Apparel Packaging: Types, Functions & Merchandising

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Apparel packaging covers everything from bulk shipping materials to retail tags and hanger accessories. It supports both protection and presentation, helping products move from the factory to the sales floor in a clean and efficient way.

What Is Apparel Packaging?

Packaging can be defined as the process of packing goods, or it can refer to the actual container and component materials that hold and protect apparel products. Packaging is not only an important part of preparing goods for shipment and distribution; it can also be used for merchandising products.Apparel packaging

Apparel packaging is also an important part of preparing goods for shipment and distribution, and it can also be used for merchandising products.

Functions of Packaging

Packaging is available in a variety of forms, materials, sizes, and quantities. Some important functions of packaging include:

  • Maintaining shape and support for the product
  • Providing information to the consumer such as brand, size, price, style, and color
  • Aiding with merchandising on the sales floor
  • Attracting consumers to products
  • Protecting against damage due to dirt, dust, light, moisture, soil, creasing, crushing, tearing, pressure, and wrinkling

Shipping Packaging Explained

After merchandise is produced, it is packed and shipped to retailers in bulk. The end consumer does not see the outer containment packaging used for shipping from the factory. Shipping packaging includes the crate, box, or bag and packing materials used during shipment of bulk goods from the factory to the retail venue.

This category of packaging includes:

  • Cartons
  • Crates
  • Bags
  • Boxes

Shipping packaging does not include the covering or wrapping used for individual items within a shipment.

  1. Carton: Rigid, one-piece container, made of paper or plastic, used to hold items shipped in bulk that are folded, hung, or bundled together for transport.
  2. Crate: Sturdy wooden container that holds cartons during shipping.
  3. Hanger Box: Carton equipped with a rack for holding garments hung on hangers.
  4. Shipping Box: Corrugated cardboard or rigid plastic container for transporting goods. Shipping boxes are formed or folded into a shape, which may or may not require glue, staples, or tape to hold. Boxes may be constructed as one piece or two. Bases and lids are available in a variety of sizes, weights, and volume capacities.
  5. Packaging Tape (Sealing Tape): Paper or plastic film with adhesive applied to one side that may contain filament threads to reinforce and secure boxes during shipment. Some tape is self-adhesive, whereas others require moisture to activate the gummed surface. Colored or transparent tape is available in 1-inch (2.54 cm), 2-inch (5.08 cm), and 3-inch (7.62 cm) widths. Tape is put up in 110-yard (100.58 m) rolls.
  6. Strapping: Band of steel, polyester, nylon, or plastic (polypropylene) material manually or mechanically wrapped around a shipping box and heat sealed to provide strength and stability during shipping. Strapping can help prevent a box from breaking open during shipment and is available in widths ranging from 1/16 inch to 1/2 inch.

Merchandise Packaging Explained

The materials used to pack individual product units for shipping or sale to the end user are known as merchandise packaging. Many products are packaged to ease the transition between shipment and placement on the sales floor. Floor-ready merchandise is packed and shipped from the factory, essentially as it will be stocked and displayed in the retail store. Individual product units are prepared with the required hangtags, bar code and price stickers or tickets, security tags or devices (if applicable), and hung on hangers, folded, or packed with the appropriate means for making the merchandise ready for placement on store fixtures.

Apparel packaging is especially important for floor-ready merchandise that moves from the factory to the sales floor.

Packaging for Folded Apparel

Some products are best merchandised in a folded or rolled format, whether they are displayed in bags or boxes, or void of outer packaging. Folded items may require fasteners to secure the product to another packaging component to maintain the shape and aesthetic appeal. Some apparel items are folded and secured with pins or clips to retain the shape of the item within the packaging. Pins and clips in several different types and sizes are made of metal or plastic.

Pins and clips are used for:

  • Attaching a hangtag to a garment
  • Securing the arms of a hung garment during shipping
  • Securing folded garments within the packaging

Apparel items packaged in flat folded or rolled forms include:

  • Fleece sweatshirts and sweatpants
  • Men’s and children’s undergarments and thermals
  • Sweaters
  • Jeans
  • Pajamas
  • Ties
  • Knit tops
  • Scarves
  • T-shirts
  • Men’s dress shirts
  • Socks and hosiery
  • Turtlenecks

Common packaging materials for flat folded or rolled merchandise include:

