Plaids crash solids market. (plaid sports coats are popular items among men's clothing stores) - Daily News Record

NEW YORK -- Plaids are the pick of the patterns for clothing retailers who want them soft and subdued for fall.

In fact, classic Prince of Wales glens and windowpanes are about the only punch for next season, which is marked by solid gabardines, high-twist plain weaves, subtle crepes and now, micro patterns.

More of the same is in the offing for spring, too. The main change will be in the brighter decoration colors in plaid suitings and the addition of pastels and brights for sport coats.

This fact comes through in conversations with clothing executives at all levels of the business: Plaids are not a passing fancy. In fact, they're the most durable fancy the market depends on, even with the onslaught of gabs, crepes and other weaves.

According to Al Israel, president, GFTA Apparel Corp., 'Plaids have been most important in our Valentino line. They represent over 50 percen of our fall sport coat sales. And in suits, we're looking at 20 percent. We're treating plaids as a signature statement.

'In suits, we have a strong black-and-white statement in glens, houndstooths and windowpanes. We also have a lot of cream-and-black and blue plaids with a lot of deco accents. Most are on flat goods, but there seems to a trend to cover fabrics, like flannel.'

Israel adds that in sport coats, plaids are the antithesis of soft and subtle suitings. 'They're very aggressive and the colors have a lot of attitude. For example, ecological greens are important, along with red and cinnamon accents to offset black and white.

'For spring, we project plaid suitings will increase to 25 percent.'

Jim Stankovic, president and chief executive officer, J. Schoeneman, reports, 'The plaid suits we're selling are traditional and not very bold in plain-weave worsteds and four-harness worsteds. And the more subdued classic plaids are selling in microfiber blends.

'Plaids are certainly a major factor in fall sport coats, but they can't be bold, either. Sales in this classification are split between flat worsteds and wool/silk with texture.'

For spring the executive claims the company is going to show lightweight worsted sport coats with a flat surface. 'But we're not expecting them to be a huge part of our business. Fancy plains and corded types and weave interest in solids are going to be the keys.'

At Cantoni, Enzo Licata, managing director, agrees with the solid syndrome and asserts, 'We're in a solids market, and for the most part retailers are looking for special weaves like crepes and high twists. Aside from stripes, patterns aren't an easy sell. But the new micro checks did very well and this will be the direction for spring, along with stripes and solids with texture.

'Judging by the retail reaction for fall, only certain kinds of plaids can sell. They have to be subtle and on the small side in suitings. And the same rule follows in sport coats. The difference is that retailers look for color and the new blues and teals sold well. We did, however, sell bold checks in black-and-white.'

Licata reports crepe grounds did well in sport coats, 'but for suits there's a return to flat worsteds.'

David Neimer, vice-president of merchandising, Palm Beach, is bullish on plaids and comments, 'Classic glens with simple decorations were important for fall in suit. What happened is where we were selling a lot of windowpanes, the action has moved back to more traditional plaids.

'These are still on clear-finish worsteds in wool and polyester/wool and we see a strong resurgence of classic black-and-white.'

Plaids were also important in sport coats, continues Neimer. 'Also classic and not as complicated. We did especially well with compound browns, plus, of course, black-and-white.'

For spring, he adds Palm Beach bought plaids in all ranges. 'Upfront, this amounts to 20 percent of our total buy and includes worsteds and microfiber blends. Plaids will continue in a classic vein and not ovely decorated.

'When we couple plaids and windowpanes together, we're talking 45 percent of our spring suitings. And both will be 60 percent of our sport coats. In this category, we did plaids in all-silk, a new crepe poly/worsted and also in viscose/linen.'

As for plaid colors, he notes a trend to gray-and-taupe and gray-and-green and 'lots of blues. In sport coats, we're introducing new brights, mostly as solids and as accent for plaids and windowpanes. They're bright because the colors are more saturated.'

Jules Hertling, president, chief executive officer, Hertling Industries, attributes the current classic plaid kick as a reflection of the tough retail market with merchants wanting 'safe patterns, like conservative Prince of Wales plaids in grays and blues.

'But plaids in County Suit looks are back. They're in cheviots and tweeds looks in bold 2-to 2 1/2-inch sizes and with much more color.

'They look like the Country Suits we used to sell. I think their revival is part of a cycle. In these tough times, we're all trying new ideas to stimulate business.

'Next spring, plaids will be even stronger and I feel retailers will want bolder versions of plaids in textured rather than flat goods in clothing. And that's new for traditional clothing.'