As we’ve been focusing on working women this week leading up to the celebration of Mother’s Day, we’ve shared some ideas for pampering those women executives and business owners on your client list with great give-aways. We’ve also shared the second installment of Debra Shafer’s online mentoring session featuring great insights from her 30 years as a woman entrepreneur. Today, we shift our focus to outfitting women in the workplace.
The corporate “uniform” today is becoming more and more varied and often times more casual. However, businesses and organizations are seeing that the way their team members are clothed can make a powerful impression on customers. Offering employees a collection of brand-sensitive and logo-embellished wearables is a great way to foster a consistent brand image with the public as well as help team members to “buy in” to the brand identity. In addition, corporate-centered wearables can be a huge asset for visibility in situations like tradeshows, conferences, or industry events. But, how do you provide wearables your women executives and team members will want to wear — and items they’ll feel comfortable in?
Women often feel at their best and most productive when they are comfortable and at ease in their clothing. Corporate wearables are no different than personal fashion choices in that regard. Offering adequate choices is one of the keys to creating a successful corporate wearables program that will meet the requirements of both men and women.
Because of the considerable trend toward logo-wear in the workplace, there are a multitude of garment options for women to choose from. When determining pieces to include in your corporate wearables package for women, pay attention to these three considerations: options, details and flexibility.
Options.
For women, the thought of wearing a specific “uniform” is sometimes off-putting. Women value individuality in their clothing choices, so offering those options can make a corporate wearable program more successful. When planning your logo-wear options, color can be a great way to provide brand consistency while also allowing for individuality. Offering a variety of clothing pieces and styles within the same brand color palette can offer a uniform “look” as well as enable team members to exercise personal preferences. For example, the polished blouse and women’s cut polo in the blue color family above offer both “dressed-up” and more casual options that will work in different business situations and for different tastes. In addition, this flexible approach to a team look gives your business a less “Stepford” and more current look, showing prospects and other companies a more individual-based approach to doing business–a real plus for larger companies in particular.
Details.
One of the main areas where corporate wearables fall short in outifitting women team members is in choosing items that are primarily designed for men. The details in the cuts of men’s clothing versus women’s is very noticeable for women employees. Pay attention to size breakdowns and choose items that are available specifically in women’s sizes to provide a more comfortable fit. Consider fashion details such as the cut of the waist or shape of the hemline. Items that flatter women tend to include a cut that is smaller at the waist and wider at the hip, rather than a straight cut. Also, women often enjoy wearing their blouses and shirts untucked, so a straight or only slightly curved hemline can provide a more professional look. In addition, take sleeve lengths into account when choosing items to include in the program. Options like the 3/4 sleeve straight-hem shirt and the more casual v-neck tee shirt shown above offer alternatives to the standard boxy company tee shirt.
Flexibility.
Women tend to layer their clothing year-round. By providing a selection of wearables that can be layered, the flexibility of the pieces is greatly expanded. Consider items like tee shirts, polos and button-downs that can be combined, as well as vest, sweater and jacket options. By maintaining a limited selection of colors for some of the pieces and expanded options for others, team members can create an individual look that also maintains a consistent image. Even for the warmer months, include items like the cardigan sweater or casual trench shown above. These items lend a professional image, but are more flexible for various events than the standard blue blazer approach.
By creatively choosing logo-embellished clothing options that afford individuality and flexibility along with reinforcing the company brand and image, businesses can develop corporate wearables programs that receive full support from both their men and women team members.
We’re starting something new this week at Dux D’Lux. We’re launching the first of our FIRST FRIDAY sales featuring overstock imprinted items and test tee shirts from our screen printing department. All tee shirts will be only $1.00 each, so it’s the perfect time to stock up. Please stop by the Dux D’Lux lawn on Friday, August 7 to get yours!
Tee shirts are always a favorite for school clubs and events, and are a great way to hold on to summer after classes begin. These tee shirt colors are some of the recent popular choices and can easily transition into fall events while keeping a touch of summer’s heat. We’ve noticed that they’re a hit with the student crowd!
