The womenswear market is booming, says B&B Leisurewear (BBL), and with particular strong growth during the past year is now BBL's most important collection.

Two of Balmoral Knitwear's successes in the past year have been in ladies' knitwear - fashioned ladies' knitted jackets and ultra-lightweight, stretch-fabric ladies' sweaters.

Blue Max Stag has developed a range of garments specifically for women. 

The current BTC activewear portfolio reflects the increasing popularity of Ladieswear as a fashion sector, with many new additions for 2008.

EthicStar is offering funky styles in ladies hoodies from stock. With many different colour combinations already offered in its striped skinny fits, purple/black has also been added to the collection.

The growth in the ladieswear market has been well documented and it is hard to find a brand that does not offer products specifically designed to fit the female form, says Finden+Hales. "Gone are the days when a men's small was an acceptable substitute for the growing number of women in the British workforce," it says. This is especially important in the sports and teamwear market where garments are often expected to perform as well as be worn in a team or uniform environment.

Launched in 2003, Fruit of the Loom's cotton/elastane Lady-Fit styles marked the company's entry into what was then the fledgling imprintable womenswear market. The garments instantly became modern promo' wear classics, says Fruit of the Loom, and today they are established as staples of the Fruit of the Loom collection. Tellingly, sales of the T-shirts and polo shirt have increased year-on year since their launch.

What women look for when it comes to corporate and leisurewear clothing is simplicity - a flattering fit combined with a comfortable, classic design, says Front Row. Although it definitely has its place, high fashion is best left to the high street - leisurewear garments are all about longevity and practicality rather than passing fads, it adds.

The corporate identity market has changed dramatically over the last few years and this has demanded that the market diversifies and caters for these demands, says Henbury. 

The latest James & Nicholson Workbook 2008 offers 32 ladylike and informal products for women, with many new highlights and trendy new colours - from casual outfits to beachwear.

Colchester based corporate wear distributor I.S. Enterprises handles a variety of different clothing and apparel brands including, Fruit of the Loom, Gildan, Jerzees, Kustom Kit and Result jackets and headwear.

Kustom Kit offers an extensive range of stylish women's corporate and work apparel that's suitable for all applications, including a choice of coordinating options in a wide choice of colours and sizes. Kustom Kit's flourishing sub-brand Gamegear also now includes a range of sportswear for women with innovative styling.  

1. Has the womenswear market continued to grow over the past year?

Demand for innovative womenswear has continued to grow, and with promo' wear now closely mirroring retail trends, customers have more choice than ever before. The Mantis collection offers 27 styles just for women, ranging from hoodies to basic tees, to high fashion pieces all available to order from stock. Over the past one to two years, the market has turned its attention to more sustainable production with growing interest particularly in organic cotton clothing. The Tender Loving Clothing collection (‘TLC' from Mantis World) offers a range of 100% organic cotton styles in more colours for women as well as men, kids and even babies.

Ladies garments are present in the two ranges of the JHK catalogue. The basic range, the Regular, features a basic t-shirt of 155gsm (TSUL 150) in 13 colours. This is the feminine version of the TSUA 150, both of which are ideal for big promotions.

Tombo's selection of women-orientated sports garments focuses on the current trend of using new performancce based fabrics and new designs.

Brands with an ethical slant are big news at present, both on the high street and in the corporate wear industry. Supply chains and production methods are becoming more and more open due to customer interest, which in turn makes for a more informed market. This means that brands have had to become more accountable in order to retain customers, with some offering Fair Trade goods and other garments made from organic cotton or other environmentally friendly materials.

"Womenswear fashion is ever-changing and it takes a little time for trends on the high street to filter down into promo wear," says Andrea Charteris, customer services manager at PenCarrie. "However, there are certain staple styles that women always want in their wardrobe and these styles are perfect for the promotional market."

The demand for ladieswear garments that offer feminine colours and have a fashionable look continues to grow, says Prestige, and it is key for brands to offer garments which have male and female equivalent styles.

The womenswear market has made huge strides in recent years, and Ralawise believes 2008 will be no exception. With a host of new lines, brands are clearly focusing on fashion, most notably Bella, Skinnifit and Wombat, it says.

The Regatta 2008 collection has been revitalised for 2008 to incorporate better design, with a greater attention to detail to ensure the range is practical and stylish. The new designs for women encompass a diverse choice of new styles and contemporary colourways.

In the past ladies have had to endure a ‘one size fits all' scenario as far as promotional leisurewear is concerned. But with Result Clothing Company's La Femme range of ladieswear, this is no longer the case. The following is a selection of styles from the range:

Russell Europe aims to offer ‘a little bit more' with its womenswear - more detail, more feminine, more relaxed etc. With this in mind its new range of TENCEL® blouses within Russell Collection ‘offer more' in many ways.

Skinnifit has been in the business of offering (specifically designed and developed) womenswear for nearly ten years now, and has one of the biggest and broadest ranges of women's clothing in the marketplace today. Its current range spans vests and T's to hoodies and jackets.

The UKL brochure features a dedicated Womenswear section for ease of sourcing, which is rapidly becoming one of its fastest growing sections.

This year, Bella not only sees a major trend towards longer length tees but also a shift towards sheer lightweight fabrics.