Hang Tag Gore - Levi's Denizen

Sometimes you run across something so awful it doesn't even warrant a review - this is one of those times. Although Levi's is a premium brand in most of the world, in its home country of the US of A, it somehow is one of the most mass market name brands in existence. I'm fairly certain I stumbled across this in a Walmart, and although I only present this one example here, there were countless variations for different denim products.

What's wrong you ask? For starters, why is everything shouting at me in bold face all caps text? Maybe it is because the product is so bland and generic it would be too easy to overlook. There is a way to do text heavy design, but this certainly isn't it. I mean just look at the feature list - "Classic and comfortable for all occasions." That's fight, these can be your fancy jeans as well as your comfy jeans as well as your work jeans, all in one pair! I don't know if this is an officially adopted maxim, but if your clothing gives you permission to wear it either up or down, it probably isn't acceptable to do either.

And what is up with Levi's destroying the registered trademark symbol? I first saw it on the Denizen line name, and figured it was a misprint, but then I noticed it was done the same on the Levi's wordmark! Holy hell, what are they thinking? Is it supposed to be edgy?

I'll also call attention to the model - first, nothing says "Dad jeans" like that guy with his button down sleeves rolled up but tucked into his non-belted jeans. It is also a bit of a Photoshop disaster - unless he is a Gears of War character there is something seriously wrong with his over-sized feet, and his legs are about 90% of his total body.

And to top it all off, this is the Hang Tag Blog, and while I sometimes drift into related fields, this is not a hang tag. It is instead affixed directly the pants with plastic rivets, meaning you either need careful work with scissors or you end up fraying the fabric before you put them on. I'll also ignore the ham fisted "Denizen" name, the use of rivets next to the word durable, or the fact that Levi's surface the "236" name so prominently. If I had to pick something I liked about this, it would be the way the "236 Regular Fit" is set off from the rest of the tag - the red box with both upper and lower margin lines is classic design and well executed. I like the way it isn't constrained by the margin of the rest of the text and spills into the product image.

Levi's, I don't know who thought this up, but please, no more.

The HangTag Blog Awards: 2 in 10

Hello and welcome to the HangTagBlog Awards! This will be our second major awards presentation! In case you are unfamiliar, the award scheme is here. This will be a second 2 in 10 award, covering hangtags 21 through 40.

Although the posting schedule remains slow and somewhat varied, these entries are all at least from 2016, so a major improvement from the previous go around. Let's see who the nominees are this time:

#31 - Stoosh
#32 - Carter's Little Collections "Christmas Tree"
#33 - Carter's Little Collections "Wolf"
#34 - Harper
#35 - Michael Kors "Jet Set"
#36 - Joe B by Joe Benbasset
#37 - Summer Oasis
#38 - Cat and Jack
#39 - Star Wars "Union Suit"
#40 - Old Navy "Active"

Wow - when I first started looking over this post, I was worried that I would struggle to find any to award. When I compiled this list, though, I realized that the opposite is true. What a collection!

I ooh'd and aah'd over the super cute designs of the Carter's pair, especially in light of the fact that typically Carter's has terribly designed hang tags. I also praised the Harper tag for clean and simple design that spoke volumes about the product and set the tone perfectly. Summer Oasis scored points for being surprisingly coherent and complicated, and was likewise a clean and focused design. On top of that, the Cat and Jack set really caught my eye, and looked much more expensive than they should have.

Ultimately, both Cat and Jack and Summer Oasis are going to be the winners here. If you put the baby items next to each other, Carter's is relying heavily on one cute design element on an otherwise bland tag, while Cat and Jack is a really great, all encompassing design. Summer Oasis also bumps up next to Harper in a really direct way, and for my money the Harper hang tag is solid but can't quite hang with this crowd. Summer Oasis meanwhile, has a bright, intricate design that matches with the clothing, and also contained the stylish front back wrap around.

The Honorable Mention this 2 in 10 is definitely the Stoosh tag. One of my truest inspirations is Paul Lukas over at Uni-Watch, and his side project of Groom-it, and this hang tag contained a very nice implementation of the ubiquitous metal ring.

