Apparel Decorating for Tiny Tykes

Category: Custom Apparel Design Articles Published Date

I remember as a young girl trying on my mother’s high-heeled shoes in an effort to mimic her style and feel more grown up. Today, I often find my own five-year-old daughter swiping my shoes, scarves and sweaters, wishing to look fashionable and more grown up as she totters around in my heels and sweaters, paired with little-girl leggings.Ever mindful of children and their desire to appear more grown up, the fashion industry has been scaling down garments and resizing entire lines of clothing for years. J.Crew for example has been offering mini versions of adult staples such as cashmere sweaters and rugby shirts since 2006. From jeans to T-shirts and from slacks to sweaters, designers are shrinking garments and adding fun embellishments such as princesses and cartoon characters, all intended to convert kids into customers.

As sports will always be a major agenda item when it comes to embellished kidswear, an appreciation of the special requirements of athletic apparel will always be appropriate.

To be fair, this is not a totally new fad. Pro sports teams, colleges and universities have been offering smaller-sized fan-wear for years. I confess to dressing my daughter up as a Detroit Tiger’s fan when she was just six months old. And, really, who hasn’t purchased a T-shirt or sweatshirt in a kid’s size from their alma mater?

Steve Graus, owner of DC SPORTS in Sterling Heights, Mich., sells personalized jerseys and T-shirts promoting professional sports teams, in both adult and youth sizes. He offers onsite personalization using a heat press and die-cut letters. Graus has found that many of the adults who come in to purchase shirts or jerseys for themselves often leave with a little something extra for their kids.

This trend is now branching into corporate wear and promotional apparel as many people think purchasing shirts for their kids––featuring their corporate logos––is irresistibly adorable. However, few people realize the effort that must be applied to create smaller-sized embellished garments.

A full-size adult design such as, say, a monster truck, probably isn’t going to fit well on a 2T-size shirt. The art will need to be completely reworked and this often means incurring extra art charges. Unfortunately, many customers don’t always understand or expect this, and it can be surprising and, perhaps, a little daunting for them.

Proportion is key to decorating any garment, whether for an adult or a child. For example, a three-inch name on the left chest of an adult shirt will often stretch across the center chest, or further, on a toddler’s shirt. It’s important to realize this when embellishing youth-size garments and adjust the design as needed.

(left)Few things have more kid-appeal than looking mature way beyond their years! (All images courtesy the author.)

“A few years ago we started getting requests from our customers for children’s clothing featuring the ‘Made In Detroit’ logo,” says Thomas Dubak, president of Made in Detroit, a Kid Rock brand. “Since then we have started offering a variety of youth T-shirts, hoodies and even youth-size baseball caps. It’s proven to be a great market for us.”

In addition to making the garment look good, another important element that must be considered is safety. When adding embellishments such as rhinestones, it is extremely important to make sure they are attached securely. If a child chews on the shirt—and it will—you want to make sure the object will not come off to potentially be swallowed or choked on.

Imprints should be soft and inks chemical-free, as newborns and young children tend to have very sensitive skin. Water-based inks are the least toxic choice, assuming they’re formulated with this objective in mind. Digital media that is printed with eco-solvent ink is considered to be another environmentally safe choice. Embellishments can also be cut and heat applied to garments very quickly. Keeping the best interest of the customer in mind will demonstrate how serious you are about your business and how important the health and well being of their children is to you.

The author’s daughter Caitlin sports a Candy Land theme which only goes to show that linking to kid-familiar subject matter is a sure winner.

Producing clothing for kids is also a great opportunity to get creative. While adults tend to prefer more subdued colors and subtle designs, kids (especially girls) love glitz. By adding a variety of embellishments you can take a logo from sophisticated to playful. Adding a glittery heat-applied material can create a fun, shimmery effect. Digital puff media is also another great option for adding dimension and texture––texture being something kids also love.

Smaller apparel = bigger profits

To increase sales of personalized goods even more, consider stocking a large selection of colors and styles in blanks. This will give you the opportunity to market to different buyers. Schools, day-care centers and even hospitals are in the market for premium-quality products for kids.

Personalization continues to grow at an amazing rate. According to Consumer Reports, Americans see approximately 300 advertisements per day. Companies that may not have always advertised in the past are finding that embellishing their brand on children’s wear is a great way to market themselves and garner added exposure. Keep these tips in mind and you’ll find that decorating smaller apparel can equal bigger profits.