Uniform News - August 2007

Company Press Releases

Penn Emblem Offers New Digital Pre-Production Samples

Philadelphia, PA July 16, 2007 - Looking for quicker turnaround of your identification needs? Want to serve your customers faster? The Penn Emblem Company has a new solution that has revitalized the pre-production sample into the newest way to increase turnaround and businesses success.

Penn is proud to announce the amazing new Digital Pre-Production Sample. You no longer have to rely on graphic representations of your logo until you can receive a physical sample; this service is a PDF scan of the actual sample that was made. The file is sent to you via e-mail before the physical sample is shipped. When using this program, a customer that places an order by noon will have the digital sample by noon the following day. You can choose to receive a digital sample only, a physical sample only - or both!

Penn Emblem’s Digital Pre-Production Sample solves many headaches for the customer. You can now set up appointments and meetings with your customers earlier. This will increase the speed to market and add to your bottom line. Instead of waiting until they receive their physical sample, customers can now request changes almost immediately - versus the 48 hours they would have to wait for an actual sample. Any changes that need to be made can be implemented quicker, which equates to quicker reception of the finished product.

If a customer elects to receive the digital sample only, there are no late shipments or shipping costs incurred! Imagine, no more headaches tracking packages and worrying about receiving your shipment on time.

For more information regarding the Digital Pre-Production Sample process and how to become involved, please call The Penn Emblem Company at 800-793-7366.

SanMar’s Nike Golf Selection Expands

Seattle, WA, July 26, 2007 – SanMar, a leading supplier of wholesale apparel and accessories, is adding 15 new styles to its exclusive Nike Golf and Tiger Woods collections.

“Nike Golf has excelled in the promotional product and decorated apparel world,” says Scotland Thede, corporate sales director for Nike Golf. Thede sees the growing potential of high-end retail names. “Nike Golf, Tiger Woods and SanMar have helped revolutionize the industry by demonstrating the power of universal brand recognition and innovation. We set upscale and technical trends in motion and we’re consistently at the forefront of those trends.”

Since 2006, SanMar has been the exclusive supplier of Nike Golf in the imprintable apparel industry. New styles include sport shirts, outerwear and headwear equipped with Dri-FIT and Sphere Dry technology. Building on the Tiger Woods offering first made earlier this year, SanMar has added two new Dri-FIT mercerized cotton polos with distinctive texture and patterns. Stock is currently available from at all six national distribution centers.

A family owned business since 1971, SanMar is based in Seattle, with six national distribution centers.

The new styles are featured in the 2008 Apparel & Accessories catalog and at www.sanmar.com .

Perfection Uniforms Expands PerformanceSeries Programs and Capacities

Brentwood, TN, July 24, 2007 - Perfection Uniforms is pleased to announce that its signature PerfectionPerformanceSeries programs have been greatly expanded & reinforced. Spurred by overwhelming agency/wear test preference and the Perfection Valued Dealer sell through achieved over the last 12 months, the company has experienced an overall growth rate of 44 percent through the first 6 months of 2007.

Production of EGC (Ergonomic Garment Construction) System garments has been more than doubled, creating:

- Improved availability & color expansion of the popular, award-winning MatrixSeries and PinnacleSeries;

- Quicker availability of the newest EGC System offerings, including the StratusSeries “Class A” Performance Poly/Rayon Blends; EclipseSeries Performance Knits; and the

SuperNaturalSeries New “Class A” Performance Poly/Wool Blends - scheduled to be in stock fall, 2007;

- The ability to integrate EGC System features & benefits into custom, agency-specific programs, utilizing currently specified fabrics for a seamless transition.

Perfection Uniforms, based in Brentwood, Tennessee, is one of the fastest growing uniform companies in the US, and our uniforms are distributed internationally through a select network of valued full service dealers, for whom we thank for this latest success.

For more information, visit www.perfectionuniforms.com , e-mail customerservice@perfectionuniforms.com , or call 800.476.4964.