HangTag Review #40 - Old Navy "Active" HangTag

This hang tag is from discount brand Old Navy, and specifically their "Active" line. The tag is nearly black, with a yellow double line logo, and then OLD NAVY ACTIVE displayed beneath. There is also a half banner that says "Go Dry" and a short line about moisture wicking in two languages. The reverse is pretty spartan, with another product description of "BREATHABILITY" followed by a few words explaining, again in two languages. The rest is just the price sticker.

Well, Old Navy is a discount brand, so the hang tag expectation is a little lower, but this one is pretty rough. The paper is cheap, and while I think the tag is supposed to be black, its actually just a washed out sort of black-ish color. I'm also really not a fan of the completely forgettable and generic logo - I'm sure a design consultant can point to the fact that it looks like a runner with their arms raised in victory (as the Olympics does from time to time). I also wish that someone would have made an executive decision to not put "ACTIVE" in italics. We get it, italics convey motion, great.

I'm also going to hit this one with the Faux-French designation. First of all, I'm not entirely sure that those translations are anything more than machine translations (or bottom dollar service). I don't know French especially well but it looks suspect. Further, I'm not sure that Old Navy's (itself a Gap sub-brand) Active sub-brand really needs to have an air of French design or taste. We know you took a look at the latest Nike designs and reproduced them as cheaply as possible, we don't need french text.

This hangtag is about as generic as they come, and a miss in my book.

HangTag Review #39 - Star Wars Union Suit

Disney's acquisition of the Star Wars franchise has turned up the licensing machine full force, and in addition to a steady stream of new movies we are being treated to a near constant barrage of merchandise. This hang tag comes from one such item - a Chewbacca Union Suit.

First and foremost, it should be explained that a Union Suit is merely a descriptive term for a single undergarment that combines a shirt and a pair of pants. Think long johns or those pajamas that are in old cartoons with a snap up button panel. Do not think to search them on Google images without safe search on.

This one is designed to look like the character Chewbacca from Star Wars. Presumably one part Halloween costume, one party novelty item, this is a lowest common denominator item.

The front of the hang tag is straightforward - the top portion is a picture of Chewbacca pointing his signature crossbow at the camera. The bottom has the Star Wars wordmark in negative with the words UNION SUIT below and a red circle with an S and the label SMALL. This is really terrible in terms of hangtags. It does not seem terribly well through out and it fails to convey any real sense of design or effort.

The reverse is a tiny bit better. Instead of the photograph of the actual Chewbacca, there is an incredibly goofy illustration of a very doofy guy wearing the suit. Otherwise it is the same as the front.

I have a lot of problems with this tag. It is really low effort, all they did was put a picture on it with a brand wordmark and a descriptor. I like simplicity and clean designs, and this is simple but is not particularly clean. Simply throwing all your logos onto a card isn't design, its hitting a checklist.

I also think you need to either lean heavy into the illustration, or heavy into the actual movie license, but you can't put both on the same tag.

It is almost as though they know that these will not be purchased by true fans (who will go upmarket) but instead by someone's distant relative who is a bit out of touch but will say "Oh, didn't he used to love those space movies?" If anything, I imagine most of these end up as gag gifts, purchased for drinking-holiday parties or as a good natured goof for a spouse.

I had some excitement about a Disney branded tag, but so far this and the children's one I reviewed here have both fallen incredibly flat.

HangTag Review #38 - Cat and Jack Double Set

Check out this nice find in the children's section for Cat and Jack. The main front tag is a pale blue (perhaps a "Baby Blue?") with the Cat and Jack script wordmark in red. The reverse of that tag has the same color scheme in stripes, along with the retailer information.

The feature tag is an eggshell color with the words "MADE FOR PLAYING, DRESSING UP & ADVENTURING." in the same red as the main wordmark. Underneath is says "SKINNY" which I believe is a fit designation. This tag has the pale blue on the reverse with more retailer information.

The main tag, however, has a small detail that I find really great - the gift receipt isn't cut straight across, but instead in triangle fringe. There are plenty of hang tags in unique shapes, but this one is so unexpected that it stands out. The gift receipt tear away is theoretically functional, as ideally this piece is removed before giving the item as a gift. In this case, that piece would leave simply a straight edge (or a sloppy perforation). The design is nice too. When the tag is hung vertically, it looks like a banner. The reverse colors also convey a real sense of Dr. Suess whimsy. All in all, this is a quality tag.