  1. Box: Heavy paper, cardboard, or plastic container formed or folded into shape and glued together. Boxes may be one piece or two (bottom and lid). Some boxes include see-through portions and inserts to secure and display merchandise. Boxes come in various shapes, sizes, and finishes for shipping and merchandise packaging.
  2. Tape: Strong, clear, semitransparent, or tan-colored strip of material with adhesive on one or both sides. Available in rolls of different widths and strengths, used to secure rolled merchandise and seal flat bags. Types include:
    • Cellophane or transparent
    • Double-sided
    • Masking
  3. Flat Bag: Flexible polyethylene film sack sealed at the bottom, open at the top, secured with heat seal, tied, stapled, or taped with double-sided adhesive. May contain air holes. Available in gauge thicknesses from 1.0 to 1.5 mil. Flat bag sizes include:
    • 10 × 13 inches (25.4 × 33.02 cm)
    • 11 × 14 inches (27.94 × 35.56 cm)
    • 12 × 18 inches (30.48 × 45.72 cm)
    • 14 × 18.5 inches (35.56 × 46.99 cm)
    • 14 × 20 inches (35.56 × 50.80 cm)
    • 18 × 24 inches (30.48 × 60.96 cm)
    • 20 × 30 inches (50.8 × 76.2 cm)
    • 24 × 38 inches (60.96 × 96.52 cm)
  4. Jet Clip: Clear or white plastic fastener ranging from 1¼ to 2 inches (31.75 to 50.8 mm) in length, with or without teeth. Used to secure folded blouses, shirts, slacks, or jeans; commonly packaged in boxes of 1,000.
  5. Pinch Clip: Matte or shiny aluminum C-shaped bendable clip used to secure woven or knitted garments that are folded or socks that are folded or hung.
  6. Ball Point Pin (Satin Pin): Pin with a very fine diameter having a rounded tip and a flat or round head used on fine or delicate fabrics. Pins are available in ½- to 1½-inch (12.7 to 38.1 mm) lengths. This type of pin separates the yarns and slips through the weave instead of penetrating and cutting the yarns. Satin pins are put up in boxes by weight or by number of units, which vary depending on the pin size or supplier.
  7. Straight Pin: Pin with a very fine tapered sharp tip and a flat or round head. Pins are available in ½- to 1½-inch (12.7 to 38.1 mm) lengths. Straight pins are put up in boxes by weight or by number of units, which varies depending on the pin size or supplier.
  8. T Pin (T-Head Pin): Rigid metal wire, from 1 to 2 inches (25.4 to 50.8 mm) in length, with a sharply pointed tip and a T-bar-shaped head formed from the wire. The size and shape of the head allows for high visibility and easy removal from folded shirts.
  9. X Clip, Metal Clip (Crossover Shirt Clip): Rigid metal wire with rounded smooth ends that is formed into an X shape with one closed end and one open end. This clip is used in place of a pin to avoid damage to the garment fabric. The X clip does not penetrate the material like a pin; it slides onto the fabric to provide security much like a paperclip is used to secure papers.
  10. Tissue Paper: Lightweight, translucent paper. Tissue paper is used to pack folded shirts, blouses, and sweaters.
  11. Butterfly: Small plastic or paperboard form available in a variety of shapes and sizes to support the front collar portion of a folded dress shirt. A butterfly is slid onto the top collar button to provide support and maintain the shape of the collar when packaged in a folded configuration.
  12. Neck Band Insert (Collar Strips): Plastic or paperboard band available in widths varying from 1⅛ to 1⅝ inches (28.57 to 42.86 mm) and lengths from 15⅞ to 22½ inches (40.32 to 57.15 cm). The neck band is inserted between the shirt neck band and collar to provide support and maintain the shape of the collar when packaged in a folded configuration. Some neck band inserts have a tab on one end that is inserted into slats along the band to provide a firm adjustable ring to fit a wider range of sizes.
  13. Rubber Band: Flexible, extendable ring made from natural or synthetic rubber latex and fillers. Rubber bands are used for bundling merchandise and securing boxes and bags. Rubber bands are measured by thickness, inner diameter, lay-flat length, and cut width.
    • Thickness is measured in a relaxed state and ranges from 1/32 inch (0.8 mm) to 1/8 inch (3.0 mm)
    • Inner diameter is measured in a relaxed state and ranges from 7/16 inch (11 mm) to 12 inches (306 mm)
    • Lay-flat length is measured with the band pressed flat and ranges from 11/16 inch (18 mm) to 18 7/8 inch (480 mm)
    • Cut widths range from 1/32 inch (1 mm) to 4 inches (10 mm)
  14. Shirt Board (Shirt Liner): Paperboard stiffener that forms and supports folded shirts, which are pinned or clipped onto the board. Shirt boards are available in a variety of styles such as I-boards, T-boards, rectangle boards, square boards, and window boards.

