- What is the ‘Original’ look?
- How is the Original fabric made so soft?
- What are the key features of each style in turn?
- What kind of decoration can be used on these products?
- The price is higher than a standard product. Why is this?
- Does the sueding process affect the uniformity of this style, or do garments have a standard appearance?
- Can I expect the same quality as normal Jerzees Colours product?
- What are the washing instructions for this range?
- I would like a variation on one of these styles. Can you do that for me?
Q: What is the ‘Original’ look?
A: Original garments form a Jerzees Colours ‘story’ – a capsule range of garments which are designed to sit together because of their common characteristics.
In terms of styling, the garments are relaxed-looking, in keeping with a global brand. There are three t-shirts, a polo, and two sweatshirt styles.
They, like all Jerzees Colours garments, excel in what we call ‘The 3 Fs’ – fabric, fit and features.
Fabric
The fabric used for all styles in the Original story has an incredible, soft-touch finish. This means wearer comfort, but also gives a definite feeling of luxury – of something a bit special. For more detail on how this finish is created, see ‘How is the Original Fabric made so soft?’, below.
Fit
The design of garments has been carefully worked on by our designers to ensure that it fits well and flatters.
In terms of comparisons to other styles, the 220M, 220L and the 224M are all based on the 110M fit.
The 221M polo is based on the 121M vintage polo.
The 222M and 223M sweatshirts are deliberately designed to be worn loose. Their fit is baggier than our standard 262M shape.
Features
There are lots of little extra features packed into all the Original styles, which work together to give the wearer a feeling that they’ve got something a bit special. Features used include tone-on-tone velvet taping, chunky trims, and contrasting, velvet stitching.
For more detailed information, style by style, go to ‘What are the key features of each style in turn?’.
Q: How is the Original fabric made so soft?
A: The Original garments do not get their soft finish through any kind of chemical treatment – the process is entirely natural.
In fact, the t-shirts in the range are 100% cotton, with no finish applied, and the sweats are also cotton rich (80% cotton / 20% polyester).
Instead, the fabric goes through a ‘peaching’ or ‘sueding’ process before being cut and sewn into garments. It is this process which gives the garments their remarkable, soft handfeel.
The fabric is guided horizontally over sueding rollers (see the diagram right) and delivered by a plaiter or rolled on big batch.
The sueding rollers are covered with abrasive bristles, similar in appearance to a toothbrush. This helps to break some of the small fibres on the exterior of the material and teases them out. Teasing the broken fibre ends is what creates the peached appearance and feel for the sueded fabric.
Benefits of Sueding:
- Suede yarns are thick and plush
- Improvement of touch, i.e. fabric surface becomes softer and more voluminous
- Pleasant to the skin and comfortable to wear
- A desirable ‘softer’ appearance with regard to colours
- Used character
- Holds its shape very well
Q: What are the key features of each style in turn?
220M & 220L – College Tees (long & short sleeved)
- Vanilla contrast–coloured stitching at the sleeve and bottom hems, at the neck and across the chest. The chest stitching has been positioned high up so that chest decoration is still easily done.
- Velvet taping on the inside neck
- Choice of sleeve length with same styling
224M Baseball Tee
- Stitching is body coloured
- Velvet taping on the inside neck
- Colourways are fashionable, yet neutral enough to match corporate identities
221M Striped Campus Polo
- Horizontal double striped pattern. The stripes are widely spaced to accommodate decoration
- Velvet trim on the inside neck and also running along the placket (see image below of the inside of the placket and collar)
- Stiffer collar – it’s designed to be worn up as well as down, to accommodate the trend for upturned collars
- Side vent with herringbone taping
- The two button holes on the placket run in different directions as a style detail – the top one’s horizontal and the bottom one vertical
- Different coloured stitching on each button (one the colour of the stripes; one the colour of the main body)
222M Full-Zip Original Sweat
- Vanilla contrast–coloured stitching at the armhole, shoulder, cuff and hem.
- Full zip, with antique brass finish
- Chunky 2 x 2 rib cuffs, which are longer than on basic styles
- Velvet tape on the inside neck and along the inside of the pocket edge
223M Original Hooded Top
- Vanilla contrast–coloured stitching at the armhole, shoulder, cuff and hem.
- Chunky, herringbone ‘shoelace’ style drawcord
- Chunky 2 x 2 rib cuffs, which are longer than on basic styles
- Velvet tape on the inside neck and along the inside of the pocket edge
- Bar tack detail at the top of the hood; also holds the drawcord in place
- Flatlock detail at neck (see image on left)
Q: What kind of decoration can be used on these products?
A: These products are ideal for decoration. They have been developed to be the perfect base for designer / retail inspired decoration.
The styling of the garments works particularly well with all modern styles of logo and technique. However, there is no technical limitation on the type of decoration that can be used – the soft touch finish to the fabric does not preclude any technique.
Q: The price is higher than a standard product. Why is this?
A: The process is more complicated and there are more stages in production than a basic product. The majority of the additional cost is related to the higher fabric weight, plus the extra process of sueding the surface of the garments.
However, the level of attention to detail in terms of design and finish means that the additional cost can be easily seen and understood. This product is therefore designed to sit alongside the basic product in your ranges, rather than replace it; it adds breadth to the range.
Q: Does the sueding process affect the uniformity of this style, or do garments have a standard appearance?
A: The garments have a standard appearance, as with the normal Jerzees Colours product. However, because of the nature of the ‘peached’ surface, the broken fibres on the surface are directional, and therefore there can be the appearance of different colours, depending on which direction the fibres are facing. This can be altered simply by brushing the surface in a different direction.
Q: Can I expect the same quality as normal Jerzees Colours product?
A: Yes. Our normal high standards apply to construction, measurements and presentation. The tolerance level for measurements is as standard product.
Q: What are the washing instructions for this range?
A: The Original range is designed for the same domestic washing conditions as the rest of the Jerzees Colours range. That is:
Q: I would like a variation on one of these styles. Can you do that for me?
A: The range is available in a wide range of colours but if customers would like special colours or design tweaks, then that can be accommodated through our Russell Solutions programme.