without screens or films. By using this special process, they are able to use less ink without any excess ink waste. On top of that, the company even recycles their ink cartridges to minimize environmental damage.

Another option is to buy fleece products made from recycled fibers. This particular material is made from recycled plastic soda bottles which are converted to polyester fibers. These fibers are then knit into the fabric. By using bottles, the company is closing the loop of recycling. They are prolonging landfill life which helps to reduce toxic emissions from incinerators; thus lessening air, water, and soil contamination.

If you would like more information on these types of products, please do not hesitate to call or write us at 317-257-3466 or Sales@ProfessionalGifting.com

Picture this.

You wake up at 6:30AM on a hot summer day. You stumble toward the shower, dry off quickly, and head toward your closet. Knowing you will be playing golf with one of your biggest clients, you must make a good impression. So you begin to rummage through your rainbow of polo’s. You choose black because it looks sharp and professional, then turn on the iron.

About an hour later, you tee off. The sun continues to rise, and a drop of perspiration trickles down your forehead just as youbegin pitching your new idea. Maybe black wasn’t the best choice. Now your biggest client is wondering why your shirt’s all wet all the while questioning your state of discomfort. If only you had chosen a different color, or perhaps a completely different shirt.  If only you had been introduced to SanMar’s premium line of sport shirts; your business, and your golf game could have been much more precise.

Some of the best shirts SanMar has to offer are represented by Tiger Woods and Nike. One of our favorite collections is presented by Nike Golf. It offers numerous sport shirts and polo’s which are made for situations similar to the one above. Their special Dri-FIT fabric pulls perspiration away from the skin and moves it to the outside layer of the shirt where it dries the quickest. The shirt also shields you from ultraviolet rays through 30 UPF protection. So you can feel confident choosing a sleek black shirt on a ninety degree day, knowing you won’t lose your cool.

The collection of sport shirts SanMar has to offer is diverse and affordable. However, if you want a fabric unrivaled in moisture management technology, Nike Dri-FIT is the smartest choice. Not to mention, most of these shirts can be worn straight out of the dryer!

For more information on customizing this product please contact us at 317-257-3466 or Sales@ProfessionalGifting.com

Items: 237607, 267018, 267019, 143308, 251821, 203691, 203690, 203697, 266999, 244622, 244623, 244586, 244612, 244613, 267020, 266998, 167316, 297996, 244620, 244621, 166762, 244618, 203692, 193583, 203703, 183982, 193581, 297995

Another one of our suppliers introduced a process a few years ago where they literally use a laser to etch your artwork on to numerous fleece products.

There are a few reasons you may want to choose this application.

1. Your artwork is large and you really want it to fill a large space.
2. You would like to have your art appear over the zipper.
3. You don’t want to spend a fortune in embroidery and tape charges.
4. You want to do something different.

Here is the rundown on how it works.  There are 15 different locations that you can do your laser design.  The cost for each location is ranges from $3 to $6 each.  Minimum orders are as few as 1 piece and there is no setup charge if all art is in order. 

We also offer this laser process on fleece blankets.  The standard size decoration is 7″ x 7″ but if you really want to go overboard, we can laser the whole thing.  Of course the price goes up, but they are great for point of sale ideas.

If you are looking for some of the most creative ways to decorate your next wearable project, contact sales@ProfessionalGifting.com.

If you prefer not to read through this whole post and would rather talk to someone live right now, I can be reached at 317-257-3466.

There are a number of tee shirt buyers out there.  They are as follows:

1. Those looking for existing designs in small quantities.
2. Those looking for existing designs with modifications in small/large quantities.
3. Those looking for custom designs either designed for them or they already have the art.
4. Those who already buy lots of tees and know what they are doing.
5. Those looking for unique imprint methods and designs.

We deal mostly with 2, 3, 4 and 5.  Here are some of the basics.

