Fashion, Apparel, Trends & Tips

We wrote recently how the name appeal of brand name women’s clothing can snag sales, and put you neatly into a luxury niche market, but then there comes the time to buy. Who do you go to? Who is trustworthy?

Recently, Ebay lost a lawsuit against the French fashion house of Hermes, and was found liable for the sale of counterfeit goods. With Tiffany & Co, and Louis Vuitton also up in arms about knockoffs, it’s a safe bet to assume that many other products available on the web are less than they appear. If fact, it’s estimated that a full 30% of all brand name goods sold online are, in fact, counterfeit.

While some may be tempted by the price to purchase items like these, beware. While most people won’t notice a difference, undoubtedly someone will, and your integrity as a retailer will be forever tarnished. Even if you unknowingly purchase counterfeit items, the responsibility will still lie with you. Why risk it, when a few small questions and a call to your wholesale distributor can provide all the assurance you need in order to verify the authenticity of your purchase.

Avoid mistakes like these by asking yourself a few simple questions. Is a clear photograph of the label available? Is that label consistent with other labels I’ve seen from that company? Are the same items available on the brand’s personal website?

If you still have no answers after asking these questions, just place a call. Any reputable company will be happy to speak with you in order to assure you that the items are genuine. In the end, if you work with people you trust, your chances of getting a great deal on brand name clothing are much higher.

As an owner of a retail women’s clothing store, it’s important to have something that sets you apart from the nearest discount chains. What can retailers do to keep customers shopping locally? These days people aren’t going as far from home for leisure activities, like shopping. This is an incredible asset to local retailers, but from there, the work is only half done. Once people begin shopping in their hometowns, how can we entice them to buy?

Every woman wants the latest brand name apparel, but it can be hard to provide quality goods on a slim profit margin. Luckily, luxury brand name items are becoming more and more accessible to wholesale clothing distributors.

Goods with high brand name recognition are a good start. For instance, any large mall will have a Bebe, or Steve Madden store. You can give your store that same air of retail authority by stocking a small selection of Bebe tops, or Steve Madden purses all in your store. If your customers know that you are the only place in town that they can get luxury goods, they’ll spread the word quickly.

Another benefit of stocking brand name goods comes in the fact that it can give you an edge in the niche market of brand name apparel. Bigger chains like Wal-Mart or Target won’t carry items like these, so you can set your store apart easily with just a few select pieces.

It’s worth it to look for brand name goods, but as a word of caution, be sure they’re authentic before buying. Any reputable distributor will give you information verifying the authenticity, or you can ask to see the designer’s brand label on the product itself. Usually knockoffs won’t have these.

Buyers of wholesale women’s clothing are already faced with countless business decisions to make each day. Some are no brainers, but some require serious thought. For example, whether to buy goods in bulk, or individually priced items. While both options are viable for anyone, your business model will determine which of the two is best for you.

When should I look for bulk quantities? When you are selling at very low prices, or when you are guaranteed to sell all or most of your stock quickly. If you are not generally in this category, you may find yourself stuck with large quantities of an item that is no longer trendy, or too many out of season goods.

When should I buy individually priced goods? When your customer base is small, or when you sell upscale women’s clothing. Customers buying women’s clothing locally want something they can’t get in a big department store. They also want something they won’t see on every other woman down the street. If you sell within a local area, your best bet is to offer a wide range of goods in small quantities.

Some things to consider: Buying in bulk can offer you a pricing advantage, but that advantage is gone if the merchandise doesn’t sell. In addition, if there are large quantities of the same item available, you run a much higher risk of competition with other companies selling the same merchandise.

If individual prices are simply too high for you to consider, you should always contact your distributor. Sometimes they can offer you a discount for purchasing small sets, or for buying their entire stock. Generally stores that sell by piece rather than in bulk will be flexible when it comes to clearing out inventory, and they rarely have unmanageable quantities on hand to begin with.

Fashion trends never really die, and this season in particular is bringing us old styles revamped. Mod cuts and styles are huge, but the prints we’re seeing are reminiscent of another age. 70’s paisleys in earthy tones are back as strong as ever. Art Nouveau inspired curls and lines cover fabrics from chiffons to satins.

