• A beautifully presented promotional solution that will create a real impact on the recipient:
• Brushed aluminium branded tube
• A single shot glass
• 50 ml miniature of your choice
• Party popper
• Invites & corporate literature

In 2007, the Nobel Prize winning IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) stated that worldwide CO2 emissions would need to be cut by 80% by 2050 if the world was to avoid catastrophic climate change. Now, in 2008, one UK company claims to have reduced the CO2 emissions of its promotional apparel by over 89%, and it has the world's first carbon reduction label for textile products to prove it.

If there are two fabrics that customers need help with they are nylon and fleece and questions often arise about what products you can use and how to go about pressing onto these types of fabrics.

There is a simple and free way to improve your marketing effectiveness: avoid making the classic errors. Most of these are very simple, but they refuse to go away.

The T-Shirt has come a long way in the last 20 years, says Glenn Hyams. It first became fashionable during the 1950's, immortalised by James Dean, and soon became a ‘must have' garment for advertising and promotional companies, as it is the ideal canvas on which to print a message.

The T-shirt has been a staple ingredient of the wardrobe for many years and is as timeless as a pair of jeans, says Blue Max, which offers the Champion T-shirt as a good value for money mid-range product.

The humble t-shirt started off life as underwear and soared to iconic fashion status in the 50s when Hollywood made t-shirt wearing cool and rebellious, says Finden+Hales.

Childrenswear is becoming increasingly fashion aware and from a much younger age, says Larkwood. "The clothes that they want to wear have to reflect their own individual sense of style," it claims. "The Larkwood Collection of Baby and toddler wear offers these little fashion victims the styling choice they want."

The influences of fashion trends are playing an ever-increasing role in the design and development of styles for the corporate wear market, says Henbury.

Fruit of the Loom's reputation as a market leader in imprintable apparel is rooted in its renowned T-shirt offering. The company's 2008 activewear collection comprises of no fewer than 22 T-shirt styles, in a total of 45 colourways, across the Men's, Women's and Children's ranges.

Gustav Daiber GmbH offers a wide range of new products and classic T-Shirts in bright and trendy colours in the latest James & Nicholson Workbook 2008.

In 2008, Mantis introduces three ‘fashion classics' - trendy styles that it says are sure to become firm favourites. The M103 Women's Jersey Box Tee offers a relaxed shape and longer length, which is complemented by a lightweight combed cotton Jersey fabric. This is available in five sizes (XS-XL) and six colours.

Even though the use of organic cotton t-shirts is still relatively new in the promotional clothing industry, the demand for ethically produced t-shirts has increased due to the influence of high street fashion and designers and celebrities that have brought environmentally friendly fashion from the corner to the spotlight, says Okarma.

PenCarrie agrees that there have been many developments in the t-shirt sector over the years. David Abrahams, marketing manager, comments: "The main change is that now there is so much choice in t-shirts. Today's customers can choose men's and ladies' styles, classic in design or highly fashionable, all differently cut and in a variety of fabric mixes and weights. In addition, there is now exceptional choice in colours for t-shirts - Gildan's GD02 is available in 60 different shades." 

One of the biggest changes to the t-shirt market over the years has been a huge increase in lady fit styles with feminine shapes, colours and sizes being introduced by many brands. The range of colours now available is also immense, with the Gildan GD02, ultra cotton adult t-shirt in an incredible 60 colours .

Distributor Quayside says that the T-shirt market has changed in several ways over the years. "Traditionally weight was a key factor. The heavier the T-shirt the more expensive it should be. The situation has changed considerably with lighter weight T-shirts become more popular," it says. "Touch is also a much more important factor. We have seen a big increase in the sales of T-shirts with a soft feel despite being lighter in weight."

T-shirts have turned almost full circle since they were first "invented" in the mid 20th century, says Skinnifit. "What we now know as the T-shirt started off life as underwear - designed purely to provide an extra layer between the skin and the rather itchy woolly jumpers sported by the armed forces at the time," it says.

The t-shirt has always been a wardrobe staple, and its popularity is primarily due to its versatility, says Tombo. Retaining the same basic shape, the humble t-shirt has gone from offering only a few colour selections and sizes, to including the most cutting edge technology in terms of materials.

The growth in size of the Ladieswear section of the UKL brochure gives a very good idea as to how the T-shirt market has changed over the years. Whilst there is still a clearly defined position for unisex garments the biggest trend has been in fit for purpose product, says UKL. The market now has Lady Fit styles, technical and performance styles and fashion styles.

It began life as a small company set up simply to supply a decorating firm, but in just six years JHK has become one of Europe's main players in the T-shirt market.

