Women’s Clothing Packaging Design Tips

We reserve women’s clothing packaging design for accessories, undergarments and those delightful Halloween costumes that are so often labeled with the word “sexy.” “Sexy Pirate,” “Sexy Cowgirl,” “Sexy Nurse,” “Sexy Insurance Claims Adjustor,” etc.

Anyway, before we get too excited about the many options for “sexy” Halloween attire (Sexy IRS Auditor!) let’s discuss the different strategies for packaging design for clothing. Let’s find out the unique ways that we can create packaging for even the most basic clothing items.

PSA: Many of these women’s clothing packaging design strategies may involve plastic packaging, but the industry is slowly shifting to more sustainable packaging options.

Packaging Design For Women’s Clothing

A little extra attention is important in fast-moving industries such as women’s clothing. Grabbing and holding the shoppers’ attention when in a retail store is a challenge that clothing brands rarely consider. Instead, they roll the dice that women will stop at their shirt, skirt, or dress and say “ooooh, this is cute.”

Product packaging is common for smaller garments such as underwear & socks, but clothing brands can use them for specialty items such as lingerie and gloves. The reality is, you can create packaging for any clothing item you produce.

Clothing Packaging? Do We Really Need it?

We assume that a small amount of packaging exists for women’s clothing. Apart from multi-packs of underwear and gloves, most women’s clothing is on a rack for inspection or trying on. But what if these companies are missing an opportunity to differentiate themselves in the market?

Not sold yet? We get it. The idea of taking a product that typically hangs on a rack and putting it into a package may seem odd. But the small cost of creating a unique package design may be exactly what you need for your brand identity to stand out in a crowded market. The question is, does the retail store have a place for your pre packaged clothing?

Packaging for garments may happen for many reasons, including limited edition runs, seasonal items, and kits that include clothing. When the right opportunity presents itself, packaging might just be what the revenue DR. ordered.

Packaging Isn’t Just for Men’s Clothing

Statistically, more basic men’s items come in packages than women’s items. As a stereotypical rule, men would rather grab a package of underwear, shirts or dress suits than inspect every garment that we’re not convinced we need. Do we really need underwear, anyway? Damn societal stigmas.

In men’s retail clothing outlets, you’ll find gloves, undergarments, handkerchiefs, t-shirts, socks and bowties all in some sort of packaging. In hipper stores, the packaging will be so broad and playful that you often won’t even be able to tell just exactly what is in the package. One of our favorite tastemakers, Johnny Cupcakes, has a line of t-shirts packaged in what looks like paint cans, but what are supposed to be> frosting tins. Interesting (*strokes beard in a super villain kind of way*).

Best Practices for Clothing Packaging

No matter the gender, you’re perfectly free to let your imagination run wild with garment packaging. The one limitation we will put on your imagination is to remind you to incorporate some sort of window into the package. This way we don’t tempt the customer to pry open the box to check what the actual color is.

Of course, this rule may not apply if you are in the subscription box industry. Maybe it isn’t such a good idea to give a peek into your product as that removes the element of surprise. FYI, this element of surprise is starting to find its way into mainstream stores (think LOL surprise).

Durability is also important. Packaging that is torn before we pull the item off-the-shelf shows that the company believes in using cheap materials for their products. Not the brand recognition that most companies aim for.

We should always consider frustration free packaging that is easy to open when designing a clothing package. Either make the package easy to remove or provide simple instructions about what we need to remove the clothing from the box.

The Risk of Adding Garment Packaging

Speaking of prying open the box, think about the possibility that customers would crack open your package and pull out the item. If your package is delicate it could lead to a destroyed look, leaving the retailer less disappointed at the prospect of selling a bunch of aggressively handled, once-cute packages.

If your package doesn’t display the item inside and is too complex or secure to open, it could discourage many customers from buying the item altogether. Some of the best concepts for clothes involve sturdy packages, like canisters, that you can assemble without the consumer ever realizing that someone had previously messed with the package.

Using Packaging to Better Speak to Your Target Audience

Since we are branding and marketing specialists, it is our duty to talk about the impact product packaging has on marketing. While clothing does directly speak to your target audience, it may not communicate it as effectively as you can on a product package.

Here are three buyer personas where packaging may be relevant.

Packaging For a Fashion Brand

Ok, let’s start with the obvious. We expect a high end fashion product to include luxury packaging. Like alcoholic spirits, we know the fashion industry for providing an added touch, keeping people away from the idea that their product isn’t more special than a commodity version. Designers often invest more time into the marketing of these high-priced items than they do the clothing item itself.

Sustainability in Women’s Clothing Package Design

It is hard to miss the eco-friendly packaging theme when you walk through the random section of clothing in Whole Foods. A trend that has started in more natural shopping environments is bound to find its way into department stores. Sustainable packaging is definitely a conversation that companies such as Target are having, and if the market requests it, we will see demand for sustainable packaging find its way into mainstream clothing packaging.

Packaging For Affordability

Just because consumers are price conscious doesn’t mean they do not care about fashion. The budget shopper gets just as excited about their purchase and, unlike high-end products, the anxiousness of a large transaction does not distract them. A little packaging material will go a long way with this client.

Whether it is a clear window on a cardboard box, or an invitation to touch material at the edge of the package, do something to encourage buyer consideration. Use product packaging with a colorful look to bring life to a boring product.

Do this right and you can go from being a boring clothing brand to one that inspires and stands out from the competition.

Packaging For Women’s Accessories

With packaging for accessories, particularly high-end accessories, it’s important that you use well constructed boxes. Make efforts to keep their pristine appearance during transport and while displaying the items. Color is important here; black will show every flaw, tear, scuff and rip, as will white.

Of course, there is no hard and fast rule saying that boxes are absolutely necessary; they provide greater structure and stack-ability for the retailer, but from a consumer perspective, cloth bags might do nicely and we can market them as plastic free packaging.

Packages for undergarments can vary from plastic bags to well-structured boxes. Certain types of bras are packaged in boxes, and, like men’s packaged clothing, it’s helpful to consider that customers could open the box and inspect the item. To prevent damage to the garment itself but allow total visibility, a plastic enclosure for the piece is a good idea.

So, what have we learned today? We learned that packaging design for clothing can be almost as fun as packaging design for liquor. We learned that clothing packages should be fun, but shouldn’t conceal the garment within unless it can be easily and not damaged when opened. Finally, we learned we may never hear the last of Johnny Cupcakes.

At the Register Packaging

The discussion of packaging doesn’t end just because an item that performs better on rack than in a box. Companies can increase brand recall by including a gift box or special packaging that is put on at the point of purchase. Apparel boxes made of high quality durable materials can live on well past the transaction.

This is a great way to increase brand value and bring in the benefits product packaging provides.

Don’t believe us? Think about the photos, baseball cards or receipts that you’ve been keeping in a shoe box all these years? Your apparel packaging can become an extension of your branding, encouraging the consumer to remember what your company stands for and how that purchase made them feel. Just do it! (swoosh)

Packaging That Performs

Looking for a packaging solution From design to print, we take your custom packaging project from an idea to a reality. Through our proprietary package design methodology, your product will perform on shelf and on rack! Book a time to discuss your project with our team.