I’m a little late on Advertiser Appreciation Day for April, but hey better late than never! IAMTHETREND truly would not be able to function or run without these awesome advertisers that help keep this site rolling. So please take a second to check out each one of these guys, as I have some of the best advertisers in the game!

Declaration- They have just released an absolutely phenomenal Spring line and have really been blowing up as a brand as of late.

Miles To Go- Have also just released their new Spring line which is probably their largest release to date. The tees, polos and prints from the new line are fantastic and well worth a look and purchase.

Threads Not Dead: If your a designer or involved in the apparel industry, this is a must pick up and read. Authored by Jeff Finley with information from some of the most respected names in the game. You can still pick it up for 20% off with code IATT20

Seventh.Ink- Have just released a few new tees in the past month including a great looking Japan Relief Tee.

Omunky- Have also been released some great looking new tees for all you animal lovers including; Grumpy Gorilla and Operation Funtime

Sugar Steak Apparel- Kyle Creek, owner of Sugar Steak Apparel has been busting his behind the last year expanding and pushing his brand Sugar Steak. They are just about to release a few new tees that I have already seen and they look fantastic.

BMC Headwear - If your in the market for some great looking beanies, scarves or tees these guys deliver on all levels.

Bandwagon Merch A great screen printer, with good quality and prices.

Z2 Jeans CO-If your in the market for cut and sew jeans make sure to check these guys out!

How is everyone today? I thought I would get my writing on and present you with a sweet article for your viewing pleasure.

So I was sitting in my office overseeing my vast OMUNKY empire today…..haha, that’s a horrible way to start this! OK, look, there is not secret recipe to running a successful clothing brand. Part of it is being in the right place at the right time, part of it is a talent for this kind of work, and the rest is just complete randomness. Oh and let’s not forget patience…

But it is important to know that it’s not all just a roll of the dice. So I have compiled a few key points that have helped me out so far. Feel free to enjoy this article! And let’s begin:

• Be Original

This comes first because, for me, this is the most important. To truly be successful in this business, and in any for that matter, you need to stand out from the crowd. The coolest thing you can do for yourself and for your “baby” is to make your customers see that they cannot get what you are selling anywhere else.

Try and do something nobody else has done before. If you are thinking Zombie-based designs or clothing with food on them, get your mind out of the gutter! It’s been done before! I want something new! I want something fresh! I want people to come up to me and ask me where I got my shirt from (I’m speaking as one of your future customers). I’m sure you don’t want people telling you that your clothing reminds them of another brand.

If you are inspired by another clothing company, that’s cool. There is nothing wrong with taking some ideas from brands you have grown up with or that you recently discovered. But make sure not to take too much from them or you will be labeled a copycat or poser, or whatever words the kids are using these days. OMUNKY has definitely been influenced by others, especially when I was first starting out, but you would never guess which ones. I have made it a huge point to separate OMUNKY from the pack.

• Be Professional

I spend a lot of my free time online and when I’m online I like to check out other clothing sites. If you’ve been around long enough to have made a presence for yourself on some of the t-shirt blogs and maybe some social networking sites, odds are I’ve probably checked your brand out. Heck, I might have even purchased an item from your store because I am all about supporting other small businesses. But what keeps me on a website longer than 30 seconds is a brand’s professionalism. If you have taken the time to develop a nice looking web-page, making sure your products are easily accessible as well as aesthetically pleasing, I’m probably going to explore your site for awhile.

It’s one thing to have a really well designed shirt. It’s a step closer to the majors if you can back that shirt up with a really solid brand and an overall great shopping experience. You’re a small business who has to compete with some really large and powerful clothing stores. If I shop at your store I want to know that I am going to get a product that is worth what I paid for, and that you won’t just up and leave town after you’ve taken my hard earned cash. People are very skeptical about shopping for clothes on the internet because they can’t feel or try on the products they are buying. Make up for that with an awesome online experience.

• Be Courteous

Since I started my line, one of the most common things I’ve heard from people I have dealt with is “wow, you guys are really nice” (haha, for the record there is no “guys” it’s just me). I pride myself on going above and beyond for people I’ve interacted with when representing my company, and you should too.

As of 5 years ago, I have boycotted a certain computer brand (not naming names here) after having an awful customer service experience. The representative I spoke to made me feel like I was wasting her time, when in fact it was the other way around. Had she been a little more courteous to me I wouldn’t recommend buying from other computer companies when people ask for my opinion on the subject.

The same goes for clothing brands. Unless you can afford a team of reps and lawyers, you are the face of your company. How you act towards your colleagues and customers is how people will view your business. If you want to be a total dick when customers call you or email you with questions, don’t be surprised when you notice your sales start declining. People have so many places they can shop online, why should they bother with a place that is going to treat them like they are a burden.

