Modern styling, maximum insulation and proven anti-pilling performance – Beechfield says its range of Suprafleece headwear and accessories delivers all this and more, making it the ideal medium for corporate or promotional messages this winter.

Despite there being far fewer UK knitwear manufacturers now, one company, Balmoral Knitwear, says it is bucking the trend. “We have become major suppliers to schoolwear, corporatewear, embroiderers and specific sports, such as cricket and bowls,” says Mike Carden of Balmoral.

Finden + Hales believes that by applying the latest fabric technology and total commitment it is able to offer an exceptional collection of the most relevant teamwear available today.

The Polar Fleece jacket from the Blue Max Group will once again be a key player in the new catalogue scheduled for completion this month.

This versatile garment has become a ‘must have’ item for a cross section of audiences including schools, the work place and the leisure sector, says the company. The Blue Max Polar is made from an easy care 300gsm polyester fabric, is available in sizes from 3-4 years through to a generous 60-inch chest size and comes in a wide range of colours.

With the Myrtle Beach label, Gustav Daiber GmbH presents a wide range of accessories, from beanies to knitted scarves – all of which keep you warm and are colourful eye-catchers in the gloomy autumn weather, says the company.

Fruit of the Loom reports a sustained growth in sales across its range of Hooded Sweats, which now includes the Lady-Fit Hooded Sweat Jacket and a selection of new fashionable colourways.

“The hoodie is a perennial promotional wear favourite and its popularity shows no signs of diminishing. Quite the opposite in fact, demand for our Hooded Sweats has never been higher and is increasing,” says Alison Woodvine, European brand manager.

Knitwear is seeing a rebirth not only in the retail sector but also in the corporate, promotional and workwear markets where perceived value, quality and image are playing an important role when it comes to choice, says Henbury.

Rowlinson knitwear completed its purchase of the Courtelle knitwear brand this spring and is actively investing in the future of its new acquisition. “We have great plans for its future,” says Rowlinson. “We are investing heavily into its product development and marketing and will officially launch it at The Schoolwear Show at AIS in November.”

In the winter months, the prospect of leaving the comfort of a warm and comfy home to brace the cold outside is not a tempting one. Making the transition as easy as possible is everyone’s top priority, so a good cover-up is an essential investment. Front Row has a selection of cosy fleeces, which it says have been carefully designed and tried and tested to ensure they stand up to this challenge.

PenCarrie is emphatic that knitwear is enjoying a revival in popularity, particularly as corporate wear. As customer services manager Andrea Charteris explains: “A crew neck or V-neck sweater worn over a shirt creates a softer but still smart corporate look.” She highlights a number of styles stocked by PenCarrie, including Russell Collection’s 711M Crew Neck Sweater. This is made from a machine washable 50% cotton/50% acrylic Cotton Blend knit; comes in four classic business wear colours; and teams with Russell Collection business shirts.

Ralawise stocks a comprehensive range of knitwear and fleece from the industry’s leading brands, whether sourcing for work, schools, or everyday wear. Henbury’s new for ‘07 HB735 is a fine example of the brand’s traditional look and style, says Ralawise, and is testimony to the quality it is known for. Made from 100% lambswool, this crew neck jumper is available in black and blue and its classic look makes it perfect for the office or leisure time.

Russell Europe offers a range of fleeces suitable for the workwear market, in both men’s and women’s styles. These include the 870M Full Zip Outdoor Fleece, made from 100% polyester anti-pill fleece, 330g/m_ and featuring a cadet collar, waistband with elastic bungee cord and release toggle and zip pockets with self-coloured zip. It also has neat fashioned cuffs for comfort and style and twin needle on armholes and shoulders. This fleece is available in black and French navy and in ladies’ and children’s sizes.

Skinnifit believes it is at the fashion forefront of the women’s marketplace and says it is committed to bridging the style gap between retail and the “traditionally rather reserved and sometimes behind the times promotional and leisurewear market”.

Being a sporting spectator is a thrilling activity: nothing beats cheering on your team from the sidelines as they play, especially when they score that all-important winning goal. However, what isn´t so appealing is shivering on the sidelines in the cold and wet winter.

Uneek’s offering this winter is a combination of its trademark functional simplicity and peerless quality, it says, with a range of fleece and reversible jackets that are ideal for the workwear segment.

A new urban lifestyle wholesale clothing range has been launched under the brand name Orotoro by a company with over 15 years’ experience in the retail marketplace. The garments, which have a vintage, surf look, are made from the company’s vertically integrated factory in Istanbul.

The Regatta collection for 2008 includes a diverse choice of new outdoor clothing styles with a number of new, contemporary colourways. In addition, the 2008 range features Isotex 5000 and lightweight Isolite 5000, which are both waterproof, windproof and breathable, designed to withstand the toughest of working conditions. Highlights for 2008 include:

American Apparel is offering two hoodies this autumn – the F497 Flex Fleece Zip Hoody and the 5496 California Fleece Sleeveless Zip-Up Hoody. The F497 Flex Fleece Zip Hoody is a fitted sporty unisex hoody in American Apparel’s Flex Fleece fabric, shown here with the BB401 Poly-Cotton Short Sleeve Crew Neck.

New to the BTC activewear range is the Stormtech Cirrus H2X Bonded Shell Jacket, which is available in both men’s & ladies’ fit. It features an H2X waterproof/breathable technology outershell and 2-ply bonded micro-polyester shell. The adjustable cuffs are laser cut and welded, the zippers are waterproof and there’s an inside facing draft flap. This popular shell jacket is available in a choice of four colours and sizes S-3XL.