Packaging for Hanging Apparel

Some products are best merchandised and displayed hung. Apparel items that are packaged on hangers include:

  • Shorts
  • Coats
  • Suits
  • Socks
  • Jackets
  • Dresses
  • Tights
  • Pajamas
  • Shirts
  • Trousers
  • Blouses
  • Skirts
  • Sweaters

Common hanging packaging and hanger accessories include:

  1. Duo Jet Clip Tie Back Fastener: Two clear or white plastic clips 1½ inches (38.1 mm) in length with or without teeth tied together with elastic thread. Duo jet clip tie back fasteners secure blouses, shirts, and sweaters that are hung.
  2. Bottom Hanger, Pant Hanger, or Skirt Hanger: Clear, white, or black plastic or wooden hanger with a swivel chrome hook and a rod with metal clips and vinyl cushions, or one with metal clamps or clips that slide to hold a garment in place. Economy bottom hangers may be fully molded from plastic with two loops and tabs to secure a garment. Pant hangers are available in 8 inches (20.32 cm) for children’s apparel and 10, 11, 12, and 14 inches (25.4, 27.94, 30.48, and 35.56 cm) for men’s and women’s bottoms. Heavy-duty hangers are packaged 100 per carton, whereas economy hangers are packed in cartons of 200 or 250 units.
  3. Bra and Panty Hanger: Clear plastic 10-inch (25.4 cm) bar with stationary hook and end clips. Bra and panty hangers have end clips to which merchandise is secured so as not to slip off the hanger. These hangers are packed in cartons of 500 units.Bra and Panty Hanger
  4. Coat Hanger: Clear, white, or black plastic or wooden hanger with wide, smooth, sloped shoulders and a standard or long swivel chrome hook. Available in 17 and 19 inches (43.18 and 48.26 cm) for men’s and women’s garments. Packaged 100 per carton.
  5. Suit Hanger with Bar: Black plastic 17- or 19-inch (43.18 or 48.26 cm) hanger with smooth, contoured, sloped shoulders, a swivel chrome hook, and a molded plastic bar for hanging trousers. Packaged 100 per carton.
  6. Combination Hanger: Clear, white, or black plastic or wooden sloped shoulder hanger with a swivel chrome hook and a metal rod with plastic or metal clips with vinyl cushions. Some have notches for straps. Available in 12 inches (30.48 cm) for children’s apparel and 12, 16, 17, and 18 inches (30.48, 40.64, 43.18, 45.72 cm) for men’s and women’s garments. Heavy-duty hangers are packaged 100 per carton; economy hangers are packed in cartons of 500 units.
  7. Suit Hanger with Dropped Hook Bar: White or black plastic hanger with wide rounded smooth shoulders, a swivel hook, and a metal wire rod dropped 10 inches (25.4 cm) from the shoulders, equipped with plastic or metal clips with vinyl cushions. Used for women’s suits. Packaged in cartons of 100 units.
  8. Suit Hanger with Locking Bar: Black plastic or wooden 17-inch-long (43.18 cm) curved, sloped shoulder hanger with a swivel chrome hook and a wooden or plastic round rod with a thick metal wire that hooks onto the rod. Trousers are hung on the rod; then the wire is fastened in place to prevent the garment from slipping off the hanger. Suit hangers with locking bars are packaged 100 per carton.
  9. Hanger Foam Cover: A cover stretched over the hanger to prevent garments from slipping off. Hanger covers are sold in bundles of 1,000 units.
  10. Top Hanger, Shirt Hanger, or Dress Hanger: Clear, white, or black plastic or wooden hanger with sloped shoulders with a swivel chrome hook or fully molded in plastic with a stationary hook. Some hangers have notches at the shoulder for hanging garments with straps. Shirt hangers are available in 12 and 14 inches (30.48 and 35.56 cm) for children’s apparel and 17 and 18 inches (43.18 and 45.72 cm) for men’s and women’s garments. Hangers are packaged 100 or 200 units per carton.
  11. Hanger Tape: Black or white, cotton or polyester, ¼-inch (6.35 mm) woven tape sewn into garments to allow them to be hung safely and securely. Hanger tape is also available in clear ¼-inch (6.35 mm) film that varies in thickness. Hanger tape is put up in 800-yard (731.52 m) rolls.
  12. Poly Bag: Flexible polyethylene film sack used by dry cleaners. One end is closed, and the other end is open with a hanger hole. Poly bags are available with or without gussets.

