Data from the Department of Commerce’s Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) showed that China is still the No. 1 importer of apparel to the U.S., but Vietnam recorded the most growth, with 17.2 percent, to 282 million square meter equivalents. According to Just-Style, imports rose 1.6 percent year-over-year to $6.63 billion. The volume of…
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Last week, Zara launched the brand’s new genderless clothing line. The collection, called “Ungendered,” features 10 unisex pieces, like denim, shorts, sweatshirts, sweatpants and tanks. Launched under the TRF line, the online storefront features both male and female models wearing the same basic clothing pieces. Zara, however, is not the first brand to launch a genderless clothing line.…
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According to ESPN, it was last year that Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon told baseball player Javier Baez “not to suck” when he was brought up from the minors to the Cubs. Now, the team is putting that “inspirational” notion on a T-shirt with the proceeds going to Maddon’s Respect 90 foundation. The T-shirt debuted…
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Many brands are making efforts to appeal to millennials. According to Forbes, this enigmatic generation makes up one-third of the U.S. workforce—53.5 million employees. So, naturally, many brands are trying to reach this young generation through advertising and products. According to Adweek, Splash, a creator of marketing software, used data to show what branded items…
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The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that it will not pursue compliance or enforcement actions against manufacturers, importers or private labelers of certain adult apparel that is determined exempt from testing under CPSC’s flammability standard for not having a general conformity certificate. According to a press release, the CPSC approved the new policy on…
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Proforma, Cleveland, recently concluded its Planning Retreats, formerly known as Proforma’s Regional Meetings. This seven-city event provided Proforma owners with the opportunity to connect with suppliers, learn innovative selling techniques for 2016 and network with industry experts. Proforma’s annual meetings featured a new format to facilitate more group sharing and collaboration, and to include motivational…
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When I was 12 or 13, I was on the basketball team. My school was small, so everyone made the team. Somehow I was still third string. When…
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The Image Group, Holland, Ohio, announced yesterday that it has acquired Santa Ana, California-based companies Bag Warehouse and Thirsty Promo from Mark-it Smart. According to a press release, the deal includes Mark-it Smart’s Web-based sales platform. Bag Warehouse and Thirsty Promo sell branded items directly to businesses, rather than through distributors. Jon Levine, president of The…
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Most industry folks want to focus on the “how.” How do I sell more? How can I make more money? How? I believe with all my heart that “how” doesn’t matter until you know “why.” The truth is that most folks reading this already know “how” to double their sales and incomes. The reason they…
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The U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago has issued a subpoena for the town of Cicero, Ill., requesting records for transactions with two politically connected companies, including one promotional products company. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, federal authorities requested invoices and payment records relating to You & Me Inc., a Woodridge, Illinois-based distributor, dating back to…
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