Have you ever wondered why a Dolce & Gabbana or Versace suit gets your attention more than the other brands? Maybe Gucci?

Yeah, you may call me biased with Italian fashion brands, but they are world-famous and do roaring business across the globe. Their exclusivity is not just in their design and material, but it is the overall package that makes people go gaga about them.

Right from stitching to the packaging, you will find a luxury brand ticking all the right boxes. It is a trend now that is followed by all apparel brands as they need to get the attention of their customers.

A Luxe Finish

Brands have a license to run wild their imagination when it comes to packaging for any type of clothing, but they need to stick to the basics. While the design and message you want to put can be unique and sometimes peculiar, you need to start only after doing thorough research.

If you are about to launch an apparel brand of yours or just want to know more about this topic, this blog will serve the purpose well. The following aspects are necessary, no matter what type of products you are marketing.

Know your Competitors

Check out all the successful brands in your category and think hard as what makes them highly successful. Thoroughly research the packaging design of those brands. The use of color and the message written, apart from the brand’s name, should be your target. Then make a list of most popular brands and consider what is common in their packaging design.

The material used for packaging like leather, paper, carbon fiber or plastic, for example, and its quality must also be monitored. Once done, try to come up with a design for your packaging that is distinctively different from all of the others. But it must be relevant to the customers to give them a feel that is not something alien when it comes to apparel packaging design.

The Personality of your Target Audience

No points for guessing as to why this is important. You need to offer a package design that your target audience can instantly connect to. To achieve this, you need to develop a compelling brand. Packaging design, your logo, and the tagline are part of this so that you can achieve your target.

For packaging, think about your brand’s character, tone of your tagline, and basically, everything that is written or designed on the package itself. Take a look at the following package design, as this is one good example of such design.

There is nothing extraordinary about the design, but it looks good to the eyes. The use of golden color for fonts on black and light brown color is a masterstroke as it enhances the message and instantly gets the attention.

What other characteristics are required to make packaging design for apparel look alluring? The following factors can make for a captivating design and guarantee a second look.

Honest and Simple Approach

Design can get a little overboard when a chic new fashion brand is concerned. But most of the time, an honest and straightforward approach is needed. Your packaging must be attractive but not at the expense of making false promises or a misleading design. What you are mentioning on the package design must reflect what’s inside it.

Most of the successful and popular brands’ packaging is iconic and easily recognizable. Think of Nike and Adidas; just their logo is enough on the packaging as nothing extraordinary is required. If you don’t have such an iconic logo or a tagline like Just Do It, use your packaging design to your advantage. Just a glance and anyone looking for your product should identify it from the store shelves.

Visually Differentiate your Packaging

You can add a new twist by shying away from the standard designs like a horizontal layout. A packaging design that is vertical and can still get the message across to its target audience can do wonders for a newly launched brand. With some research on your competitors and the latest trends, you can give this one a try.

The use of big and bold graphics or embossed logo/tag line are two other ways to try something new. The use of icons and illustrations can also enhance the impact as unique and customized images can do the trick for you.

The use of signature brand colors is another way to differentiate your brand’s packaging design from all of the others. Even a predominantly black and white design, with a hint of another color, can be in your favor, as evident in the image below.

Durability is the Key

For extended shelf life, this is an important aspect. In some countries, the supply chain process can be brutal for a product’s packaging. And even if you can take care of it, once inside the store, the packaging material can get a beating. That’s why you need a packaging material and design that can withstand the test of time.

Think about what a customer will feel when he will get a damaged package at the time of check out. Or the colors anywhere on the package design are looking faded. It will have a negative effect, and your brand will be considered a substandard one by your customer. Again, research hard to use a material that not only matches your product but is also durable.

The Appearance of the Product

Apart from the design, it is imperative to think about the final appearance of your product in the package. This is necessary for an attractive appearance that will make for an excellent overall presentation. Packaging shouldn’t be too loose or tight; keep the right balance here.

You can also change the way your product will fill the packaging. While most apparel needs to be handpicked for best results, if you are producing a clothing brand like a T-shirt, an automated production line may be feasible.

Over to you

If you think you can add something valuable to this blog or need to ask something, please do so. For any type of feedback, too, please use the comments section below.