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 #27 - Calvin Klein Jeans

Today we have a special entry, the 2015 update of our 2013 Third Runner-Up award winner, the Calvin Klein Jeans hang tag. In that version, I praised the clean design and the smart implementation of a long, narrow hang tag that would display nicely. I also commented on the thick card stock used in the production of the tag.

This year's version makes some updates while carrying forward the tradition of quality materials. The front has been changed from white to a cream, which looks and feels expensive. There is definite heft in your hands, and the stamped "Calvin Klein Jeans" at the bottom give it visual depth. You can run your fingers over the lettering and feel the depth.

The size has changed, this now resembles a standard rectangular hang tag.

The reverse has changed dramatically, whereas previously Calvin Klein brands were a single white card, the reverse now has textured black paperboard. Initially I thought it may be some sort of the faux carbon fiber that is wildly popular, but upon closer inspection it actually appears to be a denim fabric pattern. A great touch for a denim product, and like the front, you can run your fingers over it and feel the texture.

The reverse has the name.com web address, unfortunately just flat printed, in the same cream color as the front. Interestingly, they have dropped the unique top level domain name, which is helpful for simplicity but also makes the printing here unnecessary.

This is another impeccable entry from Calvin Klein, which is quickly becoming my favorite brand for hang tags (I liked a Calvin Klein Dresses Hang Tag too). It all starts with the quality materials, this tag has heft and feels good in your hands, and screams class and luxury. Both sides have textures that you can see and feel, rarely does a label get such weight and depth.

The design continues to impress as well. There is straightforward simplicity here. Hang tags without text appear to let the product do the talking, and that is the effect here. I'm especially impressed that each side has such variation in texture and color, and yet both are clearly from the same product. I praised the 2013 Calvin Klein Jeans Hang Tag for being designed to look good from any angle, and I think the same applies here. No matter which side is facing forward, it looks good.

I'm still not a fan of the name.com, and I'm even less of a fan of the wishy-washy changing of top level domain names. A special landing page for your denim is fine if you directly link to it, but otherwise useless and outdated, like flash intros.

Hang Tag Review #21 - Calvin Klein “Dresses” Hang Tag

This hang tag from designer brand Calvin Klein continues in the tradition of the third runner up hang tag from the 2013 end of year awards. While that hang tag was clearly for jeans, this one is simply labeled “Dresses.”

It continues with the highly minimalist format. The front is mostly solid white, with the brand name dominating in simple typeface. Underneath the name is the dresses designation in all lowercase. All the typography is in the lower fourth of the front, leaving a lot of empty space. Also interesting is the kerning, it appears very close on the brand name, and very open on “dresses.”

The reverse is likewise minimal in design, with just the web address (in the poor name.com format). The address is made slightly more acceptable as it appears Calvin Klein uses a variety of top level domains, but seemingly does not have one for dresses specifically. Again, the text is all in the lower portion of the tag. This leaves plenty of space for the retailer tag, here adding a splash of color with the size coding.

Although not viewable here, this hang tag is made of heavy cardstock.

This is another strong entry from Calvin Klein. It is simple and clean, and expresses a very direct design and brand. On the other hand, the white with simple black text has been done elsewhere. I’m also a little unclear on the kerning issue. Overall this is a strong showing, another tasteful entry.