Poly bags with gussets:

  • 20 × 3 × 36 inches (50.8 × 7.62 × 91.44 cm)
  • 20 × 3 × 54 inches (50.8 × 7.62 × 137.16 cm)
  • 21 × 4 × 30 inches (53.34 × 10.16 × 76.2 cm)
  • 21 × 4 × 36 inches (53.34 × 10.16 × 91.44 cm)
  • 21 × 4 × 38 inches (53.34 × 10.16 × 96.52 cm)
  • 21 × 4 × 54 inches (53.34 × 10.16 × 137.16 cm)
  • 21 × 4 × 66 inches (53.34 × 10.16 × 167.64 cm)
  • 21 × 4 × 72 inches (53.34 × 10.16 × 182.88 cm)
  • 24 × 8 × 72 inches (60.96 × 20.32 × 182.88 cm)

Poly bags without gussets:

  • 20 × 24 inches (50.8 × 60.96 cm)
  • 20 × 30 inches (50.8 × 76.2 cm)
  • 20 × 36 inches (50.8 × 91.44 cm)
  • 20 × 42 inches (50.8 × 106.68 cm)
  • 20 × 48 inches (50.8 × 121.92 cm)
  • 20 × 54 inches (50.8 × 137.16 cm)
  • 20 × 60 inches (50.8 × 152.4 cm)
  • 20 × 64 inches (50.8 × 162.56 cm)
  • 20 × 72 inches (50.8 × 182.88 cm)

Apparel Tags and Fasteners

Hangtags are a cardstock, paperboard, plastic, fabric, wooden, or metal tag attached to apparel items using fasteners such as plastic, braided cord, or safety pins. Hangtags contain information such as:

  • Brand
  • Size
  • Style or fit
  • Price
  • Country of origin
  • Color
  • SKU number
  • Bar code
  • Style number
  • Care information
  • Fiber information
  • Distributor
  • Garment properties such as shrink-resistant, prewashed for softness, pill-resistant, and water-repellent

When the bar code and price are included on one hangtag, it is called an integrated tag.

  1. Bar Code Ticket or Bar Code Sticker: Cardstock paper tag or self-adhesive sticker printed with a bar code and price. Bar code stickers are affixed to a hangtag, whereas bar code tickets are fastened to the garment alongside the hangtag.
  2. Pocket Flasher: Cardstock or paperboard pocket-shaped tag stitched or attached with a plastic fastener to the back pocket of casual pants and jeans. Pocket flashers can be basic or with multicolor graphics and are easily removed before the garment is worn. Information found on pocket flashers includes size, price, brand, bar code, color, and country of origin.
  3. Joker Tag: Cardstock or paperboard tab stitched or attached with a plastic fastener to the waistband of casual pants and jeans. Joker tags are easily removed before the garment is worn and include information such as size, price, brand, bar code, color, and country of origin.
  4. Sock Band: Paper or cardstock band with or without an adhesive back to attach to socks and hosiery sold by the pair or in bundles. Sock bands provide information such as size, price, brand, bar code, color, and country of origin.
  5. Pressure-Sensitive Size Wrapper: Paper or plastic film with a self-adhesive back that is affixed to tops to convey size or fit. Some pressure-sensitive size wrappers or stickers also include brand identification.
  6. Bar Loc Fastener: Opaque white plastic fastener having molded beads along the length with one end that is pointed and one shaped like a barrel. The pointed head is inserted into the barrel portion to close or lock the fastener into a loop shape that can be adjusted to size and is used to attach tags to accessories and shoes. This style fastener will not release once it is locked. Security lock loops are available in 3-, 5-, 7-, and 9-inch (7.62, 12.7, 17.78, and 22.86 cm) lengths and put up in 1,000- or 5,000-piece boxes.
  7. Plastic Fasteners (Tagging Barb): Clear, white, or black plastic fasteners with a smooth filament body and T-shaped ends used to attach tags to garments by means of a tagging gun. Plastic fasteners are available in 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-inch (2.54, 5.08, 7.62, and 12.7 cm) lengths and put up in 5,000-piece boxes. Each piece or strip holds 50 fasteners.
  8. J-Hook (Hook-Tach Fastener): White fasteners with a hook-shaped top, smooth filament body, and T bottom are used to attach tags to accessories such as socks and gloves. Hook-tach fasteners are attached with a tagging gun. Plastic fasteners are available in 1.5- and 2-inch (3.81 and 5.08 cm) lengths and put up in 5,000-piece boxes. Each piece or strip holds 50 fasteners.
  9. Security Loop Lock: White plastic fastener with one end shaped like an arrowhead and the other shaped like a barrel. The smooth filament between the connectors allows the pointed head to be inserted into the barrel portion to close or lock the fastener into a loop shape. Security loop locks are used to attach tags to accessories and shoes. Security loop locks are available in 5-, 7-, and 9-inch (12.7, 17.78, and 22.86 cm) lengths and put up in 1,000- or 5,000-piece boxes.
  10. Safety Pin: Brass- or nickel-plated steel closed wire pin bent to form a loop on one end with a secure cap on the other end that clips the sharp pin point. Safety pins are available in ¾- to 2-inch (19.05 to 50.8 mm) lengths.

Conclusion

In short, apparel packaging supports protection, presentation, and merchandising from the factory to the retail floor. The right shipping materials, merchandise packaging, tags, and hanger accessories help reduce damage, improve efficiency, and create a better shopping experience.

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