Injecting team spirit

Known predominantly as an outdoor clothing brand, Regatta Professional has now made the seamless transition into activewear with its first range available from January 1. P&P editor Melanie Attlesey spoke to Anthony Haber, director of Regatta Professional, and Megan Pacey, senior brand executive, to find out more.

Right from the start Anthony is keen to point out that the Regatta Activewear range was developed out of necessity to address two main issues in the printwear market – fit and fabric.

Drawing on the expertise and knowledge within the Regatta Professional team, and the wider retail business, these are two main areas where Anthony feels they can add something different and improve upon the existing offerings available in the printwear market, particularly in the activewear sector.

“As a group we have quite a lot of experience in performance fabrics and for sportswear and activewear products fit is critical,” explains Anthony. “When people question why they would buy our product over another, I would reply our Activewear range will perform and it will fit brilliantly.”

Fabric

The mantra of fit and fabric is reinforced by Megan when she describes how the range developed from its infancy 18 months ago. “We have been able to take a step back and decide how we want the range to look and feel from the beginning. This gives us an advantage over other activewear ranges that have been created in a disjointed fashion over time. We began with the fit and feel of the range, looking at all of the different elements needed to train throughout the year. This is something that we are able to do, which perhaps others aren’t, because we have the waterproof knowledge and the fit and fabric knowledge to work with different fabric compositions,” she explains.

Fit in mind

Fit is essential when it comes to teams performing at their best. Rather than just scaling down the men’s products to become women’s products, the Regatta Activewear range has been developed with male and female fits in mind. Megan explains: “Take the polo shirt for example. We have added different panelling to make it more flattering for female wearers. We have also added different neck lines to the women’s T shirt and vest. We have added features which make the styles more feminine and appealing to the womenswear market. Scaling down a product never works and doesn’t look good on any woman.”

As well as the fabric and fit, the design team took the time to add additional elements to increase the performance quality of the products. These include earphone loops, reflective piping and locking zips to stop them flapping around while running. “We have added these little details in order to elevate the range above what is available in the market already. There is a lot more to these products than first meets the eye,” explains Megan.

Four categories

The Activewear range is split into four categories; By the Skin, Mid Layer, Outer Layer and Leggings and Shorts. An all encompassing range is something that is rarely found in the printwear market, helping Regatta Activewear stand out above others in the same sector. “Having the consistency of fit and colour across the product categories, makes building a team uniform easy. It means that the wearer can use as many products as they like from one brand and keep the co-ordination. Many brands tend not to co-ordinate across product groups or tend to focus on one particular product area. So this is a point of difference for us,” says Megan.

The colours used across the range have been chosen because they are key team colours i.e. red, black, white and navy. The colours have been used in both the men’s and women’s products so that a team can be fully co-ordinated. And in addition to these, exclusive colourway lime/black has been added to the men’s range, while hot pink/black has been added to the women’s range.

Sense of team

It is this sense of team and inclusion that Regatta is keen to inject into this range. This concept runs through the collection right from the garments themselves to the name of the products and even the photography used to illustrate the range. “We are trying to get the point across that wearing a uniform is not just about playing sport, it’s about before, during and after the game. It’s also not just about the team members, but about the greater team – the coaches and the fans. We wanted to provide a uniform that would make everybody feel like they are a part of the team. The winning formula is not just one person, it is everybody,” says Megan.

The photography used to highlight the collection has an Olympian-like feel to it and even the brand logo features a running track to really highlight the sense of team. And, the eagle-eyed out there will also notice that the products are named after Olympic and Winter Olympic host cities.

Planning has already begun for the next phase of the range. Both Megan and Anthony hinted that the next pieces in the collection will have more of a focus on leisurewear rather than teamwear.

“It’s quite a concise range at the moment, which is something that we want to expand upon in the future,” says Megan. “We are aware the leisurewear market is growing, both on the high street and in this industry as well.”

Evolving business

Anthony adds: “As a business you have to change and evolve all of the time to be able to grow and develop. We can’t just say that we are a jacket brand and that’s what we sell. I think we have to continue to develop our base of competency to be able to grow as a business. The most successful companies will morph and develop, using their technology, resourcefulness and ability of their team members to grow the business.”

At present the range has only been shown to the distributors that will be stocking the product, and according to Anthony, the response has been enthusiastic. “We aren’t the first brand to launch an activewear range and we have a long way to go in developing the range, so given these things the reaction has been great and I think that’s because of the detailing we have used. The trade believes this range will be successful,” he adds.

The range will be available from January 1 through Prestige Leisure UK, PenCarrie and Ralawise.

You can view the entire collection at Printwear & Promotion LIVE! in February at the NEC in Birmingham.

The fabrics used at a glance

Technical layers control body temperature and work with the body’s movement so the wearer can stay focused on their performance.

Isovent
This fabric is used in the Beijing T Shirt, Salt Lake Polo Shirt and Rio Vest. It is ideal for high energy activity with quick drying and highly breathable properties.

Softshell
This is a lightweight fabric with water repellent and wind resistant properties for changeable weather conditions. It is used in the Sochi Softshell.

Extol Stretch
This pinnacle stretch fabric technology is ideal for allowing freedom of movement during high intensity workouts. It is used in the Sochi Softshell and Seoul Fleece.

Symmetry
Found in the Seoul Fleece, this fabric is comfortable and practical to wear, making it the ideal choice for outdoor warmth without the bulk.

Isolite 5000
Found in the Moscow Shell, this waterproof and breathable fabric comes with a hydrostatic head of 5000mm to keep the wearer dry and comfortable.

Coolmax
Found in the sports socks, this polyester fabric technology draws perspiration away from the skin to keep feet cool and dry.