Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate active and casualwear clothing racks and fixtures

Clothing rack and shelving is one of the most important supplies for activewear and casualwear. The rack or fixture is how your customers will view the clothing available. Clothing racks can be square, round, spiral or straight, depending on your business needs.

I recommend: Locate hanging racks and folding shelves for casualwear at Trio Display. KC Store Fixtures has clothing racks and shelving in many different sizes. Find new and used clothing racks at Gershel Brothers New & Used Store Fixtures.

Locate activewear and casualwear hangers

Activewear and casualwear hangers are used to display the clothing without damaging the shoulders. These hangers are padded or have extra covering over the tops of the hangers.

I recommend: Browse through the online catalog at ValuDisplay for hangers, clips and hanger storage rack for workoutwear, casual workwear and active wear. NCS has hangers with foam covers for womens' activewear. Find hangers designed for casualwear for work at The Nu-Era Group.

Purchase activewear and casualwear tags and tagging guns

Tags and tagging guns for activewear and casualwear clothing are designed with small needles to penetrate through the fabric without leaving a hole in the garment. These are great for placing your own price tag or replacing a tag on the clothing.

I recommend: Browse the Store Supply Warehouse for numerous supplies for activewear and casualwear including tagging guns. Deltasite has a wide variety of tags and tagging guns for casual work wear and active wear. Find tagging guns with fine needles designed for the tight weaves of sports attire and activewear brands at Specialtystoreservices.com.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Activewear and casualwear hangers are available in a variety of sizes for men, women, children and infants. Make sure to double check the sizes before purchasing.

Guide to Activewear and Casualwear

Ideas and resources for adding activewear and casualwear to your retail store

By Angela Kovalyak

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find workout clothes for your business

Adding workout clothes to your existing business is always a good idea. Fitness seems to be a trend that is just not going away, so there will always be a market for active wear.

I recommend: Fit Couture is a company that sells workout wear for women. They offer a large selection of women's activewear. They also offer wholesale options for businesses looking to sell their products. In order to access the wholesale activewear section, you need to provide your retail information. Zobha is a store that specializes in yoga and fitness clothing. They do offer wholesale options for businesses, but you need to contact them about this opportunity. Eastbay is a website that offers a lot of men's activewear. You can choose to search by the type of sports attire you need, by brand name, or by product type. Jockey also has a nice variety of workout wear for men.

Find activewear brands to sell at your store

Brand names may help you gain clients. If you sell products that your clientele base is familiar with, they will be more inclined to buy these products. Since many people may be leery about buying a product from an unknown company, you may want to begin by stocking your store with well-known items.

I recommend: Danskin is a company that sells women's activewear. They do offer services to businesses interested in selling their products, however, you will need to provide your company information. Champion offers both men's activewear and women's activewear on their website. This company has everything you need for active wear, from sweats and socks to sports bras and plus sizes. Other activewear brands are: K-Swiss, Inc., Nike Store, and Gaiam.

Buy corporate and casual activewear

Whether you are a business looking to purchase casual work wear for your employees or a business looking to sell casualwear to other businesses, you need to offer a variety of products. If you are interested in having your personal business logo printed on your products, find a company that will not only provide the clothing but the printing as well.

I recommend: Vickery provides casualwear for work and activewear for men and women. Here you will find everything from biking apparel to casual skirts and tops for the office. This unique company makes all of its products from organic cotton. Barrie Pace is a women's store that sells designer casualwear. The clothing is a bit pricey, but all items are name brands. If you are looking to find activewear for your business employees, Corporate Apparel Unlimited is a website to visit. Here you will find everything you need for your company outings, and this company will even print your company or team logo on the items you purchase. Other websites worth visiting are: Lucy and Ajax Corporate Casuals.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you are a company purchasing corporate and casual activewear for your employees, try to buy these items in bulk. This will help keep down the unit costs.
• •  Men's activewear styles tend to stay the same, so there may not be a large variety in this area. If you do see some unique items in workout clothes for men, be leery. These are probably just passing trends and may not be easy to sell.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find wholesale casual work wear suppliers

Casual wear is typically clothing that is in between dressy clothes and activewear. This type of clothing is becoming more popular in the workplace, allowing style and comfort while you work.