The second tag is nice as well. I'm referring to it as a feature tag but that isn't entirely accurate, as it refers to the second item in a set. The color scheme is excellent, if a little bit predictable. The "playing, dressing up and adventuring" word choice is simple and obvious, but the layout is nice. I'm surprisingly impressed with using the waves as a horizontal rule, as it plays into the "adventure" idea and lends the tag some cohesiveness.

I'm really against the idea of putting body size labels on clothing aimed at children, but I think the Skinny designation here really refers to the overall cut of the pants. Even then I think this is a miss for the design as its purely marketing. Toddler clothes are made as they are, "skinny" vs "relaxed" likely makes no appreciable difference. Thus, this word was placed to catch the eye of Mom while picking these out.

A quality effort and a solid example in my book.

Hang Tag Review #37 - Summer Oasis

I've previously written about Target's Xhiliration House Brand, but this one is a sub brand (or maybe a collection is what Target wants you to call it) of Xhiliration. It is on their website here. The front has the name of the collection and the year, flanked by colorful flowery designs. The reverse has the full pattern.

If it isn't clear already, I like this hang tag. A lot. The front is excellent, simple and clean. It very clearly states the collection name, and gives a date for reference. Adding the date adds a bit of exclusivity and rarity, which is enjoyable. It avoid becoming pretentious, however, by not adding a YoungEST or other silly 'classic' elements.

I also find the way the pattern wraps around to the front of the tag to be really nice. I like the colors and design, and the way it sits on the solid black is nice. One of my favorite parts, however, is the way the hang tag design so clearly complements the actual clothing patterns as well. If you review the Target website, you can see that the same pattern is used on this dress.

This all should be taken with a bit of a caveat, however, as the only reason this tag looks so clean is because it is on the same hanger as the house brand tag. If it were by itself, it would almost certainly  add in some extra information that would clutter and take away from the overall appearance. Still, this is a great find and surprise for a Target brand hang tag.

Hang Tag Review #36 - Joe B by Joe Benbasset Hang Tag

Today's hang tag is from the junior brand Joe B by Joe Benbasset. This tag hangs vertically although the text is all horizontal. The front has the JOE B sub brand set just above (and slightly offset) from the by JOE BENBASSET brand name. The tag is a stark white on thick paperboard. It is very similar to the Calvin Klein Jeans tag reviewed some years ago.

The reverse is similarly minimalist. It contains the full www.name.com webaddress, with icons for a few key social networking sites (namely, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest). And that's it!

Fear not, though - just because this hang tag is minimalist in design, it does not mean that there is not a lot to talk about. On the front, there is a lot of text and layout work. First of all, we see the JOE B sub brand in all caps, with the B in boldface. It is large, and dominates the front of the hang tag. Underneath, the main brand is handled almost like an attribution notice. JOE BENBASSET is all in caps, however the "by" is all lowercase. One not need to think hard about what is important here, and where the emphasis lies.

Although I personally dislike the awful amount of sub-branding that goes on, I do think the way the front of this tag is laid out is strong. There is just enough movement and variation going on to make it memorable.

The reverse is really terrible. I'll actually allow a pass on the full www.name.com since it is not at all clear from the front what the web address would be, and the trailing social media icons give the leading www. some visual balance. That cannot save the utterly bizarre and thoughtless inclusion of the icons for the social media websites. It is a hang tag - you cannot click on the facebook, instagram, or pinterest icons and go straight to the pages or follow! You still need to load up your browser or smart phone and look them each up individually! Why have the icons? Are they not on the web site that already contains a full address?

The use of app icons on printed materials is always a risky choice. Done right and you have communicated a modern and forward thinking product, but done wrong and it looks out of touch and unnecessary. That is the case here.  Furthermore, Instagram recently updated its app icon, and as such the button on this hang tag is no longer relevant.

The front of this hang tag doesn't really set me aflame, but it at least is interesting and has some design elements. The reverse, however, just doesn't work or make sense in any light.

Hang Tag Review #35 - Michael Kors "Jet Set" Hang Tag

Today's hang tag is from fashion house Michael Kors. This hang tag is from a Jet Set collection of his label. The front is a soft gold with "Michael Michael Kors" in negative white. The tag hang vertically, but the text is aligned as though it hangs horizontally.