An unexpected revival comes in the form of Tie Dye. This look hasn’t been around for years, but no one is complaining about the update. The colors have shifted from saturated rainbows, to deep gem tones, making this old look relevant again.

70’s inspired peasant tunic tops are here again, and have been since last fall. This long running trend shows no signs of dying out – likely because of the comfort of the billowy cuts. You don’t need to raid mom’s closet anymore for amazing retro and vintage looks.

Looking for some great summer dress stock, but don’t know all the jargon? Cuts, shapes, and color names can be so confusing. Well, here’s a handy guide to help you make sense of the words designers use to describe their products. Here are a few of the more common terms used when talking about dresses.

A-line Dress – A-line dresses are generally waistless. They start out with a narrow top, and flare out with straight sides to form an ‘A’ shape. A-line skirts follow the same pattern. This cut is great for people who want to hide a little something around the waist.

Bubble hem Dress - The bubble shape is one of the hottest new trends, and shows no signs of going away. The bubble shape features a gathered hem that is fixed to a shorter lining beneath. The effect is a round hemline with no visible edge. This shape is perfect for anyone who wants to hide their thighs without sacrificing their legs.

Crystal Pleat – This is a very fine, permanent pleat in fabric. Generally in sheer fabrics, but with its growing popularity, the style has expanded to include satins and polyesters.

Geometric Print – A geometric print is any print that features either angular, or abstract shapes in its design.

Mod Dress – A mod dress is any dress that is reminiscent of styles worn by the fashion icons of the 60’s. Mod dresses are generally, but not always A-line shapes, and often feature trapeze necks.

Trapeze Neck – This means something in between straps, and a halter neck. The back of the neck is usually high, while the front swings down. It’s a popular shape for people who want to show off their arms and shoulders, because it’s a bit classier than most sleeveless cuts.

Viscose – Viscose is a new fabric made of a form of Rayon. It’s benefits are that is it lightweight, silky, and it breathes much like a cotton weave. Many of our finer Cable and Gauge tops are made of Viscose.

It was a sad weekend for the high fashion world. One of the founding designers of our century passed away at the age of 71 years old. Yves Saint Laurent, who retired from haute couture six years ago, has been plagued by health concerns for the past few years.

Laurent was born in Algeria in 1936, and studied under Christian Dior. He founded his own house of haute couture in the 1960’s. Later, he became synonymous with new trends and high fashion. His market expanded to Japan, and then to South Korea and Taiwan.

As a giant in the world of fashion, he will be sorely missed.

Sometimes, specialization is your key to success, especially in rough times. As promised, we’re here to deliver some helpful business ideas to keep you going in a tougher economic climate, and one of the best methods we’ve found for success is in cornering a niche market for women’s wholesale apparel.
A niche market doesn’t have to be anything exotic. Here are a few tips to help you corner the market in your local neighborhood.

+ Know your demographics  Marketing is a prime way to gather information to help you better serve your customers. By sending out mailers, e-mails, and by using word of mouth, you can not only lure people into your store, but you can find out what they need. Keep track of who visits your site, how old they are, what they buy, etc. You’ll be able to stock what they want more easily that way.

+ Specialize  Are you the only formal wear store in your town? In plus sizes? Do you offer custom tailoring? Or maybe you’re where all the trendy teens like to shop when they’re not up for a long drive to the nearest mega mall. Play up whatever makes your store special. Have a large selection of it. From Red Hat Society to Prom, be the best in your area.

+ Customer Service   This cannot be stressed enough. These days, when a trip to a huge chain is as easy as getting in the car, you have to make your store special not only through great pricing, but through impeccable customer service. Answer questions knowledgably, be extra courteous, and ensure that your staff can do the same when you’re not in. There’s no comparison to great personal service, especially when the alternative is a curt cashier in an enormous chain who doesn’t care about the product or the customer.