I recommend: Visit WholeSaleFashionSquare.com for many casualwear work items. Shirt Supplier has hundreds of casual work wear shirts at wholesale prices. Browse the online catalog at HTnaturals Apparel for wholesale casual wear for the whole family.

Purchase activewear brands for your business

Activewear is a term used for clothing that is comfortable and can be worn doing various activities. One of the main differences between activewear and workout wear is that activewear is more functional with a little style, where workout wear is purely functional.

I recommend: Order sports attire and active wear from leading activewear brands at OutletShirts. JD Closeouts has a wide variety of activewear and casualwear in all sizes. Design your own activewear at LogoSportswear.com.

Find suppliers of workout wear

Workout wear is one of the fundamental activewear and casualwear basics. Workout wear includes items such as sports bras, sweat suits, underwear and other items. Workout wear is commonly grouped with activewear, however most wholesalers sell them as separate departments.

I recommend: Request a quote for wholesale prices for workout wear from Under Armour. Champion carries a wide variety of sports and workout wear. Browse the online catalog at Primex Clothings for workout clothes, sports wear and athletic wear.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When purchasing activewear and casualwear, always order a combination of sizes on the first order. Orders for specific sizes should be made after the initial order.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Spandex

Many articles of clothing that are considered active wear and casual wear are made with spandex. Perhaps, the ultimate in comfort, spandex is a synthetic material that has the ability to stretch up to 500 percent of its original size without ripping, and it can be stretched repeatedly and continue to form its original shape. Spandex is also more durable than rubber and is a soft and smooth fabric.

I recommend: The Apparel Search Company defines spandex and explains how it is used in clothing.

Denim

One of the first things that most people think of when they are told the dress code is casual, is denim or blue jeans. Denim is a long-wearing, snag- and tear-resistant material that is made with cotton-like fabric using a twill weave. Denim is popular in many offices for casual or dress-down days.

I recommend: Check out the entry for denin in the glossary of Lotus Organics.

Cotton

Found in both active wear and casual wear, cotton may be the most popular fabric in the world. Cotton is used to make shirts, sweaters, pants, sportswear and more. Cotton comes from fields of cotton plants and is spun, weaved and dyed to make cotton fabric for clothes. Gaining popularity is organic cotton, which is grown organically and made into fabrics with no artificial chemicals or dyes.

I recommend: Explore how cotton is made and used in casual and active wear, along with the ways it can be made organically at Earth Easy.

T-Shirt

Next to denim, possibly the next that comes to mind when thinking about casual and active wear is the T-shirt. T-shirts are made of lightweight, cotton materials that make them roomy, flexible and the epitome of comfort. T-shirts were popularized in the '60s as people began to use T-shirts not just for comfort but for self-expression.

I recommend: The Top T-Shirts Countdown Chart gives a glimpse of T-shirts throughout American history and an explanation of why T-shirts are worn today.

Moisture wicking

For your active customers, be sure to stock active wear that is made from a moisture-wicking material. Moisture wicking is material that moves moisture away from your body through the fabric. This means if a person sweats when working out, the perspiration does not sit on the skin. Moisture wicking is also described as moisture control.

I recommend: Wickers offers an explanation of moisture wicking, along with many choices of active wear.

Mesh

Mesh is a specific type of moisture-wicking material that works to keep the body cool. Mesh, in clothing, is typically made up of very small breathable holes, or closed-hole mesh. Mesh is used in active wear and casual wear such as golf shirts and gym shorts.

I recommend: Visit Russell Brands to view its closed-hole mesh golf shirts.