PPB May 2021

T he promotional products industry has grown by leaps and bounds since 1914, when the first promotional products trade show was held and featured just 32 exhibitors, according to PPAI at 100 . Today’s seemingly limitless product selection spans the latest in tech gadgets, multiuse home and outdoor tools, and wearables designed for all the elements, from poolside to mountainside. But when it comes to a favorite item to receive, there’s hardly a more beloved, classic and easy-wear option than the basic tee. Embodying self-expression, t-shirts grew popular as a marketing strategy in the late 1960s, when companies started selling and giving away tees adorned with logos to advertise brands. Also during this time, gift shops and go-to destinations began selling t-shirts as souvenirs, and activists started sporting t-shirts to support their stance on causes. The popularity of t-shirts as promotional tools really took off in 1969 when the late Max R. Scharf, CAS, founder of Incentives Corp.—and a 2011 PPAI Hall of Fame inductee—purchased silk-screening company K-Studio and introduced custom apparel to the promotional products industry. And the rest is history. The first t-shirts began as undergarments, akin to long johns and known as “union suits,” which emerged in Utica, New York, in 1868. Tees first took to market in 1904, when they were sold by the Cooper Underwear Company, now Jockey International, Inc., as “bachelor undershirts,” describing the garments as underwear for bachelors who couldn’t Custom To A ‘Tee’ by Danielle Renda T-Sh i r t s After a long and storied history, branded t-shirts remain a top favorite among promotional products. Here are the latest in trends, styles, colors and fabrics to watch for this year. Billion Photos / Shutterstock.com. 28 | MAY 2021 | INNOVATE