Go above and beyond in any way you can. I have literally walked some of my older customers through the online checkout process because they were having trouble completing their orders. I have helped girls pick out the perfect shirt for their boyfriends and husbands because they were too nervous and unsure to do it themselves. If customers walk away from shopping at your store with an excellent experience, they are very likely to tell other people about it. They are also more likely to return to your store the next time they need some cool gear.

• Have Fun!

Well hopefully everyone agrees with me on this one. I started my brand because I wanted to be my own boss and I wanted to be excited to go to work everyday. If you aren’t having fun running your clothing line you might want to change things up a little bit. In order to own a successful business, you should be working more than your friends with “big kid” jobs. But that doesn’t mean your hair should be falling out and that you’re upping your medication.

Have fun! You are doing something that other people can only dream of. You have the skills needed to run your own business! Not everyone can say they have that mindset. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself sometime between your next tee release and when you’re ready to start that sweet ad campaign

If anyone wants my take on something please don’t hesitate to write me at rick[at]omunky[dot]com

Stay Happy,
Rick
omunky.com

So here we go a look at Wolves Vs. Lions Apparel. WVL is a relatively new company with only four designs to their name, but as you guessed it these tees focus around LIONS! It always amazes and impresses me how companies such as Omunky, Hamburger Disco and now Wolves Vs Lions can take a extremely niche idea and create several different spins on basically the same concept.

When you have a clothing company based entirely around lions and wolves you would think that it would be rather exhausting and redundant, but Wolves Vs Lions does a great job taking the lion concept and portraying it in several different lights.

They sent me in two tees for review, the now sold out “Mother Savannah” and “Ghost Wolf” so let’s take a look.

The 4P’s (Packaging, Printing, Price, Presentation)

Packaging

The mailer that was sent in was interesting to say the least. WVL, has take a standard United States Post Office envelope and spray painted their logo on both the front and back of the mailer. This is honestly the first time that I have seen a company do this and in all honesty it stands out. While this isnt the perfect and most professional mailer I have ever seen, you have to love the effort and creativity that these guys put into this.

The package also included a poster of each design which was a nice touch!

Grade: B

Printing

The printing on both of these shirts is both very clean and well done. I can’t spot any screen printing mishaps and the ink on both tees feels pretty soft. I can see these getting even softer with one wash. While there isn’t a ton of small detail that the screen printer had to pull off they did do a good job making sure everything was printed with clean lines and did not cake the ink on. Which is exactly what you hope for when buying a tee online, well done.

Grade: A

Price

Both of these tees are priced at $18 which comes well under that $20 price range that I love. That being said these tees are also not printed on fashion fit blanks. “Mother Savannah” is printed on Fruit of the Loom and “Ghost Wolf” is printed on Tultex. While both of these blanks are decent they are not the top of the line American Apparel or Alternative Apparel. For $18 each I think this price point is well justified with the quality of screen printing and the decent blanks. Also if you use code “IATT” you will get an extra 15% off your order!

Grade: A

Presentation

Last but not least we have the overall presentation of the tees. I would have to say I like what I see from WVL, but I am a bit concerned with how much the brand jumps around with their styles. As I stated earlier I am in impressed with the different angles WVL took with their line, but I do feel looking at some of their newer tees such as “Splatter Wolf“ this brand is either about to change it’s style or its spreading itself a bit to far.

Overall between the packaging, printing, and price WVL definitely is on the right to track. With a bit more honed “brand identity” these guys will do good things!

Grade:B+

Check out the full line at: www.wolvesvslions.com and make sure to use code IATT for 15% off!

This one-color piece is not as bold as the last few designs that we’ve seen from OMUNKY, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t elements that are effective in capturing the audience’s attention. I especially like how all but one of the baboons look exactly the same because it helps to highlight the curious baboon that’s facing the opposite direction. Seeing this piece makes me wonder what’s about to happen next in the scene. My prediction is that this little guy will climb onto his baboon friend in order to attempt to catch the butterflies. What do you think?

“Baboons ‘n Butterflies” is printed on a 100% organic cotton t-shirt and you can purchase it for $22 at OMUNKY. Like the two other tees that they released this year, 5% of the proceeds from this shirt will also be donated to WildAid. Be sure to use our special coupon code “IAMTHETREND” to take 15% off during checkout!

Check out the entire line at: www.omunky.com

Band of the Week: Bad Rabbits

Internet Tee Finds of the Week:
Beau: Once in a Blue Moon $25 from Design By Humans
Bo M.: Never Sleep $24.95 from Dance Party Massacre
Adam: Iron Chef $26.98 from Pyknic Clothing