Fashion, Apparel, Trends & Tips

We have some great news for all readers and buyers.

Full Inventory Count on all Clothing:

We just completed a full physical inventory count on our entire warehouse. All inventory is 100% accurate… This will allow us to serve you better in providing all goods to you.
Click here to go shopping

New Promotions:

• Get $100 dollars off when you place an order for $625 or more. Use Coupon Code: 100JULY
• Get Free Shipping when you place an order for $299 or more: Use Coupon Code: FREESHIPJULY
  Click here to see all of our promotions

MADE in the USA - New Plus Size Blouses 1X, 2X and 3X:

All new blouses now in stock. All of these new blouses are made in the USA. Blouses come in 1X, 2X and 3x. Click here to view all new clothing.

You already know the value of your customers or members, but how are you communicating with them?

Email marketing is one of the most effective and affordable ways for a small business or organization to reach their customers and members. Here are some tips to help you market efficiently with Email Marketing:

1. Use your company or brand name in the “from” line, which tells recipients who sent the email.
2. Write a brief (six words or less is ideal) subject line that accurately represents the message’s major content. Longer subject lines are OK, just make sure each word is critical and the most important are in the first 50 characters – those that follow will get cut off in many email clients. Include the email’s title, if it has one (such as a newsletter title). If you can’t, then include your company, division or brand name in the “from” line. List it first here.
3. Keep HTML-format messages as simple as possible. The more gizmos you pack into an HTML message — superfluous images, graphics, sound or video — the more likely something won’t work on your recipients’ computers. Store rich-media content on the Web; limit image size and use colors that reflect your logo.
4. In HTML messages, use alt tags and support text around images so that readers whose email clients block images by default will still get the gist of your message. Many email clients will also block alt tags, so good use of text is key.
5. If you offer a text version (read why here), make sure the content includes links to all of your core functions and tasks. Don’t force readers to click to the Web version of your newsletter to receive its benefits or manage their subscriptions.
6. Load up on relevant links. If your goal is to funnel readers to your Web site, give them many access points, such as two or three order buttons sprinkled around a promo message instead of just one, or links to related information on your site. You’ve probably got a wealth of info at your site; make it easy for your readers to find it.
7. Lose the generic action button. Instead of “click here,” use descriptive terms such as “Order now!” or “subscribe me!” or “Get white paper here.” Be explicit about the actions you want users to take.
8. Test each email message before you send it, in different browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, etc.), email clients (Outlook, Lotus Notes, Gmail, Yahoo!) and platforms (Macintosh and PC). Click each link; watch out for oddities and inconsistencies in the way images load (or don’t load) and in text fonts and widths.
9. Adhere to your users’ preferences for frequency, format and content. If you keep sending promo offers to people who signed up just for the newsletter, you’ll lose them.
10. However, you can promote your other publications in your messages, as long as those promos don’t get in the way of the main content. For example, add a brief product offer at the end or side of a newsletter or announcement message, or list headlines from relevant news stories in a promotional-offer message. This way, you can promote other products and services without committing readers to extra emails.

    Source: email labs

As people become more anxious over the political and economic mood in the US right now, marketing is more important than ever. Reports show that despite worries, customers are STILL spending money in retail stores. In fact, this month, there has been the largest increase in retail sales since November of 2007.

People are being more picky these days, though, and it’s no wonder. When things are tight, they still want the best items, but they may be less willing to spend indiscriminately. So how can you, as a retailer of womens clothing, capture their attention and customer loyalty?

We’ve discussed how a web presence, and strong customer service can help you, but what about marketing? Are you calling your best customers to tell them when you have a sale or promotion going on? It’s a good idea to keep in close contact with the people who keep your store going. Do you have a strong brand identity, so that word of mouth will effectively spread the popularity of your store? Do you have print ads that will easily win out over the old newspaper ads, and inserts mass produced by big department stores?

It’s important to keep in touch. Make a list of ten or twenty excellent customers, and call them personally when you have a sale or promotion. They’ll feel special and included, and there’s a good chance they’ll buy.

Make a strong name for yourself. Prominently display the name of your shop or boutique on the storefront. Make a name and stick to it. Follow up with a business card or flyer, and slip it into every bag you send out of the store.

Most importantly, pay attention to print marketing! Newspapers constantly run ads that people looking for a deal might find, and the bigger stores always fill the morning mail with small pamphlets advertising sales and new products. How can you compete with this? It’s simple, actually.These ads and brochures are not targeting anyone in particular, but you can. Take down the addresses of customers when they have time to give them, and then send out your own beautiful postcard. Or better yet, let us do it all for you, and save your time for more important things in your store!

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

The good stuff just keeps rolling in! We recently got these amazing new plus size tops from Jason Maxwell. In addition to that, the most awesome promotion we’ve ever had has been extended another two days! From now until Friday, you can save $200 off an order of $499 or more! Just check the best wholesale clothing website for more details on this amazing deal.

We just keep getting more and more great things! This week, we were delighted to see these sequined jackets by Sandy Starkman. These are practically a whole outfit all on their own! Many shoppers will be out looking for Mothers Day gifts, and we think these might be just the ticket for getting Mom a fabulous present this year.

We really have a rainbow of colors this season, and these colorful knit jackets are no exception. Great for early spring, or even fall, these jackets are sure to please anyone who likes to add a bit of flair to their usual look. These jackets are full of intricate details, like beading, ribbon, and extravagant knitwork.