Blue Max Stag introduces the brand new Exmoor jacket for 2007. Made from a peached, microfibre Maxtech performance fabric that is waterproof and breathable, and featuring a luxurious padded lining, the Exmoor offers a cosy, waterproof layer for rainy days, says Blue Max Stag.

Jackets are essential when the weather turns, which is all too often in the unpredictable British autumn-time. Providing something that is going to keep those who work outdoors warm and dry is a crucial consideration when planning autumn and winter uniforms. All too often, however, companies sacrifice fashion for function, or produce garments that look great but don’t do the job. Not so for Front Row – a company that claims it “doesn’t make compromises”.

Fruit of the Loom reports that the introduction of bright orange and bright yellow colours to its popular Windbreaker and College Jacket outerwear styles is generating a wealth of new sales opportunities, many from unexpected quarters.

In the colder season, garments need to withstand autumn’s sudden rain storms or winter’s snow storms. With this in mind, leading European promotional wear company Gustav Daiber GmbHoffers its fashionable James & Nicholson jackets.

Whether you want the warmth of a quality fleece or the performance of a lightweight training jacket, Kustom Kit has a range of jackets designed for personalisation.

With sportswear continuing to influence the high street for summer/autumn 2007, Mantis World says its jacket collection similarly reflects this trend with fashion conscious designs, colours and high quality fabrics. The collection features a choice of complementary styles for all ages, with jackets for men and women all the way down to babies.

In the past, finding a quality uniform jacket that provided high performance features with a matching men’s and women’s equivalent was a difficult task, says Regatta. Customers were forced to purchase smaller sizes for women or opt for a different style, none of which offered the professional look most were seeking.

PenCarrie offers a wide choice in quality jackets and outerwear with a collection that spans lightweight, midweight and heavyweight styles for men, women and children, including brands such as Result, Premier, Jerzees, Henbury, Slazenger and Kariban.

Premier is proud to introduce two new 100% windproof Softshell jackets. This addition to the performance wear collection is in response to changes in the retail market away from fleece products to garments that work even harder in conjunction with the body, says Premier.

PTMC (Purple Turtle Merchandise Company) Ltd is the sole distributor of the Boost Up brand of jackets, providing jackets from stock that display the Boost Up Label as well as offering a Bespoke Service to the trade.

Prestige Leisure distributes an array of jackets from lightweight, waterproof, reflective and performance styles to this year’s must-have, Soft Shell. All of the jackets can be decorated and are suitable for sports, leisure, promotional, corporate, work or schoolwear.

With summer now well underway focus once more moves to the opportunities the winter months will bring for printers and decorators. One of the main areas of focus will be jackets and various other forms of outerwear, including fleece, gilets, bodywarmers and more.

Over the years, Result claims to have forged an unrivalled reputation for innovation, quality and expertise, and today offers a collection of classic and contemporary multifunctional jackets that will support any corporate or leisure activity.

Soft shell is no longer just a growing trend on the high street, it is also one that garment decorators and embroiders are now looking to offer to their customers.

Finding a good piece of outerwear for sportsrelated activities can be difficult, because many jackets in the promotional wear industry are not designed for use on the sports field and so can restrict play. This is when you need specially tailored sportswear, such as that from Tombo.

With garment technology moving on a pace, it seems there is now the ‘perfect’ jacket for every occasion, says UK Leisurewear. In the 2007 season, Regatta introduced eight new jacket styles to its range available from UKL. The Regatta product lines are heavily influenced by its retail collections, ensuring familiarity for the end user and discreet embellishment accesses for the garment decorator.

The growth of technical fabrics now used within the imprint industry has driven the start of the soft shell revolution, says distributor UK Leisurewear.

“Mid season 2006, both Result and Regatta released soft shell technology on an unsuspecting UK Leisurewear customer base,” it says. “This meant that by the time the new 2007 UKL brochure hit our customers’ doorsteps they were champing at the bit to see what further products were to be introduced and by whom!

Soft shell garments are great for high-energy activities when lightweight gear is an advantage, says Regatta, which has seen the popularity of its soft shell offering go from strength to strength. The Uproar, from the Corporate wear 2007 collection, is made with a warm backed woven stretch soft shell fabric, which gives a durable water repellent finish, quick drying performance and a super soft handle.

Soft shell offers a weatherproof solution in one single piece of clothing, thus replacing three or more layers of fleece and shell, says Henbury. This creates a one piece clothing that’s so effective it can be worn almost all of the time.

“The ever popular waterproof had one downfall – it lacked breathability,” says the company. “Soft shell gives water resistantancy, allowing water vapour to escape and increasing comfort value.”

Soft shell is the latest line up of ‘must have’ performance jackets from Result. “Soft shell fabrics are at the cutting edge of jacket technology, delivering excellent breathability properties combined with water resistant and wind protection,” says Result. “The soft shell offers high levels of warmth and has to be the first choice outer layer when worn in dry and cold weather conditions, as well as the perfect mid layer when worn with a waterproof outer garment.”

Premier has introduced two new 100% windproof Soft shell jackets to its performance wear collection in response to changes in the retail market, which have seen a move away from fleece products to garments that work even harder in conjunction with the body.

As part of its Jerzees Colours range of casual wear, Russell Europe offers several soft shell jackets and gilets – to offer the “latest revolution” in outdoor clothing. Jerzees Colours claims to offer one of the most all-inclusive ranges on the market, with male and female jackets and gilets in a wide colour palette.