Ten Essential Items to Include In Your Menswear Collections

Ten Essential Items to Include In Your Menswear Collections

Fashion is constantly evolving. Between the changing of seasons and trends, it can seem like there are a million choices to include in your latest menswear collection. It can seem that what is trendy and selling well one week will end up on the clearance rack on the next. Today, I will be sharing ten essential items from garments to accessories to include in your next menswear collection, as well as discussing different components of preparing to create a collection. 

        What Does A Collection Mean In Fashion? 

A fashion collection is a series of garments designed for a specific time of the year. Designers will create individual pieces of clothing and create outfits for an upcoming season. This typically occurs during the fall and spring times of the year, because that is when a shift in climate occurs around the world. Each collection includes twelve or more garments. The larger your collection is, the more fluid it will be in interchanging your pieces with each other to form new outfits. It will also be more sellable because someone will be bound to find something that they like. 

There are other options besides designing a large fashion collection. A fashion line is all of the designed products a company has produced for that specific category of clothing or accessory. A fashion capsule is another option, as it refers to a small wardrobe or garments and accessories with a common design element defined in each design and meant to be interchangeably worn together. 

      How Do I Plan And Begin To Create My Collection? 

The first step to designing a collection is to construct a theme that will be conveyed in your garments and/or accessories. After establishing what direction you want your garments to go, establish a range plan. A Range Plan is a financial and creative guide for your collection. It can include different themes and fabric swatches, to financial strategies and budget plannings. From there, you can begin assembling a mood board, selecting color and fabric swatches, developing a pattern and sketches, contacting manufacturers, and other steps to produce your garment. You can read about this in my upcoming article, how to successfully design a garment.

What Makes A Great Fashion Collection? 

Every designer or fashion house wants to know how to make their collection well crafted and popular . To do this, you must make your business unique. Incorporating a unique aspect into your design. Every major fashion brand has a one of a kind element to their designs. For example, the french fashion house Louis Vuitton is known for their iconic LV logo on all of their clothes and accessories. Their logo is also used to create a unique print on all of their handbags. Another great example of a brand that has a unique aspect about their clothing is Levis & Co. Levi’s is one of the most iconic fashion houses not only in the United States, but around the world. However, their iconic jeans were not the first jeans to be designed and produced when the company was first founded in 1853. Levi Strauss redesigned the jean pants to include rivets along areas of the pants that experienced the most stress and wore quicker. This design technique led to an elevation in jean quality that attracted more customers. Anything from the creation and use of a distinguishing logo for your brand to the quality and elevated style of your product can make your collection unique and strong

What Are Some Basic Articles To Include In YourFuture Collection And Brands 

As I have said before, it is important to have your collection on trend and seasonal, yet you want some pieces to withstand the test of time. I suggest investigating the market to see what garments are in demand and selecting a target age group before you begin designing.  It is important to have a basic foundational structure to your brand collections filled with basics that will never go out of style. Here are ten examples of what can be included to make your collection evergreen. 

Basic T-Shirts: The Classic T-shirt is a menswear garment that is versatile and always trendy. It can be dressed up and worn with a suit set, or dressed down and worn with a pair of jeans and sneakers. These shirts can also serve as an undergarment under button down shirts. Begin by including shirts made with a soft yet durable material such as cotton or cotton blends. I recommend making these shirts in solid neutral colors ( white, black, navy, grey, brown) and slowly incorporating more playful colors and prints based on what is trending that season. 

Button Down Shirts: Along with basic t-shirts, short sleeve and long sleeve button down shirts are a staple in menswear. Commonly worn in formal occasions, these shirts can either be worn independently or paired with a blazer or suit set. I suggest making these shirts out of cotton and linen blends. I also suggest beginning your line of button down shirts with a neutral color palette ( white, black, navy,  and shades of grey and brown) and explore more exciting colors and prints as trends evolve. 

Jackets and Coats: Jackets and coats are an essential outerwear garment to include in your collection. There are many different style options such as denim, bomber, corduroy, trench coat etc.. so I suggest investigating market demands and current trends at the time you want to release a line of jackets. 

Casual Denim: A line of denim will bring value to your other garments. For example, a pair of slim, straight leg denim pants can be worn with lots of other articles of clothing. It can be worn with a button down shirt, or a t- shirt and blazer. Just like denim jeans, a denim jacket can be worn year round as well and can be paired with any other garment in your brand. I suggest making both of these garments available in light and dark wash alternatives. 

Leisure Wear: During this pandemic era, many men have adapted to wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts on a daily basis. This style of garment is comfortable to wear due to its soft texture, functionality, and loose fits which is why they are so popular among men. Leisure wear includes sweatpants, sweatshirts,  hoodies, sweatshorts, tracksuits, etc… What is so unique about these garments are that it can be paired with virtually anything. For example, a pair of sweatpants can be paired with a basic t-shirt. A hoodie can be worn under a jacket. These garments are versatile and are sure to be a popular sell in your company. 

Suits: Suits are one of the most essential components of any man’s wardrobe. A suit can be worn for any day to day activity, or a special event such as a job interview or date. Having ready to wear suits and suit components (blazers, jackets, slacks, etc..) available to your customers will make your business successful. 

Polos: Like Suits, polos can be worn in either a day to day setting, or for a formal event. I suggest constructing your polo out of a lightweight breathable textile that is comfortable to wear ( pima cotton, polyester, other…) 

Accessories: Accessories such as ties, belts, bags ( backpack, duffel bag, suitcase, briefcases,…) wallets, socks, undergarments, jewelry,  and sunglasses are often overlooked when creating a collection. Most companies become so invested in designing clothing that they disregard any supporting components that help create an outfit. These accessories will always be in demand in menswear, and can contribute to the success of your company. You’ll create a one-stop shopping experience for men when you include these items in your future collections. 

Shoes: A pair of shoes are essential in a wardrobe, as they can make or break the style of an outfit. Include a range of styles from sneakers, lace-ups, boots, and sandals. 

Shorts: Shorts are an essential summer item. The more appropriate lengths of shorts range from 5-11’’ inseam. Design shorts in either solid colors or simple prints, otherwise they will become too distracting for the customer. 

Keeping up with modern trends can be difficult. Whether you are designing a collection, line, or capsule, deciding what garments to include can be overwhelming. There are a few suggestions on how to make your designs and collections great. One is to incorporate a distinguishing aspect into all of your designs to make your brand unique. Another tip is to include some basic menswear essentials into all of your future collections to make your designs and products evergreen. I hope all of my advice today will help give your collection structure as you begin to sell your products.

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Ten Essential Items to Include In Your Menswear Collections In this post, we're looking at the essential items to include in you menswear collection to help you design an amazing collection
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