Fashion Forward Packaging

It’s fair to say we’re pretty nuts about packaging. Fair enough too as, done correctly, packaging can help to sell your product, and also add value to your customer experience. Creative packaging draws attention, sends a message, and makes consumers feel a particular way. And if there was ever an industry where packaging was just as important as the product, it’s clothing and fashion. For eCommerce stores, just because the packaging of a product is rarely displayed online, doesn’t mean it’s not something to be considered.

In an age where unboxing videos can get thousands of views (there seems to be an endless stream of them featured on social media), the traditional concerns of cost, weight and protection, while still applicable, are now just as important as how your product lands on your customer’s doorstep. So paying attention to your packaging makes sense. Clothing isn’t cheap, and when customers buy an item, whether it’s from a high-end brand, or a vintage store, they want it to be well presented and, almost more importantly, an experience.

A great example of turning a simple clothing purchase in to an experience is Johnny Cupcakes. Considered to be one of the most creative t-shirt brands out there, the Johnny Cupcakes packaging is one of the key reasons behind their success. Selling funky t-shirts that come delivered in faux cupcake mix boxes, the brand also regularly releases one-off product runs, creating the feel of exclusivity. The company once had a range of limited edition t-shirts that came in faux cupcake tins sell out within 24 hours.

While traditional bag-style packaging for clothing is functional and most definitely cost-effective, it doesn’t leave a lasting impression on the customer. Packaging any kind of fashion item should reiterate a sense of value. Smart consumers know the cost of a plastic bag, which sends a message of being cheap and often disposable. As ParcelHero so concisely sums up: “If someone’s first impression of their new purchase is a crumpled mess, then they may be instantly disheartened.”

Creating personal connections and telling a story to your customer increases the likelihood that they will want to buy your clothes again. Men’s underwear and loungewear brand Hamilton and Hare pride themselves on the quality and fit of their products, with the inspiration for their line coming from the original boxing shorts fighters wore in the ring. An overhaul of their packaging in 2015 aimed to emphasize this, with the company changing to premium style packaging, with product boxes echoing the shape of a boxing ring. Every small detail was covered, right down to a perforated label inspired by old boxing tickets, and lines to represent the ropes of a boxing ring. Tying in your packaging to your brand identity in such a way is creative apparel packaging at its finest!

We know you’ve spent time, effort and energy designing your fashion label and promoting your brand, so your packaging needs to be on par to compliment the product and engage your customers. Packaging for apparel is all about creating a luxury experience for the buyer, and creative packaging is a great marketing strategy that doesn’t require huge amounts of capital. That’s a win in our book!