Having your handmade clothing business means you put a lot of care into your craft. Every article you produce becomes a uniquely personal relationship between you and the wearer. However, great clothes get noticed, and pretty soon a lot of your followers are going to be asked “Where did you get that?”.
This is where your branding comes into play. Branding makes clothing immediately recognizable and relays information to both the wearer and passersby. As a handmade clothing business commercial branding probably isn’t a priority, but here are a few subtle branding suggestions that are sure to get you noticed.
Monogrammed Stitches
For many handmade clothing sellers having commercial labeling is a huge turnoff, as they make clothing appear mass-produced and of lesser quality. Obviously, you don’t want your clothing to be emblazoned with logos, so like all great artists try finishing off your pieces with your initials. A simply stitched monogram at the bottom or seam of your pieces. This way your craft won’t be compromised and your customers are still able to recognize that it came from you.
Patches
For an uber-trendy way to brand your handmade clothing, invest in some customized printed patches. Printed patches are an excellent branding tool because they can be customized with any logo or monogram and in any size or colour you want. Patches are perfect for handmade clothing because they sew on easily and add a stylish finishing touch to pieces. Create different patches for different types of garments or switch them up seasonally. This can make clothing feel exclusive and personal.
Sticker Tags
Clothing tags are nothing new in the world of branding. They’re an obviously forward way of relaying information and implying aesthetics. The only problem is when clothing tags are removed, they’re often immediately tossed into the recycling bin. To make sure your tags don’t don’t wind up in a waste bin and retain your branding switch to customized sticker tags instead. Stickers can contain all your business information the way a tag can, but their functionality means clients won’t be quick to trash them. Stickers are all over the backs of laptops in cafes, lecture halls, and public transit, ensuring your branding won’t go unnoticed.
Iron-On Labels
For resellers or upcyclers, tag can pose a big problem. They can often look tacky or even worse- make the garment uncomfortable to wear. Luckily not all tags have to stick out and actually be ironed on the garment. Iron-On labels that are custom can be made as small and as wide as you want, to fit anywhere on the inside of clothing. Because iron-on labels are transferred into fabrics you’ll never have to worry about the comfort of your clothing being jeopardized. Iron-on material can also handle multiple spin cycles so you never have to worry about your branding fading.
Stamped Packaging
No one should judge a book by its cover but unfortunately, a lot of us just a package by its delivery box. Packaging is playing a huge role in handmade businesses of all kinds because it titillates our excitement for a product before we even open it. For a lot of handmade businesses supplying bold and experimental packaging can get expensive and time-consuming. Fortunately stamping is still easy to do, DIY, and makes the packaging look fantastic. Stamps of initials are easy to make yourself or purchase at the craft store. Ink pads have also received modern makeovers and now come in a wide variety of colours and gradients. Stamping still gives packages a unique and handmade look (even if the plain mailer is basically looking) and DIYing them also adds to the personal quality your handmade clothing provides.