So, all in a day of learning. Yes, I spent my Sunday at Printwear and Promotion doing the touchy-feely bit and getting the product into my hands to help us specify great solutions for our customers.

A different show from previous years, less might be one word, but what was there was certainly worth the time.

Probably to our biggest wholesale channel first, considering we’ve not actually met our account rep in person, it was great to know that voice alone gets you recognised. Gildan has a new Softstyle Midweight Fleece Adult Hoodie, which yes made the mark, with 15 colours in the range, it’s not quite to the level of the other big Hoodie manufacturer, but we can say, there will be stock of this, as this wholesaler and brand a renowned for keeping good stock levels. So, a sure winner there!  If you’re sporty, the advent of a well-known name of Craft coming into the portfolio of this supplier is a real winner too. And, yes I will be product testing certain items myself (that says a lot!) However this isn’t in the catalogue yet – give it a few weeks and we’ll be chomping at the bit for it. 

For our workwear clients, here’s the winner through this wholesale channel – Jobman workwear, yes the Craftsman Trousers, are certainly a product to take a look at. We also liked the Softshell Jacket as well – again specification at the price point is a great option – more than the Regatta Ablaze, but in a different league. If you are a brand snob and workwear has to be absolutely top-notch, the option around Helly Hansen is there, and the Manchester T-Shirt again really packs a punch.

As big fans of Hoodies, we had to stop by AWDis – purely the range is awesome, with more colours than you can shake a magic wand at. Whilst we have some in our Halifax Showroom, we don’t have the full range, Great for apparel which needs to bring brand colours really to home. We also took a serious look at AWDis Just Cool and knowing some of our personal trainer clients and fitness industry clients, there is some interesting development in products which will allow your branding into more places, including crop tops and excellent leggings. The other Hoodie which we are fans of is Anthem – this has become our staple top-of-range go too. Yes, we came away with a sample of the mid-range Anthem Hoodie and did spend a bit of time looking at the zipped hoodies as well.

Other highlights saw us exploring options around merchandise to bolt on to apparel – watch this space. We also had substantial conversations with a significant outdoor clothing brand about potential packages we might be able to offer. Plus exploring further product offerings which might help us to enhance our offering.

So our advice – if you’re looking for apparel and workwear, ask, we’ve seen a lot, and gotten to know a lot of products. We have sample stock available for you to see for yourselves in our Halifax showroom. 

We’ve said this before, we do evaluate the garments and apparel we specify. Result Workguard we’ve tested and tried various products over the years, in fact over 5-6 years! We’ve bantered with tradesmen who are blatant brand snobs, for their Dickies and Snickers kit. We’ve tried some of this too, and we will say Result Workguard matches up well to the performance, even outperforming some of these brands – in our opinion.

Stuart unpacks some of the features and findings…

So I’ve had a pair of technical shorts and trousers to match for a substantial period. They’ve survived the rigours of everyday studio work, signage installation on-site for clients and many other grovelling-around type jobs, up through tight spaces, managing and refurbishing our new site, prior to moving in and much more.

Pockets are tool ready, yes I leave retractable knives, squeegees and much more in my pockets. Combined with the right belt they don’t drift like some trousers and shorts. Trousers have good knee pad capability. The phone pocket, is well placed and is secure. Above all, tough and durable.

So at the price point, they’re not pitched at the point of your top brands, clearly, at the performance level, they’re well placed and do last well, I would recon that they equally compete on sheer pound for feature and longevity. As part of a worked / managed collection for a trades business, coupled with the right t-shirts, polos and hoodies, they form a good proposal.

We’ve yet to fully test the jackets in the range, however on initial scoping – the jackets will prove an interesting proposition for a future review. The trousers and shorts have passed with us, however, we’re always open to debate. At the price point, we seriously do specify and recommend these are workwear. (However if popping in to see them, ask beforehand, as they haven’t yet made it in to the show room!)