Safety Flag Moves to Larger Headquarters

Central Falls, RI, June 19, 2007 - After decades in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Safety Flag Company of America, the prominent manufacturer of safety flags, safety vests and other fluorescent and reflective gear, has moved to the next town, Central Falls, a one-mile-square village in the heart of Rhode Island.

Safety Flag has quadrupled its space, to 25,000 sq. ft., in a historic building, the 100-year-old corporate headquarters of a former textile mill. Safety Flag will use the newly renovated space for stocking goods and supplies, adding workstations, streamlining the shipping department and increasing office space.

“We are already fast because we manufacture in the USA, but now we will be able to stock more inventory and ship it even faster,” said Norman Bernson, Safety Flag president. “We will be able to do more custom work —like logo imprints and special sizes — and turn the work around very quickly.”

The new location will be one of three offices across the country. Safety Flag also has offices in Frankton, IN, and San Francisco, CA.

The company’s new location is 82 Hadwin St., Central Falls, RI 02863; its mailing address is P.O. Box 200, Central Falls, RI 02863.

International

China to Boost Technology, Training While Improving Soldiers' Quality of Life

Shanghai, China, July 6, 2007 (Detroit News) - China is rolling out sleeker uniforms for its 2.3 million-member military, prompted by a bigger budget and growing involvement in U.N. peacekeeping, state media said this week. The uniform of the People's Liberation Army -- plain, baggy green with red and gold insignia -- had changed little in more than two decades since China opened up its economy and relaxed social controls.

The new uniforms will be cut closer for a snappier appearance and include casual and dress styles, along with battle fatigues.

Ground forces will be in pine green, the navy in dark blue and the air force in deep blue-gray. "Increasing global military exchanges have upped the requirements for PLA uniforms. The new outfits fuse global trends with Chinese characteristics," Gen. Liao Xilong, chief of the PLA's General Logistics Department, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

The switch comes as China attempts to boost technology and training for the world's largest military while improving the quality of life for soldiers and attracting better-qualified recruits.

China hiked its military budget this year by $44.9 billion, and officers said the extra funds would be split among improving salaries and pensions, new uniforms, and military education.

At the same time, China has stepped up overseas military exchanges and increasingly taken part in peacekeeping missions, sending forces to Africa, the Middle East and Haiti. That has exposed Chinese troops to new ways of training and operating and different kinds of equipment.

The PLA uniform has undergone several redesigns since the military's birth as a volunteer communist guerrilla army, even abandoning rank and insignia altogether during the egalitarian era of the 1967-77 Cultural Revolution.

Referred to as "07 Style," the latest uniforms adopt the growing international trend of "cold colors," removing clashing elements such as scarlet hat bands and changing insignia to blend with the overall shade.

Women's heels will rise by 0.4 inches to 2 inches. Dress uniforms will include chest insignia in keeping with standard international practice, Xinhua said.

Traditional decorations and insignia will remain, however, including the national flag, the PLA flag and images of the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square.

Russian Army Uniforms Get Makeover

Moscow, July 17, 2007 (Kommersant) - The Russian Defense Ministry has announced that it is spending 100 million rubles to create new uniforms. The Valentin Yudashkin Fashion House was selected to design the new uniform, and it is now keeping it a secret until September, when Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov will launch it mass production. He approved a new special forces uniform in May.

The only time previously when the Russian Army was given fully redesigned uniforms was in 1992 on orders from the first president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin. That new uniform was based on the NATO uniform, military sources say. In 1998, generals' and colonels' hats were replaced and some types of forces were given shoes instead of boots. In 2005, Russian President Vladimir Putin made more changes to officers' headwear, partially reversing the innovations of 1998. Police received new uniforms last month, after the president noted that the color of their uniforms was the same as that of military uniforms.

