Five Common Misconceptions About Racing Apparel
When you are first thinking about purchasing apparel for your race team you may have a few different ideas of what is needed to place an order. In this blog, we will dispel a few misconceptions about ordering racing apparel. Having worked with several race teams from the brand new club team to some of the top teams in motorsports, we have seen these misconceptions about racing apparel firsthand. Our goal is to help ease your mind when ordering your team’s gear.
1. Racing apparel needs to be expensive to look good
This is a common misconception we have seen from just about every customer we work with, but it seems to apply to motorsports especially. No, really nice racing apparel does not need to be expensive. In the blank apparel world, there are several options of apparel that deliver phenomenal performance without breaking the bank. Working with your apparel vendor, you can find apparel pieces that offer very strong performance without paying for the brand name that may be associated with some styles of apparel. A great example of this is rain jackets as shown below:
- OGIO Impact rain jacket - 10,000MM waterproof rating with an MSRP or $209.00
- Port Authority Tech Rain Jacket - 10,000MM waterproof rating with an MSRP of $83.98.
The OGIO is going to be a little flashier and have a little more style, but the Port Authority option gives you the same performance for less than half the MSRP. If you are working with a good apparel provider they can help you find these money saving options.
2. I have to order large quantities
A lot of buyers new to the apparel business seem to be under the impression that you need to order large quantities in order to get the best pricing. It is generally true that the higher the quantity count the lower the price will be. When you are able to work with your vendor, they will help you understand the quantity price breaks and also work through other potential money-saving options such as color counts or shirt blank material.
3. I have to order hats by the "box" or in shirts in quantities of 12 of each size
With the exception of custom-designed hats ordered from overseas, vendors should be able to accommodate exact quantities of hats or shirts for your needs. Modern ordering practices allow apparel creators to order the exact quantities of apparel items you are looking for. When you work with a strong vendor partner, they will encourage you to order more exact sizing to help eliminate wasted inventory.
4. I need to have a complete design idea ready to go for my order
Many web-based apparel companies will require the customer to produce their own design for the apparel order. Working with an apparel vendor who employs their own artists allows you to collaborate and come up with a design that is in line with your brand and professionally finished.
5. I need to embroider polos and jackets?
We talk to a lot of potential clients who seem to think the most professional way to go on team polos is embroidery. We find that to be a bit of an outdated assumption. Currently many race series require several logos to be displayed on race team crew uniforms. Using embroidery for all these logos can give the polo a very heavy and stiff feeling. A printed polo, while seeming a little counter-intuitive, will give the wearer a lighter feel and also look just as good after a season of use.
The custom apparel industry is always evolving. Don’t rely on conventional wisdom or outdated ways of thinking when making racing apparel purchasing decisions today. The issues above are just a few of the most common landmines to avoid. Before you make your next custom racing apparel order, schedule a free no-obligation call with us and we will talk through your project and make some recommendations on what we would do if we were in your shoes, whether you hire us or not.
Your Brand is More than a Logo on a Shirt
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