1. Timing:  How quickly do you need them?  We keep in stock at least 2000 white tees that are available to be printed in 24 hours provided we receive camera ready art.  If you are looking for any other styles, we have access to numerous styles that can be at our facility within 1-2 business days.  Certain name brands may take a little longer.  Standard delivery time for new orders is 3-7 days.
2. Imprint method: 90% of all apparel jobs are done with standard inks or embroidery.  A standard white tee shirt with a 1 color, one location print and a minimum order of 100 shirts are $3.00 each with a $25 setup charge(free setup with mention of this post).  There are typically up charges for sizes over XL.  If you are looking for high density inks or any number of the unique glitters or Bling (diamond stones), there are only a few decorators that offer those imprint methods.  Unique printing will  bring your delivery time closer to 2-3 weeks, depending on complexity.
3. Artwork:  In order for any printer to do the job fast and right, they need Vector art.  This is typically provided as an Adobe EPS or AI file.  If you have an idea of what you want, it is best to hand draw it and fax or e-mail it to us or better yet, search Google images to find approximately what you are looking for.  We have artists that vary in range from $15 per hour to $75 per hour. When doing short runs, try not to get to detailed when creating a new design, however if you are running 500 shirts or more or are looking to resell your product over and over again, artwork is what makes the shirt.  Think of the tee shirts you own and which ones you wear the most.
4. Printing on whites, lights and darks.  With traditional screen printing, when you print on dark items, this requires you to lay down a base coat and flash the garment.  What does this mean???  Let’s make it simple…  If you were printing a white logo on a black tee, you would print the logo once, pass it under a heat lamp, which makes the ink semi dri and tacky, which allows you to print over it again, relatively quick.  If you did not do this, your first white imprint would be dull.  A small portion of the black shirt would show through the ink.  Therefore, the shirt mentioned above would be considered a 2 color job and the cost would go up for 2 reasons.  First the cost of the extra printing and the second reason is below.
5. Color of garment:  When dealing with T-shirts, whites and natural color tee shirts are normally the least expensive, while light color tees have an up charge, premium color shirts another up charge and darks yet another up charge.  Rarely have I seen this tiered pricing based on color with polo’s, but it is common with sweat shirts.
6. Shipping:  For vendors like us that do 1000′s of shirts a week, many of our wholesalers will give us free shipping on orders over $350 from their warehouse to our screen printing facility.  After we complete the job, the is a cost for us to ship direct to you, unless you choose to pick them up yourself.  If it is a large order, it makes sense to pick up yourself or have the garments couriered for additional savings.
7. Packaging:  If you are doing mass events bulk is the standard method.  But if you are using these as gifts, I normally recommend having them folded and bagged.  There is typically an extra charge of $.15 to $.25 extra, but it is well worth it.  Do not fold and bag for large events, as they are likely to create a lot of trash lying around.  Be sure to ask that each bag is marked with the size of the garment.
8. Retail packaging:  There are a number of up-scale brands that we can order in small quantities, print and do our own packaging but for the full retail look, you may need to order a minimum of 72 or 144 pieces for the factory to do their own packaging.  What is the difference?  Factory packaging for brands such as Callaway, Ashworth, Cutter Buck, Tehema, Antigua, etc… have tissue paper used in the wrapping.  Some of these are also available in shirt boxes or branded bags.  We can create this image in house using your own branded boxes, color of tissue paper or custom bags, to achieve the rich look you may be shooting for.  We can also supply all of these packages.  Or for another twist, we can turn it into a compressed tee shirt in the design of one of your products.
9. Fulfillment:  Fulfillment is really designed specifically to fit your needs and is quoted accordingly.  While some people are looking to do minimal fulfillment, a company like www.cafepress.com might be the best solution, but for those looking to ship 1000′s of shirts, there are likely better choices.

If you are looking for the creative ideas and high quality service, contact us at Sales@ProfessionalGifting.com.

For those of you that have read my Zorrel tee shirt review, here is a rundown on their jackets.  Yesterday I was really excited when my sample boxes arrived.  I had ordered a couple dozen tee shirts that I would use for sampling to potential clients and I couldn’t help but to order a few products in their jacket line.

The “Seattle” Z1207 Reversible Sideline Jacket was the first piece that made it out of the box.  I would have to say that the color was almost identical to the picture above and the optional colors are much more retail oriented than your standard colors.

While this item is posted on the Zorrel site for $131.95, our price with a 12 piece minimum order is $79.95.  This includes up to 7000 stitches of embroidery.  Another nice benefit is that they are available in sizes up to XXXXL.

The Z1030 “Golf” is a Classic Golf Jacket.  Here too, we have retail oriented colors and an outstanding design.  I am not real crazy about the gathered sleeves, but they are nice when it is cold outside.  Colors available are the Copperlake (shown), Black, Catamaran blue, Roco and Wet Sand, being the lightest color.  Your price is $57.95 with embroidery.

Should you be looking for an outstanding line of jackets or wearables, contact sales@professionalgifting.com.  Free samples to qualified buyers.

Do you remeber the first time you wore a Columbia Jacket… Uggs Shoes… Croc’s… or Patagonia winter gear.  I got the exact same feeling when I started wearing Zorrel tee shirts.  Their long sleeve tee in particular is nicer than any other I’ve owned.  All of the stitching is very elegant, yet durable.  I have worn mine to work out in the yard and I’ve worn it under a sport coat.  Definitely one of the most versatile shirts I own.

Another benefit of this line is the color selection.  They also offer 19 colors and get this… pricing on colors is the same as whites.  They are so proud of their colors that they are a part of their logo.

As far as pricing goes,  I just placed an order for 100 short sleeve tees with a 2 color log on one position.  They priced out at $7.75 each.  If I would have done a standard Gildan or Hanes piece, they would have priced out at $5.25 each.  Hey… wait a minute, that’s $2.00 difference!!!  Why would I pay $2 more for this shirt?  Here is my answer.

1. The quality is outstanding.  The Zorrel piece has a higher perceived value.

2. While many shirts come in different colors, these are not your standard basic colors.

3. Would you prefer the recipient wear your shirt 4-6 times or 100 times?

Combine this item with creative packaging; create a unique hang tag, pay extra for outstanding artwork and you will have a piece of art instead of just a tee shirt.

By the looks of their website and advertisements, they likely have a nice marketing budget as well.  I’m not really sure what some of these graphics mean, but they would be great on a tee shirt.  I guess the top design means that they have cool colors.

My guess on this one is that they are not “Plain as Toast”.  Ok maybe I’m pulling at straws.  I have a number of samples on order and will be checking out their new outerwear line.  I have no doubt that these will be equally outstanding.

When you are looking for an expert opinion of wearables and the many unique ways to design a garment that will stand you apart from your competition, contact sales@professionalgifting.com.  Mention this article and I will send a free Zorrel tee shirt in your size and color if you are a qualified promotional or logo apparel buyer.  Limited to the first 10 people.