Lyubov Kudelina, head of the Defense Ministry finance and economics service, while not lifting the veil of secrecy from the new military look, promised that the new uniforms “will combine the historical traditions of the Russian Army and a modern palette of colors with improved quality of materials.”

Fashion historian Alexander Vasilyev is skeptical, however. “Using fashion designers is not only unjustified here, you have to look at world experience, which is that the design of the military wardrobe has to be developed by special people who serve in the army and understand what is needed and why. So far, I have the impression that the minister found out that one warehouse is nearly empty, and another has a surplus of fabric and that is the basis for the changes.”

China's Textile, Apparel Industry Expects Profits Surge in 2007

China, July 31, 2007 (People’s Daily Online) - Profits of China's textile and apparel industry will grow 35 percent year-on-year to 112.5 billion yuan (14.8 billion U.S. dollars) in 2007, China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) announced on Tuesday.

The CNTAC predicted the total output of the industry would rise 20 percent over last year to 3.02 trillion yuan (397.4 billion U.S. dollars) this year.

The council predicted that yarn production would rise 20 percent, fabric production would increase 12 percent, chemical fiber up 13 percent and clothing up 14 percent in the second half.

It also forecast foreign sales of textiles and apparel would amount to 170.5 billion yuan (22.4 billion U.S. dollars) this year, up 16 percent on last year.

About Retail

Managing the Costs of Payment Acceptance: Best Practices

July, 2007 (Retailwire) - Whether your business is a single location selling to consumers or a large, multi-channel business-to-business operation, chances are your company accepts credit and debit cards for payment. Allowing customers to pay with plastic is no longer an option, it’s a requirement in the modern world.

But for businesses that accept credit and debit cards, the other requirement is the cost associated with each transaction: the fees owed to both the card associations (i.e. MasterCard and Visa) and the payment processor carrying the transaction.

Depending on the type of business you own, your annual sales volume and a number of other factors, those fees can vary. But there are some ways to control the costs of payment acceptance. Below are the basics:

Every transaction processed for your business is categorized. To qualify for the lowest rate, the transaction itself must meet certain guidelines that have been set by the card associations. Without going into the details of each one, here are some good rules of thumb to make sure you get the lowest possible rate:

• Always swipe the card, if possible (and be aware if your employees are keying in transactions manually due to lack of training or equipment failures)

• When keying a transaction, employ the use of address verification

• PIN-based debit is a more secure transaction that is less costly than signature debit or credit transactions

• Settle your batch every day to get lowest rates

• Reconcile every day, to make sure all your transactions were transmitted to the host, and that you are in balance

• Reconcile again when you get your statement, to compare what you think you sold to what you were actually funded

• If you offer prepaid cards and/or gift cards, it’s important to reconcile these reports as well. Gift cards, since they don’t carry the interchange costs of credit cards, can be a tremendous revenue enhancer. But being out of balance can be an indication of theft or fraud

If you are out of balance, often the problem can be traced to simple, easily rectifiable issues: your employees need a training session on using the hardware, batching out, etc., or your software needs to be tweaked slightly to accommodate your transaction needs.

Nevertheless, we can’t overemphasize the importance of keeping abreast of your unique business patterns, from how transactions are entered to the amount of your average ticket, to being aware of the times of day when sales tend to spike. The simple truth is that if you stay conscious of these things, you will know when the alarm bells begin ringing when something is amiss – if an employee is improperly trained and processing incorrectly, if you have an excessive amount of transactions, or ticket volumes, at unusual times, etc.

Finally, don’t forget to pay attention to your monthly statements which detail the types of payments processed, as well as the associated fees. Do you understand your statement? Do you understand the different fee structures and the reasoning for each? This can be a very complicated undertaking – even intimidating – and yet it is one of the most crucial. Knowing what is on your statement can make you aware of problems, inconsistencies, etc. If something does not make sense, call your processor and have them explain it to you. That’s your right as a customer, and it’s their job as your processor.

