How to Build the Perfect Stock or Custom Apparel Program

Your client comes to you with a project. But this isn’t just any project. This is a 50th anniversary celebration. The client wants to outfit all of its employees in some custom, branded gear as a thank-you for all their hard work. The apparel should feature a unique design alongside the corporate logo, with colors matching a very specific palette. They want bottoms and tops, and they have employees ranging from extra small all the way through 5XL.

And oh, by the way, the party is in three weeks.

If this kind of order makes you as a distributor sweat, then you need a partner that can help. Edwards Garment is fully equipped, fully stocked, and fully prepared to make this event a memorable one for your client. Whether it’s a fully customized program or creating company uniforms that are both fashionable and durable, promotional products distributors can rely on the company to bring the unique value your clients are looking for.

Redefining Uniforms

A company that’s over 150 years in the making, Edwards knows a thing or two about uniforms. But more importantly, the company has redefined the space, meeting the needs of today’s end-user through fashionable gear that also steps up to the high demands of a uniform.

“A lot of uniform companies are traditional based, whereas we are this fashion-forward, retail-inspired movement,” says Brian Deissroth, director of national accounts for Edwards. “We’re not just the traditional suit anymore.”

Deissroth calls attention to the Point Grey line as just one of the many ways Edwards has redefined the uniform market. “We introduced Point Grey in 2023. It’s inspired by that athletic leisure wear that’s appropriate for work. It’s a modern suiting line.”

For any client looking to keep its employees in fresh styles that bring the branding punch while at the same time adhering to a variety of shapes and sizes, Point Grey is the way to go. Deissroth points out that promotional products distributors can purchase items ala carte, which is beneficial for new hires and those random occasions when only one or two additional uniforms are needed. On top of that, a focus on creating blouses and tops that have a desirable hand and fit for the female demographic, plus the availability of bottoms makes this line the complete package.

“We’re bringing these on-trend products but still with the backbone of a uniform in mind,” Deissroth explains. “These garments are designed to wear five days a week, 52 weeks a year. We’re fashion forward but still producing quality, well-designed apparel to be worn in uniform programs over and over.”

EdwardsX: The Opportunity to go Full Custom

Today’s branded apparel needs aren’t just limited to uniforms and employee workwear. All throughout the nation, and even globally, companies are hosting special events, paying for additional training for their employees, and looking to create special incentive programs, all centered around promotional business.

While traditional stock apparel is nothing to turn your back on, the opportunity to create a custom program with apparel that can be designed from the ground up to fit every employee on the payroll is extremely desirable. That’s where EdwardsX comes in.

In 2019, Edwards Garment acquired Bishop Custom Clothing. Shortly after, that division became EdwardsX, the exclusive custom design arm of Edwards Garment.

“It’s not just uniforms, it’s custom apparel,” says Chip Danby, division sales vice president for EdwardsX. “We can match whatever the fit may be. Most custom programs have special needs, such as extra sizes, a large quantity, etc., that they can’t find anywhere else. EdwardsX makes it possible to fulfill those special and specific needs.”

In addition to special sizing and varying quantities, custom programs are often also on a tight deadline. Danby notes that EdwardsX can work with that factor, as well. “The production team works with the client to meet the deadline and other needs they have,” he explains.

“We don’t just take the order,” Deissroth adds. “We have the true custom option that allows the consumer the opportunity have a hybrid program. For example, someone can even come in and purchase stock pants with a custom top — that creates a unique look that can’t be replicated anywhere else.”.

He points out that EdwardsX and Edwards combine to bring that single-vendor purchase order, that spot-buy option, something that he feels makes the company stand out. “We provide that on-demand platform,” says Deissroth. “No longer are the days where you have to buy in bulk. You can rely on Edwards to order on-demand, you can satisfy the new-hire requests, the last-minute requests. Couple with single vendor and in-house decorating, and that saves the distributor money and time.”

“We have the resources and breadth to serve nearly any event and promotional spot-buy business,” adds Danby. “We’re flexible with the process and hold hands all the way through the process.” Companies like Marketing Tools Inc. know all about the value this offers. Brett Youker, president, says that they worked with EdwardsX on a custom, 72,000-piece overseas jacket order for a client. That alone would probably cause a few stressful nights for any distributor. But Youker says EdwardsX made the entire process seamless.

“We initially reached out to EdwardsX because of their custom apparel capability,” he says. “We had a very tight window for production, so they set it up so as pieces were finished, they were shipped into us. This allowed us to ship to our client’s locations within that tight timeframe.”

Youker says the complete service package that EdwardsX brought to this custom project was second to none. “Really it was their complete customization in corporate apparel,” he explains. “This client reached out to us with a great opportunity to produce a full-zip jacket, that had sizes from SM to 10XL, for all of their 72,000 team members. … We needed a partner that could handle such a large opportunity. Our team here, and our client, were extremely pleased with the way everything was handled.”

Flexible and Fashion-Forward

But it’s not just the fashion-forward uniform options, deep inventory, and truly custom apparel capabilities that make Edwards special. It’s the team and the support that stand behind it. Deissroth gives special credit to the merchandising team, which works tirelessly to support its customers and continue to provide options across the board. He encourages distributors to reach out to their local territory managers to learn more.

“We make it easy for distributors to get in touch with their territory manager online, but they should also get familiar with our offerings and the vertical markets we serve,” Deissroth adds. “Then be prepared to get educated on how to sell uniforms. Distributors need to invest time and understanding into what questions to ask clients, what the needs are. There is a process and an educational aspect to this. At the end of the day, we say, let us educate you on how to sell uniform programs that are successful year in and year out. We offer distributors the ability to organically grow their business through the sale of uniforms and custom apparel.”