Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/951849
owner B.J. Holwerda. Teams also like to add a third neutral color. "We'll decorate a gray or black sweatsuit for travel gear with the school logo design in their team colors," says Sports Locker's Crane. "We continue to do extra colors for special events, such as pink for breast cancer in a wristband, belt, socks or sometimes a complete uniform. We also get requests for lime green, neon blue and autism puzzle pieces." Graphite is the new black. "When teams add a third color, graphite has replaced black," says McLagan. "We're also seeing an increase in sublimated uniform orders now that price points have dropped. They definitely have more splash to them and our teams take full advantage of all the decoration and color." Girls want to look like the serious athletes they are, but that doesn't mean a little bling can't be in the mix. "We've recently had several requests for a metal- lic letter. It makes a statement," says Holwerda. "Particularly in the cheer world we've done a large eight- to nine-inch single school letter in the middle, for example a very simple big metallic C on the front. We've also used a metallic Stahls' products for a few of our cross country teams." Crane has had requests for metallics and bling on the fanwear side as well. "We're doing more of glitter decoration, either vinyl, screenprinted, foil application or direct-to-garment. We used to do a lot of rhinestones on soccer mom T-shirts, but that's faded out a little," he says. Fabric and Silhouette On and off the field, performance fabrics continue to collide with fashion. Fabric and cut are essential choices. Girls want athletic apparel designed for maximum comfort, performance and style. Tapered women's cuts are generally preferred, but not always. Mesh fabrics are still part of the landscape. "Our customers are gravitating toward lighter fabrics. Many of our uniforms feature a lightweight pin-dot mesh fabric that provides a better level of breathability than a typical polyester fabric," says Justin Shook, marketing manager for Champro Sports. "It's all about the fabrics right now, for girls' teams more than the guys," agrees Crane. "Girls tend to select more premium fabrics, such as the heathers, the tri-blends, the soft feeling shirts, because they're more concerned about how it feels." Holwerda has also observed girls' teams selecting a higher quality garment. "They generally prefer to upgrade the quality of the actual garment and keep the decorating simple," he says. "That's not to say 38 Team Insight / March 2018 teaminsightmag.com GIRLS' & WOMEN'S SPORTS / DECORATING Colorful camo is trending with young female athletes going for a unique look. Photo: Transfer Express. Learn how we can help your business at COLLECTING GROUP APPAREL ORDERS CAN BE FRUSTRATING AND TIME CONSUMING ORDERMYGEAR'S ONLINE ORDERING SOFTWARE MAKES IT EASY TO PLACE INDIVIDUAL CUSTOM ORDERS Join the 2,500 businesses selling HASSLE FREE online with OrderMyGear Call (855) 370-6461 to schedule your FREE Trial Store TODAY! www.OrderMyGear.com Mention Promo Code "OMGTeam18" to receive a free download on "How to Improve Online Store Business".