Fleece. The cuddly, less waterproof cousin of the jacket. The more sweat-wicky, gym-friendly relative of the classic sweater. The more professional, upstanding “I don’t want to look like a teenager who hangs out in front of convenience stores bumming wine coolers” version of the hooded sweatshirt. While similar to many other kinds of outerwear, there isn’t any type that is quite a perfect match. Fleece is unquestionably an apparel category all its own.
It has its own strengths, its own weaknesses, its own quirks and its own ways to leave you laughing and feeling like you’re just printing money from nothing. If you’d like to take a swing at selling this distinctive style of outerwear, take a look at the seven tips below for insight on what’s new, what’s selling, and how to angle your sales pitches.
1. Fleece Isn’t a “Cold-Weather Only” Item
Just because fleece jackets appear cozier than your bed’s comforter on a Sunday morning, don’t assume the fuzzy apparel is for chilly climes only. “It doesn’t matter what climate you live in—even in the hottest climates they have a cooler period of the year where they could at least use a microfleece,” said Vanessa Keefe, director of marketing for Charles River Apparel, Sharon, Mass. “Plus everyone has experienced a cold air conditioned office, plane trip or restaurant and wished they had something to put on.”
2. Try Them as Part of a Uniform Program
“We had a distributor that came to us looking for an item to target to an in-home party-based cosmetics organization that had thousands of consultants nationwide,” said Keefe. “We recommended one of our plush women’s fleeces as a great snugly, warm piece that was reasonably priced, a high-quality item and could be worn by the consultants in their in-house visits or simply as weekend wear,” she explained. “The in-home cosmetic company had such rapid success with the fleece that they asked for more apparel recommendations. The program that was originally for one style of fleece led into a program that spanned polos, exercise wear, weekend casual jackets and even yoga wear from Charles River Apparel—all branded with the cosmetics’ company logo.”
3. Thin is In
Skinny isn’t just for the runway and your terrible neighbor Karen anymore. A thinner alternative to the classic, puffy fleece is gaining popularity in the outerwear world. “We have seen the traditional high-loft (plush) fleece remain popular, but we are seeing the rise of a more modern fleece,” said Keefe. “This more modern look is made from a filament fleece which has a very fine yarn, giving a soft feel,” she explained. “It’s nice as it still has all the warmth of a fluffier, high-pile fleece but has a more upscale look. We find this type of fleece really gaining traction with those distributors who sell to tech companies, insurance, consulting firms, hospitals and banks.”
4. Opportunity in Athletics
Selling fleece to sports teams should be a no-brainer, but your pitch ideas should extend past “Well I don’t know, kids need warm-ups and the whatnot, right?” Not that there is anything wrong with selling fleece as a main component of a uniform, but if that angle doesn’t take, there are less direct ways to pitch the apparel. “You will sometimes see fleece given as a special piece for championship winners,” said Keefe. She mentioned parents who often sit in the stands as another opportunity.
5. Color is King
As with soda brands and traffic lights, color is a big deal among the branding-via-apparel crowd. Phillip Ambros, marketing director for Houston-based Sierra Pacific Apparel, stressed the importance of being able to match a company’s colors specifically. He mentioned popular collegiate colors explicitly as an element that had particular sales value.
6. Match the Decoration to the Demographic
Fleece is a little different from other forms of apparel in the sense that it spans the realms of “classy and corporate” and “young and hip” easily. Really, it all comes down to how you handle the decoration.
“More conservative businesses will either opt for a tone on tone logo for a subtle look, or they will choose another location besides the typical left chest,” said Keefe. “We frequently do upper arm/bicep and back neck locations, which still show off the logo but make the wearer feel less like a walking billboard,” she said.
“For teams and high schools kids—the bigger and bolder the logo, the better,” Keefe stated. “Most teams want to show their logo with pride so we will see either full back embroidery or appliqué on our fleece in addition to the left chest (and even a name on the right chest or sleeve).”
7. Grab the Style-conscious with Name Brands
Ambros suggested that if you’re trying to the young or fashion-savvy, working with a known name brand can be a major help. The trust people associate with a fashion brand can be a major selling point, doing most of the sales work for you.