The reverse is similarly simple in design to the front. Again we see "Michael Michael Kors," although this time in gold on white. Underneath there is product information, here designations that this is a "Jet Set Item" and the color is Vanilla.

The front of this tag is gorgeous. The soft gold is wonderfully rendered here, it looks expensive but not at all trashy. It also works well on the standard thing paperboard that the tag is constructed from. The white boarder is nice as well, it frames the tag and helps the gold stand out. The labeling is also interesting. The alignment is unexpected without being entirely random.

Likewise, the reverse, while being fairly practical, is nicely arranged. Again, the gold works. There is also a certain irreverence to the descriptions. "Jet Set Item" is the line, not simply Jet Set or Jet Set Collection or any other designation.This encapsulates the aspirations of this perfectly - its an item for people who think they are jet setters, almost like describing a sleeping bag as a "Camp Item." I also love the color of Vanilla, as Vanilla can also mean plain and standard. Who would put Vanilla on their product? Why not call it cream? It is that perfect nihilistic attitude towards money and wealth.

This tag also contains an interesting NS or "No Size." If you remember, I previously covered an Ann Taylor "Size None" hang tag, here we have the reverse No Size.

The only thing I will take this tag to task for is the awful "Name by Name Brand" trend. Calling sub brands by portions of the full name is lazy and cheap, and needs to go away. I'll let it slide here because the rest of this tag is so nice.

Hang Tag Review #34 - Harper Hang Tag

Today we are looking at a hang tag from the brand Harper, itself a house brand of Francesca's. Francesca's is generally feminine preppy, and this hang tag is no different. The front is a lilac purple with the name HARPER printed in a soft pink. The font is simple, except for the interesting calligraphy mark on the middle "R."

The reverse is simple as well, white card stock with a small HARPER mark in black on the top. Again, the "R" is stylized. Underneath that is a retailer tag (again, with the odd juxtaposition of the retailer tag on the hang tag designed specifically to be sold by that retailer).

This tag is simple and straightforward, and that is never a bad thing in my opinion. On the other hand, it is pretty indistinguishable from any other tags. There is not much to make it stand out, and there is no product information (outside of what is on the retailer sticker).

I do like the presentation of the wordmark though. Simple with just a little whimsy. Nicely executed.

Hang Tag Review #33 - Carter's Little Collections "Wolf" Hang Tag

A second in a series, this is the Wolf variant of the Carter's Little Collections. Just like before, this mini feature tag is slate square with a white circle, and has the Carter's Little Collections name. The real fun, however, comes from the tiny wolf symbol. It features a a very cute wolf sitting on its hind legs. Technically, this may actually be a dog, since it wears a blue collar, in which case perhaps it is meant to be a husky of some sort.

Either way, I rate this tag highly, just like the previous Christmas Tree one. The tiny figure is just happy enough, just bright enough, and just varied enough to really pull the entire thing together and out of the morass of poor color choices that dominates most other Carter's tags. It is also endearingly cute, which is perfect for baby clothes.

Hang Tag Review #32 - Carter's Little Collections "Christmas Tree" Hang Tag

I am so excited to have discovered these. Baby wear brand Carter's apparently offers a series of themed clothing in what they refer to as "Little Collections." Several items to a matching outfit are sold as a single piece on a single hanger, with the standard Carter's hang tag and one of these "feature" tags.

This one is for a Christmas collection, judging by the little tree. The tag itself is small (about 1" x 1") and features the standard slate background. There is a white circle inside the square with the tree and the name. The tree is a simple triangle evergreen rendered in green, with a small red 5 point star above it. The reverse is untreated paperboard.

The tag design is really fun. I've not been impressed with Carter's tags in the past (the exist in a truly "Meh" category) but I love these ones. The presentation is simple and fun, with the little symbols adding just the right touch of color. I like the slate that Carter's uses, but their other colors tend to turn me off. Here, the pop of green and red are perfect.

The use of the tree is interesting. Although trees have become a somewhat defacto "politically correct but everyone still knows I mean Christmas" symbol, I could see a wrapped gift being used equally as well. Then again, while Carter's is not an expensive brand, it is certainly not need based baby clothing.

I continue to wish Carter's would drop the all lower case text, but here I'll let it slide.

Overall, a really fun tag and I look forward to reviewing some more from the series.

