Looking Forward, Looking Back
It’s the time of year for reminiscing about the past year and predicting the next one. Collectively, we’re driving forward with optimism to 2010, hoping that recent economic woes will 
disappear in the rear view mirror.
In that spirit, we surveyed Instant Imprints store owners across the US and Canada, and bring you our collective wisdom on trends for the imprinting business.
What’s Out, Played Out, or Not Hot
Political humor—Digs on Sarah Palin or Barack Obama. It’s SOOO 2008.
Rainbows—SOOO 1980.
Hearts—ask us again on Feb. 14th about this prediction!
Arial font. BORING! May we suggest Verdana, Tahoma, or Impact if you want a clean look with some personality?
Anything to do with Tiger Woods—sorry Nike!
PING—too expensive during a recession.
Digital photo frames with logos
Branded DVD cases
Starbucks gift cards—once again, prices are too high during a recession. But, for true fans like me, keep them coming!
Branded plastic bags—no one wants to remind you that they sponsor products that are unkind to the earth.
What’s In, What’s Hot, What We’ll See in 2010
Branded eco-friendly, reusable organic fiber bags. EVERYONE wants to remind you that they sponsor products that are kind to the earth
Sports bottles made out of recycled materials. Avoid those disposable water bottles!
Eco-friendly, organic cotton or sustainable fiber t-shirts. We predict the premium pricing will drop some over the next year, as eco-friendly tees become a staple in manufacturer lines, and not just a couple of stock numbers.
Shades of green—more of the color green, including pistachio and forest.
Tight tees with a youthful fit will remain popular. Although you’ll continue to see more skinny jeans, we aren’t ready to predict the death of baggy jeans quite yet.
Moisture-wicking or dri-fit golf shirts will continue to be really popular.
Sue Sylvester inspired track suits (from TV show “Glee”) will take off. We may have jumped the gun with this one!
Logo hand sanitizers will be a popular giveaway at tradeshows this winter, as we hit the peak flu season.
Memory or USB sticks will continue to be a hit. Apparently, you never can be too rich, too beautiful, nor have too many flash drives.
What’s your prediction for 2010? What’s hot, what’s played out, or what do you wish would disappear from fashion?