Dickies Adds High Visibility

Dickies, a leading global workwear brand, has added new high-visibility and enhanced-visibility garments for spring 2008. The new apparel addresses the industry demand for garments that are more adaptable to changing work conditions.

Dickies launched its high- and enhanced-visibility line last fall – a line the meets the standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in its high-visibility safety apparel regulation 107–2004. Many of the existing and new garments feature 3M Scotchlite Reflective Material, which is recognized as the leading high-performance retro-reflective material to enhance visibility in low-light and nighttime conditions.

“As the leading workwear company, it is our mission to understand the needs of workers in high-volume traffic settings and to create garments that are going to help them be comfortable and successful in a variety of conditions,” says Jon Ragsdale, vice president of marketing and business development for Dickies. “Additions like our long-sleeve pocket T and short-sleeve work shirt provide workers with layering options for climate changes, which are always a concern.”

Dickies offers a wide selection of high-visibility workwear, knits and outerwear in ANSI orange and ANSI yellow with durable, comfortable features found in all Dickies workwear. All high-visibility products are ANSI certified and include classes 1, 2, 3 and E. The garments feature details such as multi-use pockets, stain-release finishes, moisture-wicking fabric and generous fit. All ANSI-certified clothing products feature the 3M Scotchlite Reflective Material.

Dickies’ new additions include the long-sleeve pocket T, the ANSI long-sleeve T (Class 2), the mesh vest (Class 2), the adjustable mesh vest (Class 2) and the packable vest, which is ideal to keep in a car for emergency situations. The packable vest is not classified but does have a one-inch reflective stripe and packs into itself. The high- and enhanced-visibility apparel line will be sold through multiple retail distribution channels.

www.dickies.com

Burlington WorldWide Launches Easy WOOL

Burlington WorldWide (BWW) announced a new product line in November. Burlington Labs, a division of Burlington WorldWide, launched Easy WOOL, a new proprietary washable product line exclusively engineered for 100 percent worsted wool. This announcement comes after the successful launches earlier last year of Cocona Wool and Invisible Barrier, other exclusive BWW wool products.

“Revolutionary technologies now allow fine worsted garments to be washed and dried up to 25 times,” says Ken Kunberger, president of BWW. “We are continuously researching innovative sustainable technologies and products that differentiate us in the market and help our clients tailor their product lines to better fit their consumers’ lifestyles.”

Easy WOOL fabrics have unique attributes that ensure long-lasting look, shape and feel and provide the consumer with alternatives to dry cleaning and associated harsh chemicals.

Pete Baumann, vice president of merchandising, says, “As the industry leader, we must continue to innovate and enhance our fabrics’ performance… We are once again setting a new industry standard for wool with performance specifications that have surpassed all previous industry benchmarks.”

BWW, a business unit of International Textile Group, is a leading provider and marketer of technology- and fashion-driven products for the menswear, womenswear, activewear, uniform and barrier markets. With offices and operations in the United States, Mexico, Europe, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam, BWW provides global textile innovations to its customers.

International Textile Group Inc. (ITG), majority owned by WL Ross & Co., is a global, diversified textile manufacturer with annual revenues in excess of $1 billion. ITG was formed by W.L. Ross in 2004 and operates in five primary business segments: automotive safety, apparel fabrics (Cone Denim and Burlington WorldWide), government uniform fabrics, interior furnishings and commission finishing.

www.itg-global.com

Tru-Spec adds Tactical Pants

The line between a uniform and everyday wear is further blurred with the introduction of a new tactical pant from Tru-Spec. Although they’re based on the multi-function trousers commonly worn by many police tactical teams, Tru-Spec has designed the ultra-comfortable new 24/7s to easily cross the line between duty and casual wear. Tru-Spec describes the new 24/7s as “versatile enough for stakeout or desk duty, stylish enough for a night on the town.”

For maximum wearability virtually around the clock, the new 24/7 trousers are manufactured from garment washed 100 percent cotton canvas to guarantee a constantly clean, neat appearance and day-long comfort, even on demanding double-shifts, as well as to ensure against shrinking and color fading. The pants were designed with what Tru-Spec calls an “Engineered Dimensional Fit.” That simply means that the length of the rise increases in proportion to the length of the inseam. The result is a nearly perfect fit regardless of the wearer’s size or body style.

As a further accommodation to comfort, Tru-Spec has integrated a comfort fit slider waistband into the trouser design. Much like the expandable waistband found on some expensive dress trousers, this band is inside, not outside, the waistband. It stretches and conforms to the body shape and provides ease of movement on the job.