Retailers Reveal How RFID Can Boost Sales and Improve Customer Experience

July 31, 2007 (RFID Journal) —RFID Journal, the world's leading media and events company covering radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, and the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), the leading trade association for the apparel and footwear industries, announced today that two innovative retailers will present new case studies showing how RFID technologies can boost sales by as much as 5 percent, while also improving the customer shopping experience, at the second annual RFID Journal—AAFA Apparel & Footwear Summit. The conference will be held Aug. 20-22, 2007, at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City.

"The use of RFID in a store has been proven to increase sales by as much as 5 percent," says Neco Can, co-owner of the Industry Standard, a new shop targeting young consumers. "We're taking it a step further by not just using RFID to improve the on-shelf availability of products, but also to improve the shopping experience through social shopping. This is the future of retailing."

The Industry Standard is using RFID transponders in hangtags on all products sold in the store. The technology allows shoppers to receive more information about the products, and to share that information remotely with friends via cell phone. Nick Tentis, a hot British designer with his own fashionable boutique, is also using RFID—in the form of an interactive mirror that incorporates an RFID reader linked to a digital display—to provide product information to consumers. When a customer brings a tagged item near the mirror, the system displays a description of the garment, as well as other available colors and sizes. It also suggests accompanying accessories and helps retailers up-sell and cross-sell.

"The use of RFID and other types of technology helps our customers relate to our brand, and enables us to give them a better service," says Tentis, who will present a case study on his company's use of RFID for the first time.

"RFID is about more than just cutting costs, so we're pleased to have two retailers presenting at the RFID Journal—AAFA Apparel & Footwear Summit who can show how it can be used in the store to appeal to young, tech-savvy consumers," says Mark Roberti, founder and editor of RFID Journal. "This is the only event where companies can learn how to use RFID to improve the way they do business, from managing raw materials to completing the sale."

End Users and Programs

TSA Unveils New TSO Uniforms

Washington, DC, July 2007 – As part of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continued efforts to transition the workforce to a cadre of well-trained, professional transportation security officers (TSO), uniforms more reflective of the critical nature of their work and of the high standards they must uphold will be introduced in the fall.

TSA's National Advisory Council (NAC) identified TSO uniforms as a major issue among the 43,000 TSOs. An independent uniform board, comprised of TSOs and managers from all three TSA regions, was created to work closely with the Office of Security Operations and recommend changes.

The board reviewed and developed recommendations on all aspects of the current uniform - color, appearance, durability, ease of care and professional image - and presented them to TSA leadership. The initiative was guided by the basic principle that dress and appearance should promote esprit de corps within the workforce while instilling trust and confidence in the public. The uniform, in particular, is to stand as a readily identifiable symbol of the security mission and role of the TSO in executing the agency's core values: integrity, innovation, and team spirit.

Before being finalized, the new TSO uniform concept was presented on TSA's Idea Factory, an online forum for TSA employees to openly and candidly discuss their ideas with other members of the workforce around the country. Prototype uniforms were unveiled on an employee Web cast mid-July.

For more information about TSA, visit www.tsa.gov .

Navy Tests New Fabric, Zippers for Dress Blues

Arlington, VA, July 14, 2007 (Stars and Stripes) - The Navy wants to make it easier for sailors to get into their service dress blues.

A new uniform for male sailors at E-6 and below features a zipper for the pants, leaving the traditional 13 buttons just for cosmetic reasons, said Robert B. Carroll, head of the Navy’s Uniform Matters Office.

The new uniform also features a zipper on the side of the shirt, making it easier to put on — especially for sailors with broad shoulders, Carroll said in an interview with Stars and Stripes.

The new blues are one of three uniforms that the Navy is testing this fall and winter, Carroll said. Testing is expected to involve about 300 sailors; none of it is expected to be carried out overseas.

