Just like the summer sun, these rising apparel decoration trends are scorching hot! Keep your finger on the pulse of the latest fashion and artwork trends for summer with help from your friends at Next Level Apparel (asi/73867). This premium blanks supplier is sharing savvy info you can pass along to your clients to advise them on how to create retail-approved promo apparel that looks like it came right off the runway before heading out around town, to the beach and beyond.

Go Retro With Distressed Decoration 
Old-school decoration is ever popular with end-users, but it’s taking a new form this summer. The latest blast from the past informing apparel decoration is the “soft grunge” look, which began in the 1990s and more recently rose to prominence in the early 2010s through the social media site Tumblr. Notable for its rebellious and non-conformist attitude, this fashion trend combines edgy aesthetics with vintage and bohemian influences, making it excellent for pairing with distressed decoration. NLA’s Soft Wash Collection in particular is soft and broken-in in all the right places, allowing both your clients’ apparel and their distressed artwork to embody that lived-in, soft grunge look that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

NLA Style Suggestion: Unisex Soft Wash Cotton T-Shirt (3600SW)

The unique markings on this vintage tee make each piece unique and one-of-a-kind, which speaks perfectly to the grunge mentality. We recommend a dark and moody shade, such as Washed Cardinal, Washed Graphite Black or Washed Military Green to capture this punky aesthetic. For lighter colorways, opt for dark distressed decoration for just the right amount of edge. 

Big Graphics on the Back of Oversized Tees
While larger-than-life graphics are still in high demand, audiences now prefer shirt graphics to be printed on the back of shirts, rather than emblazoned on the front. Opt for a simple logo on the front left or right chest and let the back of the shirt do the talking for marketing messages and bold full-color artwork. The preferred apparel for this look is oversized, heavyweight shirts – a popular silhouette for all genders, giving your clients’ promos even more mass appeal. To this end, we love NLA’s Sueded Collection, which features a buttery soft feel with a heavier weight that strikes the perfect balance between cozy comfort and quality construction.

NLA Style Suggestions:

• Unisex Soft Wash Cotton T-Shirt (3600SW)
  
• Unisex Sueded T-Shirt (6410)
• Unisex Sueded Long Sleeve T-Shirt (6411)
• Unisex Sueded V-Neck T-Shirt (6440)

Each of these NLA shirts offer a unique textured feel that’s printable to boot, resulting in premium promo apparel that can showcase your client’s colorful artwork in full scale.

Enter Your Concert & Festival Era With Vibrant Hues
Consider this summer the return of large-scale music tours. Whether you were lucky enough to score tickets to big-ticket shows like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour or Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour, or you just caught clips from the shows on social media, make no mistake: music concerts, festivals and tours are back and bigger than ever. To speak to consumers’ appetite for concert merch that they went without for a few years during the pandemic, recommend your clients invest in bright colors that pair perfectly with the sunny season. To get started, take a look at the colorways of NLA’s Tri-Blend and Festival Collections. These whimsical and cheery colors speak to the carefree vibe of summer and the joyful nature of seeing your favorite artists in person. You can help your clients capture that same sentiment towards their brands by decorating garments in vibrant shades and graphics you’d see at merch booths.

NLA Style Suggestions:

• Unisex Tri-Blend T-Shirt (6010)
  
• Women's Tri-Blend T-Shirt (6710)
  
• Women's Tri-Blend Dolman T-Shirt (6760)
  
• Women's Tri-Blend Racerback Tank (6733)
• Unisex Festival T-Shirt (6200)
  
• Women's Festival Crop Top (5080)
  
• Women's Festival Scoop Neck T-Shirt (5030)
  Just like the assortments of concert merch collections, we recommend you showcase your clients a wide range of styles and silhouettes to speak to every body type and style preference. These selected tops include various tanks, tees and crops, allowing your clients to tailor their pieces towards specific consumer groups for summertime promotions.

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