Some attempts at trying something different work out, others don’t. Most of these didn’t so they remain either as samples or small runs, simply because they didn’t attract the kind of interest expected. Some were complete experiments which didn’t turn out as hoped, others were just not popular among the customer base.
To begin with one I tried to do myself. Having always been a Madness fan I used to own a Fuck Art, Let’s Dance T-shirt and wanted one again in later years. The company I used at first gave me the opportunity to do some samples in very small quantities, sometimes as one-offs. This I did but my poor attempts at photoshop are there for all to see. That apart I didn’t really get the idea it was worthwhile trying for a better delivery so I dropped the notion entirely. Unless of course you know different.
The Logo bag was released in conjunction with a white T-shirt featuring the same design to make it less of a risk as I would have to run off a fair number due to the printing process. This way I kept costs to a minimum which was a bonus as the bag never really hit the heights I expected.
The LIM polo, which stands for Less Is More, was my first attempt at moving away from graphic designs, I liked the 5 button placket, I liked the lightweight fabric. Unfortunately not enough of my customers shared my enthusiasm and they gathered dust for a while until they eventually sold.
I’m always searching for new ideas for garments and found this polo shirt online. Loved the retro Mod kind of style to it and ordered a sample. Unfortunately by the time I managed to source the new Daft Laddie badge, which was always my intention to use on it, the entire range was discontinued. Opportunity lost I feel as I think it turned out very well. Bit of a one-off for me mind you.
This sweatshirt was recommended to me so I hurriedly ordered a sample to see what It was like. This would have been my first attempt to move away from the standard T-shirt products and I felt it would be well received. Unfortunately like the polo shirt I took too long in sourcing the badges for it and the range was also discontinued before I got round to using them.
I had been storing up a few ideas to introduce different products and with the traditional lull in demand in the lead up to Christmas one year I decided to hunt out some possibilities to move things on for the brand using the newly sourced badges where I could. Not all proved to be a success.
Camo bag was one I thought would have done well but sadly not.
I liked this style the minute I spotted it, the quality wasn’t bad either but it didn’t prove too popular when released so it remains in the small run category. At the same time I opted for a plain T with the new badge on the chest but wasn’t happy with the outcome. Problems with the positioning first of all meant the samples were unusable even for photos but I wasn’t convinced with the overall look of either the short or long sleeved version so binned the idea altogether.
Bucket hats are always popular in summertime, especially when the Stone Roses make a comeback. This first lot sold pretty well but they were intentionally a limited run. Another supplier has since been found which can offer more consistent stock levels so keep an eye out for future releases.
Bobble and Beanie hats are another popular addition for winter weather and I sourced a range which I really couldn’t choose from the individual styles available. So I opened it up to the customers and allowed them to choose their preferred option and did a small run of any which attracted interest. To be fair there was a fair bit of interest in some of them so a worthwhile exercise.
Latterly I had a go at tartan scarves as well to which reaction was mixed.
I owned a Scotland away rugby shirt in the late 80s, simple plain white shirt with the Thistle embroidered on the chest. I wanted to recreate something similar so I did, sourcing rugby shirts from a renowned manufacturer in the field and attaching my newly acquired Daft Laddie badge. They sold with limited success but they looked good.
I’m not a big fan of hoodies if truth be told but I had always been advised they would be a great addition to any Daft Laddie range. I bought samples from 2 different suppliers and found both to be of excellent quality, you could just feel it when you picked them up. Encouraged by that I put them out there but with limited success again, perhaps I need a shop for customers to handle the merchandise as I definitely consider this as an opportunity missed to add to the product range. The camo one is my personal favourite but the amber & claret ones are equally as good. I called them the 50p range as a play on the rapper 50 Cent but perhaps folk thought I was insinuating they were cheap which they certainly weren’t.