Business Outfitters by Lands' End

PERU, TAKE TWO

Like a great team, our pima cotton is still hand picked.

PIMA, PERFECTED. Shannon, one of our key sourcing managers, was buzzing about her recent trip to Peru, home of the lusciously soft fabric used to create our famous Pima Polos: 

"It was beyond amazing," she shared. "Sure, the mills are state-of-the-art, but the farmers - they still hand-pick the cotton. You can feel the passion they have for producing a superior product."

A GREAT STORY IS WORTH REPEATING. Tom Brock, our senior copywriter, traveled to Peru back in 1996 and reported his story in the February catalog the same year. Here is his slightly edited version:

When the assignment came up, it had the ring of adventure—travel to a faraway land, talk to cotton growers, pickers, ginners. “Basically Tom, bring back the secret of Peruvian pima,” my editor implored. So, some 16 hours after departing Madison, Wisconsin I de-planed in Lima. It had been a tiring day of travel and I wasn’t done. Early the next morning I was traveling with my host, Jorge Vereua and photographer Michael Yamashita, 300 kilometers up the coast to the heart of Peru’s pima country.

A PLANT WITH A PAST. Cotton is not new to Peru. It’s a “native”, having flourished in the wild since time immemorial. People in the North began to domesticate cotton as a textile fiber 4,500 years ago. Apart from its genetic ancestor sea island cotton, which is virtually extinct, Peruvian pima is said by some to be the longest staple cotton in the world. That means ultra-fine yarns for luxurious fabrics. To the farmers, Peruvian pima is “suave como el pelo de un angel” – soft as the hair of an angel.

ONWARD, TO THE COTTON FIELDS. To my surprise Jorge has arranged a quick breakfast. Warm bread, thick coffee, papaya juice. It’s still as much night as it is day. But push off we must because the cotton pickers start early. Minutes before daybreak we pull up to the red brick walls of the local ginning mill. We’ve stopped to get directions to “dia de campo”, the field of the day. Soon I see white-flecked fields in every direction. This is Peru’s legendary Piura valley along her north coast, smack dab between the Andes and Pacific, and home to some of the richest cotton country in the world.

FOR COTTON THIS FINE THE OLD WAY IS BEST. Instead of
a single mechanized harvest as done elsewhere, Peruvian pima is handpicked not just once, but three times a season, as it ripens. If the cotton isn’t ready, it’s left on the plant. This is apparent as I watch pickers skip some bolls, while reaching instead for others so ripe it looks like their fluffy fruit was about to drop to the ground. Immature “green” cotton is harsh by comparison and doesn’t take dye well.  

 A LONG DAY, A BOUNTIFUL CROP. Back at the ginning mill, warm afternoon sun bathes thebuildings with hazy light. Director Trelles explains how each farmer trucks his own cotton to the mill the day it’s picked. Seeing me marvel at the freshly plucked pima I hold between my fingers, Señor Teo Fialo, who farms four hectares and has worked the crop for 45 years proudly says, “El mejor del mundo”... the best in the world. After everything I've seen, I believe it.

A Lands' End legend helps "tote up" donations.

Our famous totes come in handy in more ways than you can imagine. From carrying groceries to "wrapping" a gift, their versatility is one of the things that makes them, well ... legendary. We've even had a sailor tell us how, forced to improvise, he used one as an anchor.

So we were thrilled to hear about the creativity exhibited by the Fund for Women and Girls of the Fairfield County Community Foundation when they held their luncheon in Greenwich, CT on April 7. To date, the event has raised over $400,000.

The centerpiece of each table was a Lands' End canvas tote, loaded with apples which were donated to a local food pantry after the event. The logo'd totes themselves — all 70 — were snatched up by attendees for a separate donation.

"Centerpieces are usually an expense," said Janet Lebovitz, luncheon co-chair. "We were looking for something we could tie to the theme of the event. We wanted everything to be recycled and put to good use." In fact, the Fund has been using Lands' End totes as centerpieces at the annual event for three years.

"The idea of giving back to the community is central to the foundation's purpose," explained Mika Frechette, luncheon co-chair. "We aim to make giving meaningful, effective and easy," she said.