There is not yet a time line for when the uniforms would be delivered to the fleet if approved, said Lt. Cmdr. William Marks, a spokesman for the Chief of Naval Personnel.

The blues being tested are also made of a lighter material than what sailors wear now, Carroll said.

This is meant to make sailors more comfortable in regions that require the blues for winter but do not get too cold, such as Naples, Italy, he said.

The Navy is also testing out new dress whites for both male and female sailors at E-6 and below, Carroll said.

The current dress whites are made out of polyester, meaning they can be very hot in warm climates, he said.

The uniform being tested is made of a material that is supposed to let the body breathe, keeping sailors cooler. It also features blue piping on the collar and cuffs to make it look more like the dress blues. Another uniform being tested would give chiefs and officers a khaki service dress uniform for formal occasions.

Resembling Navy uniforms from many years ago, the dress khakis feature a tie and a coat with shoulder boards, allowing chiefs and officers to go from the office to a more formal setting without changing their entire uniform.

Another benefit is the khakis look sharp. “It has a very crisp military look to it,” Carroll said.

Parks Police to Stick with Combat-type Uniforms

Nashville, July 23, 2007 (The Tennessean) - The officers who patrol Metro parks might look like they're ready for combat.

They wear loose-fitting olive and camouflage uniforms, and tall, black jackboots, which parks officials say allow officers to stay mobile and safe, whether they're chasing a suspect through tall grass or keeping order on paved roads.

But a Metro Shooting Review Board found that the camouflage and olive colors could confuse the public, and might have been a factor in a controversial shooting of a motorist at Centennial Park.

More than a year and a half after the report, the military-style uniforms are still being worn and parks officials say they have no plans to change.

"It may appear to be militaristic in nature, but it's not," said Jackie Jones, spokeswoman for the Metro Department of Parks and Recreation. "Our officers are prepared on a daily basis to go into park lands, vegetated areas and green space — that is what we patrol."

In the November 2005 report, the shooting review board found that Metro Parks Officer John Wells violated Metro policies when he fired three times into the slow-moving car of Randolph Kinzer.

Metro police Deputy Chief Steve Anderson wrote the report on behalf of the board, which included Wells' supervisor and the commander of the parks police at the time.

"While it is unknown whether the wearing of a uniform of this nature contributed to the confusion, it is very obvious that the driver did not yield to the directions he was receiving from multiple officers," the report said. "Whether this was because he did not realize they were parks officers or whether he did not elect to submit to their authority, a more distinctive uniform, readily identifying the officers as law enforcement personnel … would eliminate any doubt as to their authority and purpose."

Since the shooting, Metro officials have installed a Metro police captain to manage the parks police. Metro police officials say concerns about the military style uniforms remain.

"Deputy Chief Anderson stands by the findings of the Shooting Review Board, which he authored," said Metro police spokesman Don Aaron.

But the ultimate decision about uniforms is not up to Metro police officials but to the parks department director and his staff.

An assistant professor who has studied the psychological response generated by police uniforms says that some small departments wear camouflage and olive colors because the style of clothing helps them in hotter climates.

Also, police departments choose colors that resemble the environments where they work, to help them take cover if needed. In the southwest U.S., for example, police often choose tan colors that resemble the desert, said Robert R. Johnson, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Washburn University in Topeka, Kan.

Johnson's studies also have found that all-black or navy blue uniforms can generate a negative response from the public, because they portray officers as menacing and evil. Studies show that the uniforms worn by Chicago police — light blue shirts and black pants — elicit the warmest response, he said.

Johnson said in virtually all cases, an officer's demeanor is more important than their dress.

"How the officer speaks to a person and whether the person is intoxicated — all of those things are much more influential than a uniform," Johnson said. "A uniform does not have a major impact."

Hotels Go Designer

July 15, 2007 (USA Weekend) - A stroll into a boutique hotel can be like walking onto a film set. Music, aroma and furnishings all tell a story. Now, worker wardrobes by top labels join inns' push to wow.

