A new addition to Continental‘s range this year is the fashionable Women‘s Cropped Sweatshirt (N57). Made from 280gsm, three-ply, loopback, cotton-rich fleece (70% combed cotton/30% polyester), it is also available as a pullover hoodie (N57P)
“Moving with the latest fashion and staying ahead of the rest, that’s what the Continental brand is renowned for,” says Mariusz Stochaj, head of product and sustainability. “The cropped tops were designed in part in response to customer feedback, but also as a result of observing the latest trends in edgy streetwear.”
When developing the garments, the team looked at the general direction of styling in young women’s clothes, and drew on its experience of developing innovative products over the years. “The styles may seem quite basic, but we have put a lot of work and attention into the shape of the body, the dropped shoulder seam, the sleeves, cuffs and hem,” explains Mariusz. “The simple styles are often the most difficult to make perfect.”
He continues: “The loopback fabric is ideally suited to these styles, giving them softness, drape and lightness of feeling while retaining the warmth and sense of quality.”
The cropped pullovers were launched in mid-May and the response so far has been “tremendous”, Mariusz reports. “We’ve already had to replenish our stocks, even though we haven’t really hit the high season yet, and there are more on the way for the autumn peak. We anticipate a great sell through later on in the year and into winter.”
Moving with the latest fashion and staying ahead of the rest, that‘s what the Continental brand is renowned for
He reports that the new styles appeal to the fashion, retail and music merchandising sectors, as well as being used for sophisticated and/or fashion-conscious promotions, such as for beauty and luxury brands.
Both styles are available in light pink, black and light heather (a melange grey); the brand is looking into adding more colours soon. They can be printed in numerous ways, including screen print, discharge and digital, and are also ideal for embroidery, confirms Mariusz.
While men’s cropped tops are trickling into high fashion lines, Continental is currently focusing on the popular longer length for men‘s designs. “We have introduced a longer length zipped hoodie EP68 – this is where the market is pointing us right now: our long T-shirt has been very successful since its introduction last year,“ says Mariusz.
Continental’s new Women‘s Cropped Sweatshirt is proving popular with the fashion, retail and music merch sectors
