The Global Takeover of the Basic Sweatshirt
In the ever-changing world of fashion and trends, it can be hard to make something stick and find a piece that will catch people by surprise. You may never have guessed it, but the “basic sweatshirt” has become the must-have item. Brands such as Parke, Daily Drills and ShopFancyD Boutique have caught on and started to pave the way for this trend. Countless brands now create different iterations of the same basic style, selling their product for hundreds of dollars and generating enough attention to sell out in under a minute. But how do they do it? What is the draw?
For many, the price tag and appeal don’t add up, but the buzz and demand have to come from somewhere. These brands use powerful marketing strategies, including creating brand exclusivity, innovative social media reach and incredibly strong brand narratives to sell their product.
Take Parke, for example. The brand’s biggest strength is its ability to create a feeling of exclusivity and high demand, pushing people to feel like they must get their hands on a product the minute it drops, contributing to its record-time sellouts. The crew neck itself is nothing more than a blend of fabric with stitched varsity lettering spelling out the creator's last name, but people fight to get their hands on one. Creator Chelsea Parke has not created solely a product in high demand, but a lifestyle aesthetic in high demand. All marketing of her crew necks is paired with appealing lifestyle features such as airport adventures, daily walks along the coast and even just breakfast in bed. The Parke crew neck for many symbolizes living a simple but lavish lifestyle, and the name across the front will somehow translate this to those around them.
Other brands such as Daily Drills and ShopFancyD Boutique have taken this same idea and made it their own. Daily Drills has created a brand based on a sporty lifestyle that values fashion and comfort in a colorful palette. ShopFancyD Boutique taps into a younger audience, portraying a fun, more whimsical country club aesthetic. Each brand has mastered the art of getting customers to spend money on the feeling they get while wearing the clothes rather than the product itself.
Another big factor playing into this sweatshirt phenomenon is these brands' innovative take on social media reach. While more and more brands are starting to rely on social media influencers as a form of marketing, these brands have always relied on themselves to be the stars of the show. Each owner has created a social media presence for themselves that perfectly captures the lifestyle aesthetic they are trying to sell. While they encourage viewers and influencers to shout out their products and reposts will be made when their brand is mentioned, there are no specific names associated with each brand other than themselves. Followers follow not only the brand itself but its owners, creating a unique draw to be a part of the brand and feel like they have an exclusive look into the life you are trying to buy yourself.
It is crazy to think that something as simple as fabric and letters recreated in different colors and fonts could take over such a large fan base so quickly. The secret lies in the power of an aesthetic and the ability to harness the storyline you want through marketing. Who knows? Maybe we can all come up with the next big trend. But the real question is: Will you be able to convince people they need it to live in the life aesthetic they’re dying to have?
Sources
Burnt X Orange. (2024, March 25). Daily Drills and Parke’s FOMO marketing has clothes selling out in minutes. Burnt X Orange https://burntxorange.com/49779/trending/daily-drills-and-parkes-fomo-marketing-has-clothes-selling-out-in-minutes
Daily Drills. (n.d.). Press. Daily Drills. https://shopdailydrills.com/pages/press
Fancy D Boutique. (n.d.). Collab. Fancy D Boutique. https://fancydboutique.com/pages/collab
Parke. (n.d.). About. Parke. https://parkeofficial.com/pages/about
Robert, Y. (2024, October 29). How Chelsea Kramer used transparent marketing to scale Parke to $15 million. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/yolarobert1/2024/10/29/how-chelsea-kramer-used-transparent-marketing-to-scale-parke-to-15-million
Vie Magazine. (n.d.). Daily drills. Vie Magazine. https://viemagazine.com/article/daily-drills