“First impressions are lasting impressions,'' says Elon Kenchington, COO of New York's Hotel Gansevoort, where Hugo Boss provides the staff look. "What was luxury is now standard. We must do what we can to have an edge over the competition.''

It's a crowded field: 30 hotel brands were introduced in the past 30 months, says consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. Uniform styling helps hoteliers declare their image. So, the housekeepers at Denver's Hotel Monaco wear Cynthia Rowley; spa receptionists at Peninsula Beverly Hills don St. John; workers at W Hotels wear Michael Kors; and Capella Resorts hired Peter Som.

Even mid-priced brands are spiffing up. Embassy Suites spent $4 million on attire designed by Lafayette 148 New York.

"Such synergy reflects positively on the designer and hotel,'' says Valerie Steele, the director and chief curator of the Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology. "It also flatters guests, who feel staffers are dressing up to please them.''

Of Interest

Performance Apparel Swells Demand for Moisture Management Fabrics

July 5, 2007 (just-style.com) - The market for moisture management fabrics is set to grow as apparel manufacturers shift their attention to the high-performance end of the sector and consumers place increasing importance on the performance of garments, according to a new report.

Moisture management is one of the key performance criteria in today's apparel industry says a report in the latest issue of Performance Apparel Markets. It is defined as the ability of a garment to transport moisture away from the skin to the garment's outer surface.

Excess moisture may also cause the garment to become heavy, as well as cause damage to the skin from chafing.

Any garment which is worn next to the skin or worn during exercise benefits from moisture management properties.

The range of applications for such fabrics continues to expand as new fabric technology is released on to the market. In addition to sportswear and active wear, there is also growing interest in moisture management fabrics from the flame retardant apparel market.

Moisture is transported in textiles through capillary action or wicking. In textiles, the spaces between the fibers effectively form tubes, which act as capillaries, and transport the liquid away from the surface.

As a rule, the narrower the spaces between the fibers in a fabric, the more effectively they will draw up moisture. For this reason, fabrics with many narrow capillaries, such as microfibres, are ideal for moisture transport.

Another factor which affects moisture management is absorbency. However, while greater absorbency increases the ability for moisture to be drawn into the fabric, the tendency of absorbent fibers to retain such moisture affects comfort levels, as the garment becomes saturated.

It has been shown that fabrics which wick moisture rapidly through the fabric while absorbing little water help to regulate body temperature, improve muscle performance and delay exhaustion.

Generally, the most effective moisture management fabrics are high-tech synthetic fabrics which are made from polyamide or polyester microfibers. These are lightweight, are capable of transporting moisture efficiently, and dry relatively quickly.

"Push-pull" fabrics – bi-component materials composed of a non-absorbent material on the inside and an absorbent material on the outside - have proved to be an effective construction for moisture management fabrics.

This is because the absorbent material on the outside draws the moisture away from the skin while the non-absorbent material keeps the skin dry.

In terms of key producers, one of the world's leading manufacturers of polyester-based moisture management materials is Invista. This company's CoolMax and Thermolite brands are found in a wide range of garments for sports and outdoor activities.

However, the pace of development has accelerated over the past ten years, and a growing number of companies are now competing with these brands. Well known names in this field include American Fibers and Yarn, Comfort Technologies, Hind, Honeywell, Intera, Intex, Lenzing, Marmot, Milliken, Mitsui, Nano-Tex, Nike, Patagonia, Pearl Izumi, Polartec, Reebok, Rhovyl, Schoeller, Tomen, USA-Pro, and Wellman.

As manufacturers of sports and active outdoor wear strive to improve the functionality of their collections, the future will see further developments in the field of moisture management fabrics.

For example, the area of nanofibers looks set to revolutionize the moisture management market. In addition, the next generation of "smart" textiles could see the development of fabrics which are able to respond to changes in the environment by adjusting their pore size or thickness to allow moisture through.