Hang Tag Review #31 - Stoosh Hang Tag

Stoosh is, among other things, a junior women's brand that is carried by larger discount department stores. It was a new brand to me this year.

The front of this tag is a simple solid black background with tessellated slate flowers. Printed over the flowers at the bottom is the wordmark in all lowercase, in a very narrow font.

The reverse is solid black. Both sides have a glossy finish, which looks great on the reverse (and just ok on the front).

This hang tag is made of quality materials, it is thick cardstock, and the glossy finish is a nice touch. There is, however, one feature that makes this hang tag very, very exciting: the grommet. This small metal fixture is a welcome addition to any hang tag, and it looks fantastic here. This screams attention to detail as well as quality.

This hang tag holds a special place in my heart. On the Inspirations page for this blog there are currently only two, one of which is the flagship blog of journalist Paul Lukas. He has recently started something of an art project to put grommets into all kinds of things, primarily foodstuffs, and it is fantastic. Check it out for yourself.

Overall, I'm not in love with the design of this tag. I find the front very flat and uninspired, plus the wordmark is actually pretty hard to read. Nonetheless, the level of workmanship and finish here more than makes up for it.

The Hang Tag Blog Awards: 2 in 10

Hello and welcome to the Hang Tag Blog Awards! This will be the first awards handed out since I smartly revised the awards scheme to account for the fact that it is extremely difficult to update a blog on a regular calendar schedule. The 2 in 10 awards are granted to the top 2 selections from the previous 10 hang tags reviewed. These are followed up with the 5 in 50, and the 10 in 100 awards.

This section is a little odd, as the first nominee goes back to the end of 2014. Most of the rest come from the past two weeks though, so the pace has picked up and more of them are competing against their peers. Good design is timeless, anyways, so a truly great specimen from 2014 should have no problem against the early crop of 2016 tags.

And the nominees are:

#21 Calvin Klein "Dresses"
#22 Indigo Blue "Skinny"
#23 Nautica Jeans "Crossed Anchors"
#24 Circo
#25 Halloween
#26 Carter's "Just One You"
#27 Calvin Klein "Jeans"
#28 Under Armour All Season Gear "Boys"
#29 Disney Baby
#30 NFL Team Apparel

There are some solid choices in this set, and getting down to a top 2 is not an easy thing. All the Calvin Klein tags I have ever reviewed have done well, and here we have both a solid "Dresses" tag and the top tier "Jeans" tag from 2015. I also gave high remarks to the Indigo Blue hang tag. The Nautica Jeans tag was a sleeper hit as well, a budget tag with excellent design and a rarely used logo that caught my attention in a big way.

Our winners this round are the Indigo Blue "Skinny" hang tag and the Calvin Klein "Jeans" hang tag. I'll give an honorary mention to the Nautica Jeans hang tag with the Crossed Anchors logo. It almost makes it, despite (or maybe because) it is a budget hang tag.

Hang Tag Review #30 - NFL Team Apparel Hang Tag

This is a fun one but also a little bit unique. This is a hang tag that the NFL attaches to licensed apparel. The front has the NFL shield logo prominently displayed, with TEAM APPAREL printed underneath. The background has a dappled pattern, which appears to be simulating the leather grain on a football. The background fades in as a gradient moving from top to bottom.

The reverse starts with the website as a name.com. Below that is a holographic sticker which probably indicates authenticity. Underneath the holo sticker we find another sticker, this one with the distributor information on it. Further down is the third sticker, the reailer sticker with price, size, and barcode.

This tag is pretty middle of the road. I've decided that I do like the tags that are tall and narrow, and this one has a lot of colors. However, I think the leather effect is really poorly implemented. It makes no sense that it fades out on the top, and without looking closely or really thinking about the design, it just looks sloppy.

The reverse is very interesting from a design standpoint, if nothing else. There are a full three stickers attached. This offers a lot of flexibility, as these hang tags can be distributed to a wide variety of manufacturers for use with their items. On the other hand, it calls into question the whole authenticity of the "hologram sticker" issue. If these tags are just being sent around to be randomly stickered, what is to guarantee to me, the consumer, that someone didn't receive a shipment of blank hang tags with the holo stickers and then just attach their own? It defeats the entire purpose.

