As part of our mission to deliver a genuinely bespoke and sustainable swag service, we’re launching new guidance on garment tailoring. When you chat to us about swag, we’ll now recommend that you ask your team for their preferred tailoring style, rather than providing unisex clothing.
Why?
Unisex clothing is the norm across the promotional merchandise industry. It’s cheaper to produce and fits most body shapes. However, just because it fits, doesn’t mean it fits well.
Top garments are generally cut in two styles, as pictured. The top on the left are cut and sewn in a straight line from bottom to top, while the one on the right are tailored to be narrower at the waist and flared at the hips. The top on the right also have narrower shoulders and smaller sleeves. The first style is generally used in clothing made for men, while the second is used in clothing made for women. Unisex clothing is tailored in the same way as clothing made for men, meaning that it is often too big and ill-fitting for people with curvy body shapes.
If only unisex clothing is on offer, it’s unlikely that all of your team will receive a garment that fits well. This is bad news if you’re hoping they’ll wear and promote your brand with pride. Everyone on your team, no matter their gender or body shape, should be able to wear branded garments that fit well and feel good.
As well as being more inclusive, moving away from unisex clothing reduces waste. We know that promotional clothing – and products – often end up in landfill. We’re already working to change that by providing high-quality and practically useful swag, instead of gimmicks. Providing better fitting clothing is the latest step in our waste reduction strategy. People are less likely to wear something that fits poorly, increasing the chances that a garment will lie unused in a drawer or, even worse, be thrown out.
So, from now on, we’ll be giving the option for your team to select tailoring style at the same time as they select garment size. Instead of using the gender binary to define clothing, we believe people should be able to choose the style they prefer and that suits their body shape. We’ll therefore refer to the two styles on offer as ‘straight fit’ and ‘tailored fit’.
Thanks to Leta Amburgey from our friends at Onfido, for giving us the nudge to make this change 🤝
Want to chat more about branded clothing? Get in touch with us now.