One of the Fund's major initiatives provides financial aid and mentoring to community college students who are juggling full-time work and study with supporting their own families. 

"We identify students with the drive to succeed and help them through their studies, so they can get their college degree and move into a career that can sustain them as a head of household," said Suzanne Peters, Fund director. In addition, the Fund supports programs that nurture healthy relationships between mothers and daughters and help teenage girls build self esteem.

Peters believes the Lands' End totes are popular with donors because they're not only versatile, but well made, too. "The high-quality canvas, the key holder, just little touches like that make the difference," she said.

We're proud our totes make a difference, too. In more ways than we knew.

Driving Business on the Fairway: Advice from an Event Planning Expert

If business proposals can be communicated in 30-second "elevator pitches," imagine what you can accomplish on a five-hour, 18-hole stroll.

Now arriving with spring: outdoor business events. We asked Tami Gilbertson, CMP, for her thoughts on
a favorite here, the golf outing. 

Golf events are an opportunity to network with clients and staff outside the usual work environment – and fresh settings are known to inspire fresh ideas. These events can even be fun to organize. Here, then, my ...

5 Reasons Your Business Should Consider a Golf Event.

5. Golf events are well received. For those who play the game, the saying goes, "a bad day golfing is better than a good day at the office." For those who don't, it's a day away for fresh air and camaraderie in a beautiful setting.

4. The better courses are full-service – in addition to golf, they can provide catering, sound systems and entertainment.

3. An event is easier to structure with help from a course's golf pro. He or she can suggest foursomes, provide clubs and help the amateurs get started. A good pro can help you make the day a success.

2. A pro can also suggest games that engage the competitive spirit regardless of skill level, such as Best Hole, Best Ball, Scramble, Hole in One, Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive.

1. It's easy to stay on brand with logo placements on golf jackets, balls, towels and signage at each hole. Players will encounter multiple exposures to your logo and message.

Golf events are a staple in most meeting professionals' toolkit. Consider planning one for your employees or customers this season.

Tami Gilbertson is a Certified Meeting Professional with more than 16 years of event and meeting experience. She is Manager of Events and Promotions with WPS Health Insurance, and an Editor of Wisconsin Meetings Magazine. Tami serves as Meeting Professional International – Wisconsin Chapter 2010-2011 Immediate Past President. She was the Wisconsin Chapter's 2010 Planner of the Year. 

And finally, when you're out on the fairway, remember this tip from Mark Twain: It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.

Lands' End loves logos. Especially yours.

We see loads of memorable designs every day – large, small, type-only, show-stopping graphics, bold colors, tonal colors, brand statements and one-time event designs. 

We're grateful that so many companies trust us to put their good name on our good products. 

What makes Lands' End the preferred choice for quality logo embroidery and custom uniforms?

Our customers would tell you it comes down
to 5 things:

5. More logo colors are included for the initial setup price. Designs can include up to 9 thread colors at no additional cost. And you can change those thread colors on an item-by-item basis – also at no additional cost. 

4. Artwork submission by web or e-mail. Send it to us electronically and we'll send you a thread-and-fabric rendering by e-mail. Once you like what you see, we'll proceed with your order. 

3. On-demand embroidery. Our first floor houses hundreds of embroidery machines and more than 400 thread colors. With all that capacity on hand, embroidery adds just 3 to 4 business days to the already-quick Lands' End delivery time. 

2. No minimums. Order a Mesh Polo in classic red, a Pima Polo in black. Add a Sweater Vest and Cardigan. We'll add your logo to as many or as few items as you need ... adjusting your design for the best results on different fabrics and inspecting our work at every step. 

1. Best Customer Service. We know your job title doesn't include "embroidery expert." So we'll walk you through it. Soon you'll be wowing people with your knowledge of things like PMS colors, stitch counts and thread tension. Or not. That's up to you. 

We've been leading the field for close to 20 years. Logos are our business. And who else offers you the best promise in business? If you're not happy with your purchase, simply return it at any time for a refund or exchange. That's Guaranteed. Period.^® 

Haven't sent your logo to us yet? Here's how.