+ Unique items   When you buy stock, look for items that simply can’t be found in the larger stores in your area. Items with different cuts, or exciting prints. If your customers know that they will get interesting pieces at your store, they’ll bypass the larger one-style-fits-all chains.

Knits are the new jersey, retro is the new modern, and green is the new black. Trends were redefined at the recent MAGIC Marketplace, Project Global Trade Show, United trade show and Pooltradeshow in Las Vegas and the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo and Agenda trade show in San Diego. Not to be missed, the West Coast trade shows have become centers for emerging style trends. Denim continued to reinvent itself with retro cool and futuristic styling, the ’80s returned with their colorful version of edgy, and eco continued its growth as a category.

The new “must haves” included knits, jackets and dresses. Boho moved forward into Fall with modern 1960s and ’70s inspiration, and a uniform-meets-menswear look emerged. Designers also looked to the stage for inspiration, creating styles with that are rock ‘n’ roll-hip and full of circus whimsy. Here is a look at the key trends for Fall ‘08.

Source: N. Jayne Seward

Inflation, Recession, High Gas prices- This is all we hear! I don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of hearing and reading about this.

All this focus on negativity, breeds more negativity. Look back over the last 30 years and you will see that we are always faced with adversity. Inflation or Recession, Stagflation, or a Stock Market Crash, High Interest Rates or a Natural Disaster that affects the economy – we’ve seen it all, and bounced right back.

The real question we are faced with now, as sellers of women’s apparel, is how we can not only survive, but how we can THRIVE in this economy. It’s far from impossible!

We have to face the fact that in tough times you have no choice but to be TOUGH, and fight harder, and smarter. Let the other guy cry over the Headlines. Let the other guy use the “Economy” as an excuse for failure. A business with a good plan and solid marketing strategy won’t need excuses, because even in the roughest times, a loyal customer base will keep them going.

We can’t do anything about high gas prices or commodity inflation in the short run, but we CAN adapt ourselves to the current economic climate.

In the coming weeks we are going to focus a section of our Wholesale Apparel Blog on Retail Tips, Marketing Ideas, and other tips on How to prosper in this Economy.Let’s make our own News, and Let it be Good News at that! By the way, did you see the previous post about Ann Taylor? The good news is rolling in already!

AnnTaylor Stores Corp.’s first quarter profit will exceed its previous forecast because of stronger results at its Loft apparel chain as well as better expense and inventory control, the company said Monday. The women’s clothing retailer also said it’s decided not to pursue its new concept targeting older women at this time.

AnnTaylor had said last August that it planned to launch this fall a chain that targets what it identified as the “modern boomer” segment, which it said at the time was “significantly underserved.” Read related commentary.
Shares of AnnTaylor Stores shot up 9.8% in late morning trading. They’ve lost more than one fourth of their value in the past year.
First-quarter profit, excluding restructuring costs, is expected to be 45 cents to 47 cents a share, the New York-based company said, outpacing management’s previous projection of as much as 40 cents

Sales in the quarter ended May 3 rose 2% to about $592 million.

AnnTaylor will release final first-quarter results on May 22.

Management also said it’s dropping the idea behind its new concept in light of significant changes in the retail landscape and consumer environment in the past year. Women’s clothing retailers that target so-called baby boomers such as Chico’s FAS Inc. and Talbots InC. have struggled amid lack of fashions and consumer worries about the economy, analysts said.

While dropping the new concept, AnnTaylor said it’s still moving aggressively forward with the launch of Loft Outlet this summer.

Retailers such as rival Talbots are expanding into the outlet segment, which has becoming another source of profit for designer labels such as Coach Inc. While first-quarter comparable-store sales at the Ann Taylor chain dropped 12%, they rose 0.7% at Loft, which stocks on average a more casual assortment and lower-priced merchandise than its sister chain. The company also has lowered inventory per-square foot by about 15% at the end of the quarter, helping to bolster profit.

Even though the company’s confident in its business strategy, AnnTaylor, a 929-store chain, said it’s sticking with its previous per-share profit forecast of $1.80 to $1.90, excluding restructuring costs, for the year.

Source Google.com by Andria Cheng