Tru-Spec’s design includes a host of special features and functions aimed at real world use, including:

• Two extra-deep slash-style front pockets for secure storage of equipment and personal effects

• Two roomy cargo pockets with expandable gussets, secure hook-and-loop flap closures on a fashionable slanted pocket cover, and each with a hidden internal pocket for an extra magazine, small backup pistol or other equipment

• Two external cell phone/magazine pockets, also with secure hook-and-loop flap closures

• Two easy-access knife or accessory pockets

• Two generous rear pockets with hook-and-loop flaps, and

• Shingle construction, reinforced knees with inside openings for tactical knee pads

Tru-Spec’s new 24/7 trousers will be introduced at the 2008 SHOT Show in four popular colors: khaki, olive drab, coyote and black. The pants are the first offering in Tru-Spec’s versatile new 24/7 line, with coordinated knit shirts and other items expected to follow soon.

www.truspec.com

Edwards Garment Expands Career Apparel Line

For 2008, Edwards Garment has rolled out the following eight new offerings in its product line.

Casino Shirt for Men or Women – These lustrous, silk-like shirts are in stock in five colors. Stylish details include Nehru collar, decorative black/gold onyx button at the neck and covered placket, squared-tail hem line with side vents, straight back, and long sleeves with two-button cuff. The 100 percent microfiber fabric is wrinkle resistant, moisture wicking, machine washable and laundry friendly.

Three-Quarter Sleeve Stretch Broadcloth Blouse – This blouse features new stretch blended cotton fabric that is soft and smooth to touch, contouring side seams with front and back darts, detailed shirt-like collar with a narrow feminine placket and matching buttons, three-quarter length sleeve, shirttail hem allowing it to be worn tucked or untucked and fused stay collar. The garment is machine washable.

Jewel-Neck Blouse – The essence of elegance, the jewel-neck blouse is made from a crepe fabric and features contoured body with side vents, delicate jewel neckline with keyhole back closure, short- and long-sleeve with narrow cuff, squared shirttail hem, and is machine washable.

CottonPlus Twill Shirts for Men or Women, Service Mate Collection – This newest addition is a soft-touch, hard-working twill shirt with button-down fused collar, traditional front placket, left chest pocket, pencil track and back box pleat with locker loop for men. The women’s shirt body has a contouring fit to flatter the figure, shortened shirttail, soft collar, narrow feminine placket, no pocket, straight back yoke seam, and long- and short-sleeve with pearlized matching buttons on collar, placket and two-button adjustable cuff. Both shirts are easy care with soil resistant Teflon finish.

Elegant Blouse – A blouse for all seasons, the elegant blouse is made from a crepe fabric that drapes the body and allows it be worn with or without a jacket. This garment features detailed shirt-like collar and cuffs, covered buttons on the placket and cuff, short- and long-sleeve and squared shirttail hem. It is machine washable.

Ten Knot Button Spun Poly Chef Coat – This coat in 100 percent spun polyester has a sleek and smooth front, full cut with mitered breast pocket, standard thermometer pocket on left sleeve, ten knot buttons on placket, shirt cuffs providing classic style, sewn-in collar with extra bar tacking, unisex sizing and is machine washable and laundry friendly.

Espresso Brown Aprons in Three Styles – Three aprons are now offered in espresso brown color. The waist apron has three divisional pockets, extra-long ties, unisex sizing and measures 11 inches long by 23 inches wide. The bib apron has three divisional pockets, two-piece slide adjustment at neck, extra-long ties, unisex sizing and measures 24 inches long by 28 inches wide. The no-pocket bib apron has two-piece slide adjustment at neck, no pockets, extra-long ties, unisex sizing and measures 28 inches long by 23 inches wide.

Banded Collar and Café Shirt for Men or Women – This traditional woven broadcloth shirt has a covered placket with matching pearlized buttons, banded collar with pearlized matching button at neck or café style collar, long sleeves with two-button adjustable cuff, straight back yoke seam, wrinkle resistant easy care fabric and is machine washable.

www.edwardsgarment.com

Liberty Uniform Introduces New Brand

After three years in development, Liberty Uniform has created a new line of fabrics and garments under its Comfort Zone brand for law enforcement agencies.

The Class A uniform fabric from Burlington is all synthetic and Coolmax certified for maximum moisture management. Additional features include Nanotex technology, stretch fabric, microdenier yarns that are iron tough and cotton soft, supurb wrinkle and fade resistance, soil release, and maximum 40+ UPF ultraviolet protection. The trouser has a proprietary stretch waistband and the long-sleeve shirt has an expandable neck button. These new uniforms will be available by February 1, 2008.

The Class B uniform fabric from Milliken is a blend of Coolmax and cotton. The tactical trouser will feature unique, patent-pending cargo pocket design. Conceived at an International Association of Chiefs of Police conference several years ago with the direct help of a law enforcement officer, this trouser will feature numerous pockets and Liberty’s proprietary Comfort Zone stretch waistband complemented by Liberty Uniform’s exclusive Coolmax and cotton stretch fabric. Accompanying this trouser will be a tactical BDU-style shirt featuring a hidden button-fly front, unique elbow patches, two bellows-style chest patch pockets and a large hidden chest pocket. This Class B program will be available for the Fall 2008. Prototype samples will be available in February 2008.

www.libertyuniform.com