Kevin Sourivong, CEO, Sifteez, Dallas, is a teenage T-shirt designer who started his own company based on his designs. He agrees text-heavy designs are hot, especially among his age group. Photo by Deborah Sexton
DAY 20–KEEP UP ON T-SHIRT TRENDS–Differentiate Through Design
Easier said than done you say? Actually not. Just go to a crowded movie theater complex on a Friday or Saturday evening. Make note of what the teens and pre-teens have on their t-shirts. Or stop by your local shopping mall and do some window shopping at the stores favored by young people. Why do you need to keep up on trends? Because even if your customers are NOT the most cutting-edge folks in the world, they usually want their t-shirts or sports jerseys to look as fashionable as possible. And since we’re all not trendsetters, we have to be ready to know how to follow. Basically, you have to be prepared to show your customers that you can create a fashion-forward look or at least have an idea of what is in style this season. For example, did you know that inexpensive foam caps are more trendy and popular in some areas of the country than expensive twill baseball caps? At least with some crowds. You’ll have to do some research to find out what kids in your area are into. If you have teenagers, ask them and their friends. Here is one trend that imprinted industry trendwatcher and writer Deborah Sexton shared with me:
“An emerging trend among some of the industry’s cutting-edge T-shirt designers is to shy away from the well-known traditional fonts such as Times Roman, Ariel, and Century and instead use custom-designed fonts that are available from artists who specialize in cool new typefaces that ooze personality and mood.”
For any t-shirt specialist looking to differentiate through design, custom fonts are a great way to add excitement. Don’t forget the option of full color digital transfers for your custom designs–you have no limitations on design complexity, detail or colors.
As Kevin Sourviong, CEO of Sifteez in Dallas says, Stay Intelligently Fresh, or SIF.
Best of luck with your business Kevin!