With a portfolio of customisable brands including AWDis and Mumbles, Norty is giving schoolwear retailers and decorators fresh ways to build practical, personalised ranges for PE, teamwear and those all-important leavers’ moments.
For schoolwear retailers, the strongest product ranges are increasingly those that do more than simply meet a uniform requirement. They need to answer the everyday demands of school life, support personalisation, offer commercial flexibility and, where possible, create an emotional connection with families. It is within this space that Norty continues to build its offer, supplying quality blank garments and accessories to the printwear and promotional market through a portfolio of 11 brands designed specifically for customisation.
Among those brands are AWDis and Mumbles, two names with clear relevance for the schoolwear sector. While AWDis supports the activewear side of the market with school-ready sportswear designed for movement and decoration, Mumbles opens up opportunities around leavers, graduation and end-of-year gifting. Together, they reflect a wider shift in schoolwear retail, where added-value products, coordinated ranges and personalisation services can help stores extend their relevance beyond the core uniform shop.
Memorable moments with Mumbles
The end of the school year is a milestone for pupils and parents alike. For schoolwear retailers, it also represents a valuable seasonal opportunity – a chance to offer families keepsakes that sit naturally alongside leavers’ hoodies, personalised garments and graduation merchandise. Mumbles is designed for exactly this market, AWDis combining characterful soft toys with decoration-friendly features that allow retailers and decorators to create products with a genuine sense of occasion.
Two products with particular relevance are the MM036 Graduation Bear and the MM800 Squidgy Wise Owl. Both are positioned for leavers, graduation and end-of-year celebrations, giving schools and families an alternative way to mark the moment. Importantly for the trade, they are not simply novelty items. They are products created with customisation in mind, enabling names, dates, school branding, or celebratory messages to be added in a way that transforms them into personal keepsakes.
The MM036 Graduation Bear is dressed for the occasion in a robe, hat and scroll, immediately signalling the milestone it is designed to commemorate. Its removable robe can be printed or embroidered, making it straightforward to add school crests, class years or individual pupil details. This flexibility is useful whether personalisation is managed in-house or supplied through a decoration partner, allowing retailers to tailor the level of service to their own business model. The MM800 Squidgy Wise Owl brings a different type of appeal. Soft, playful and suitably school-themed, it lends itself to displays around achievement, moving on and end-of-term gifting. As part of the Squidgy’s collection, Wise Owl is designed for print and embroidery, with removable pads helping to make decoration more straightforward. For schoolwear specialists, products such as these can add personality to seasonal campaigns while supporting add-on sales at a key point in the academic calendar.
The commercial opportunity lies in how Mumbles can be merchandised. Retailers might present the range alongside leavers’ hoodies, offer personalisation as an optional upgrade, or build bundles that include clothing and gifting elements. This gives families choice while allowing retailers to create a more rounded leavers’ range. It also helps extend the conversation beyond what pupils wear, introducing products that families may keep long after the final school bell has rung.
AWDis performance for active school life
Alongside gifting and leavers’ merchandise, activewear remains a key focus for schoolwear retailers. PE lessons, sports days, after school clubs and team training all require garments that are comfortable, practical and capable of withstanding frequent use. AWDis meets this demand with lightweight sportswear designed for young wearers, while also providing a reliable canvas for print and embroidery.
For UK printers and embroiderers supplying the education market, this combination is significant. Schools increasingly look for coordinated kit that feels fit for purpose, reflects school colours and can carry branding clearly. Retailers, meanwhile, need products that are easy to specify, available in relevant sizes and colours, and suitable for multiple end uses. AWDis supports this demand through performance-led fabrics, practical fits and a broad colour palette across its children’s sportswear offer.
The JC040J Kids Cool Polo is a strong example. Built for busy PE lessons, school teams and after-school clubs, it combines a smart sportswear look with lightweight performance. Made from 140gsm Neoteric fabric with inherent wickability and quick-drying properties, it is designed to help young wearers stay comfortable during active school days. A relaxed fit, self-fabric collar and two-button placket create a clean finish that works well for customised school and teamwear, while built-in stretch supports freedom of movement. The size range also supports the schoolwear market, with XS-XL.
fitting ages 3-4 to 12-13 years. Colour choice is another strength, with 13 options spanning core school shades and brighter teamwear colours: Arctic White, Bottle Green, Burgundy, Fire Red, French Navy, Heather Grey, Hot Pink, Jet Black, Lime Green, Purple, Royal Blue, Sapphire Blue and Sun Yellow. This breadth allows decorators and retailers to align product selection with existing school identities or create distinctive sports and house-colour ranges.
Pairing the JC040J with the JC080J Kids Cool Shorts creates a practical PE solution. Also made from 140gsm Neoteric fabric, the shorts feature a relaxed fit, elasticated waistband and mesh-lined inner for comfort throughout the school day. Side-seam pockets and an internal key pocket add useful functionality, while UPF 30+ UV protection makes them suitable for outdoor activities too. Available in XS-XL, the JC080J comes in Arctic White, Fire Red, French Navy, Jet Black and Royal Blue.
For schools wanting a more distinctive teamwear look, the JC003J Kids Contrast Cool T offers a strong option. The lightweight T-shirt is crafted from 140gsm Neoteric fabric, while its relaxed fit, raglan sleeves and stretch help young wearers move freely. Contrast sleeve inserts add a sporty finish that can help schools differentiate teams, houses or year groups. Twin-needle stitching and a self-fabric taped back neck provide added durability and comfort, with nine contrast colour combinations available in sizes XS-XL.
A broader opportunity for retailers
What connects AWDis and Mumbles is their ability to help schoolwear businesses widen their offer without moving away from their core expertise. Both brands are decoration-led, commercially flexible and relevant to established customer needs. One supports the everyday practicalities of school sport and activewear, the other taps into personalisation, celebration and memory-making at the end of the school journey.
For retailers, the benefit is twofold. Products such as AWDis sportswear can strengthen uniform-adjacent categories including PE kit, clubwear and teamwear, while Mumbles creates opportunities around seasonal gifting and leavers’ campaigns. Both can be personalised, both can be merchandised alongside existing schoolwear ranges, and both offer ways to build additional value into the customer journey. In a market where service, convenience and customisation continue to matter, Norty’s portfolio provides schoolwear specialists with practical tools to develop ranges that are useful, relevant and commercially appealing.
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