Promotional t-shirts are among the most popular promotional items given away by companies in the UK. Custom t-shirts have a long and colorful history. Since the 1950s when James Dean wore a white t-shirt under a leather jacket, t-shirts have been outspoken in their attitudes – but it wasn’t until the mid-sixties that they began to be used to deliver messages loud and clear. Disney was one of the first companies to use promotional t-shirts for their business, but they started a trend that is still growing and snowballing.

In the late sixties and early seventies, rock and roll concert promoters jumped on the bandwagon with t-shirts printed with the tour logo and dates. Those t-shirts became hot collectors items that promoted the band while declaring the tastes and personality of the wearer. Anyone who saw the t-shirt being worn had an immediate point of reference with the wearer. It brought out one of the most intense selling points of promotional t-shirts – they provide a sense of unity and identity with a particular group or attitude. Professional sports leagues and teams were quick to pick up on the trend, and promotional apparel bearing the trademark of one football club or another, or team kit items are among the hottest sellers in any department store.

Promotional t-shirts can do more than publicize your company’s name or logo, though. The right t-shirt can help solidify your branding and marketing efforts. By choosing t-shirt styles and messages that will appeal to your target audience, you’ll be helping to establish your brand in the minds of the public. The message that you put out there is more than the words on the t-shirt – it’s intrinsic in the t-shirt itself.

But, you’re thinking, a t-shirt is just a t-shirt. Not so at all! There are dozens of styles of t-shirts on the market these days, and most of them appeal particularly to a particular segment of the market. If you understand the market that you want to attract, you can aim your promotional message directly at them by choosing a styles, materials and designs that will make your promotional t-shirts appealing to them.

Is your product line meant to appeal to the trendy, young market? Take a clue from the adverts for products that they use. Choose bright, snappy colors and slimmer lines that hug the body to make your promotional message consistent with the market that you want to reach. Most teens and early-twenty-somethings want clothing that fits snugly. By fitting your style to their wants, you’ll be aligning your brand with their tastes.

On the other hand, if you’re marketing to eco-conscious folks, you’ll want to avoid synthetic fabrics and brightly colored dyes that are often petroleum based. Position your product in their minds with ‘all-natural’ – naturally grown cotton/flax blends for fabrics, undyed or naturally dyed colors like soft browns, tans, greens and blues. Promotional t-shirts for products aimed at women should be in figure flattering styles with cap sleeves and round necklines. Those aimed at the retirement crew should be high quality, traditionally styled and very, very comfortable.

For a wide selection of styles and colors in promotional t-shirts, visit YesGifts.co.uk, where you’ll find a rainbow of colors and dozens of different styles of promotional t-shirts. The professionals at YesGifts.co.uk can help you translate your ideas for promotional t-shirts and other promotional clothing into wearable art that will make your company into a fashion statement.