Also if you name is a three letter abbreviation, the name.com address is wholly unnecessary. Especially with the way today's modern browsers work, entering "NFL" "NFL.COM" or HTTP://WWW.NFL.COM" into your browser is all going to take you to the same place.

Hang Tag Review #29 - Disney Baby Hang Tag

This hang tag is for Disney Baby, and it certainly has some interesting features. The front is pure Disney, in a series of pastel greens. There is Disney written in the Disney font with the magic castle logo above, rendered in building block treatment. The magic sparkles connect the two.

The reverse starts with a message encouraging purchasers to "Discover the magic on Disneybaby.com." Not quite a name.com example, as it appears in a sentence, although I am always critical of sub domains such as this.

Perhaps more fascinating is that we then see the licensee information below. This product (for infant shoes) was made by ABG BABY, distributed by Rising Star. While this is fairly typical for big brands, I'm surprised that so much is surfaced so readily here.

This tag falls a little flat for me. I'm really not enjoying the somewhat lazy color scheme. For some reason the world of infants is very sensitive to gender coloring, and this tag is safely gender neutral (soft greens, slate, and sometimes yellow being the widely accepted top picks in this area). Still, nothing about this screams Disney, which is generally the most overdone and on message brand in the existence. It feels uninspired, like someone figured if they just typed "MAGIC" a bunch of times it would fully qualify, but the Disney Magic isn't just about saying the words, its about fully committing to them.

I actually like the licensee's banding a little bit more, the ABG BABY in baby blocks is a nice treatment, if somewhat expected.

As I touched on above, I'm ok with a name.com if used in a sentence, and additionally, I think Disney is a brand where the sub domain makes sense. Disney has famous theme parks, famous movies, famous characters, and famous toys. I wouldn't go to the Disney homepage and expect to find baby clothing without a few additional clicks. The distributor also has a web address, and since it is slightly different from the name, I think listing it in full makes sense. Good web use here.

Hang Tag Review #28 - Under Armour All Season Gear Boys

This is a hang tag from sports apparel brand Under Armour. I've reviewed several of their other hang tags, some very favorably, in previous posts. This tag is small in size, and busy. The front is a black background, with a reflective UA logo, and additionally a reflective variation on a name.com address. The other primary colors are orange and white, white being used for much of the text and orange for logos and as an accent color.

There is some odd UA PERFORMANCE text going vertically upwards on the left side, which has brackets flowing across the tag. Visually, it transitions to the instructional text, asking purchasers to "Wear this to feel dry and light." Bizarre, to say the least, but it likely grows out of the multiple "lines" that UA traditionally offers (ColdGear, HeatGear, and this, AllSeasonGear). That text is repeated in French, although Spanish is not present.

The reverse is somewhat less busy. The reflective logo appears again, although this time it is a circular shield with UA's "Universal Guarantee of Performance" and somewhat famous "Protect This House" trademarks. There is a large retailer tag affixed in the retailer tag space, with more UA markings below, as well as the copyright notice.

This tag is pretty disastrous. The front is a hodge-podge of different designs, texts, and ideas, none of which come together with any cohesion. It is like they started with a black tag with a logo, then someone said, Add in the Orange for our All Season line, then someone else said, We have to get that UA Performance marking on it, then someone else said, Its too confusing, add wearing instructions, then legal got involved and added the French. This is a prime example of a company viewing its hang tags as after thoughts, the necessary evil that goes along with the clothing. It needs to be stripped down and redesigned from top to bottom.

The wearing instructions are odd, but mostly from a clothing design standpoint and not from a hang tag perspective. The use of French but not Spanish is confusing, but it doesn't appear to be faux-French so I give it a pass. I'm of the mindset that each region that requires a different language should get its own hang tag.

The reverse is much better, simply by having less on it, but this tag remains rotten with trademark usage. UA seems to have vomited half of their portfolio onto this one, infant sized, tag. The gift receipt on the retailer sticker is laughable since the physical tag itself doesn't have gift receipt space itself, compounded further by the fact that this is an Under Armour retailer tag. Even within their own distribution channel they couldn't get it straight.

One thing I will give credit for here is the nice use of reflective lettering and logos. The silver against the black background looks sharp. I'll also give a pass for the name.com since it is an abbreviation of the name. I think the simple UA.COM looks great on this tag and is well worth including.