There are many different kinds of apparel that businesses can give away, everything from underwear to hats to high quality coats and jackets. There are many considerations to keep in mind when choosing what article of clothing you want to sport your name in the eyes of everyone else who sees it. You want to consider where you're giving things out; mass hand-outs at a trade show will look a lot different than wrapped gifts to highly prized clients or top sales staff. You also want to consider your marketing budget; as with most things, high quality gifts will cost you more money, but they will also last longer and do their jobs better than less expensive gifts. Or perhaps you do not consider these promotional items to be gifts at all, but fundraisers to be sold to community, organization, or team members. If that's the case, you need to figure capital lay out and profit margins.



Obviously, some items of apparel are better suited to some promotional needs than are others. However, one of the most flexible and desirable of promotional items is a windbreaker vest. These attractive vests keep your core warm and safe from the wind, while giving you ease and economy of movement because they leave your arms free. They stay cool even while they are protecting you, and look attractive in the process. They are embroidered on the hems, come with side pockets, and often have your company's logo embroidered on the breast. They come in polyester microfiber in almost any color you need to suit your branding requirements.

Some vests are thinner material, suitable for fall or spring days, and some are much thicker. They still protect you from the wind, as do the lighter ones, but they also keep you warm in very cold weather. These vests are suitable for skiing or hiking or other long-term outdoor activities in which your client might get hot due to exertion, but would still need to keep their torso covered. They are usually down-filled or filled with some other kind of warm and durable insulation.

Another attractive and useful kind of windbreaker vest is the kind that comes with several pockets. It not only keeps the arms free by not clothing them with an extra thick layer, but it keeps the hands free by eliminating the need to carry something. It has front pockets large enough to carry binoculars, a water bottle, a camera, a cell phone, and emergency food and equipment. All of these functions can be achieved by wearing the windbreaker vest instead of a backpack. Your customer travels more lightly and has his or her hands free.

Windbreaker vests can be expensive, sometimes as much as $60 or $70, so you won't be handing them out from your booth at a trade show. However, for those clients or customers that deserve something special, a windbreaker vest can be just the thing to show them how important they are.