Keeping your cool in challenging physical conditions is the key to improving performance, says Coolactive, a new sports and leisurewear clothing brand for the promotional and print wear sector, launched by the group behind the premium performance fabric Coolmax.

Screen-printing, as a form of garment decoration, has been around for a long time, but as with most things, there are limits on what can be achieved usually from an economic point of view. For instance, when a client needs only 10 or 15 t-shirts and wants the print to be four colour process, the set-up cost is likely to make it prohibitively expensive.

This series of articles is produced with embroiderers and embroidery information as its focus. The aim is to give a good working knowledge of straightforward, through to more complicated topics, for everyone operating embroidery machines.

DESCRIPTION:  Consist of a single line of stitching primarily used for outlining and detail work. They are also used as the foundation of most "underlays" and "Fill" stitches. Areas that are under 1mm in width are usually done with a running stitch.

DESCRIPTION: Consists of forming three stitchesbetween two points primarily used for outlining work. "Bean" stitches are more pronounced than Running Stitches.

DESCRIPTION: Consists of zigzag stitches laid down very close together at any angle and with varying stitch lengths. Commonly used for lettering and outlining. Satin stitches can range in width from 1.5 mm to 8 mm. However, the wider the satin stitch, the more susceptible they are to snagging and abrasion. Wider "Satin" stitches are more susceptible to snagging and abrasion and are not generally recommended for childrenswear. (Also know as "column" stitches.) For lettering, stitch width and stitch density are very important for quality. Corners should be sharp and crisp and not bulging. "Short" stitches can be digitized to minimize bulging corners.

DESCRIPTION: Used as a foundation of most embroidery patterns. Stitches in a design that are put down before the design stitches, used to stabilize the fabric or raise the design so that the fine detailing is not lost.

DESCRIPTION: Used to cover large areas. There are many different "Fill" stitch patterns and they can differ in direction, angle, and pattern. "Fill" stitches are used to cover large areas. (Also known as Tatami stitches.) With today's modern digitizing programs, there are many "Fill" stitch patterns that can be selected to give varying design appearance.

Stitch estimating guide:

• 1 square inch of "Fill" stitches at a normal density with a stitch of 6mm = 1000 stitches. This is for a basic fill to cover an area with no stitching on top.

This year two new categories - best digital inkjet print and best dye sublimation - have been added to the Garment Decoration Awards in a bid to cover all aspects of the industry and raise the profile of the awards.

Fairtrade is big news in 2008. The Fairtrade Foundation is predicting a 50% increase in sales of Fairtrade cotton. This will result in an estimated eightfold increase in sales from £6 million in 2007 to £45 million in 2008. Sales are likely to exceed even this estimate as high street retailers, supermarkets and promotional clothing companies are all gearing up to significantly increase the amount of Fairtrade cotton they sell.

Sales of organic cotton are set to triple to $2.6 billion at the end of 2008 from its current $900 million level as retailers and brands make significant new commitments to sustainable textile and apparel production - that's according to findings from the recent Organic Exchange conference.

Calypso Rose, entrepreneur and creative force behind the "Clippykit" bag and range of PVC fashion accessories, has won the Entrepreneur of the Industry Award 2007. 

In a world increasingly affected by globalisation, increased competitiveness and maturing products, the need for creativity and entrepreneurship has never been greater. Luckily the attractions of becoming an entrepreneur have never been greater either, especially since a shift from predominantly manufacturing to a service-based economy has lowered the cost and barriers to entry for entrepreneurs.

The shortlist for the Printwear & Promotion Excellence Awards has now been decided, following a comprehensive day-long judging session. Now that the finalists have been selected it is up to you, the readers, to vote for the winners, but hurry, the deadline for voting is 17.00hrs on Friday the 15th of February. Voting for your favourites couldn’t be easier – simply go to the website, www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk, and click on the voting button.

Trade shows and exhibitions are the ideal events to generate new business, discover upcoming trends in the market, and meet face to face with existing and potential clients in a productive but relaxed environment.

Over the past 10 years, the promotional industry has become a more challenging and demanding market.

Mid Ocean Brands is a leading importer and wholesaler of business gifts and premiums, with a range of over 4,500 promotional gift items.

I had my car serviced last week - I rarely enter main dealerships, but as I get older I sadly don't get my trousers taken down for a firm spanking that often, so I figured why not, how much can it hurt? The price of oils, plugs and filters left a bit of a red mark on the old non-smiling cheeks, but the list of ‘must do immediately' recommendations felt like a bad trip to Frau Buttstraffers School of Correction (just off Berwick Street).