For at-once, fall deliveries
NEW YORK--Gabardine suits, the enduring all-season breadwinner, did it again at this week's NAMSB Show.
Retailers gave top priority to solid-color gabs and other weaves--and bright color sport coats, reportedly splitting their business between at-once and advance fall deliveries.
Even with the smaller number of tailored clothing companies exhibiting at the Javits Center and the sometimes iffy showing of major stores, conversations at the show brought several industry issues and problems into sharp focus.
* The gap continues to deepen between serious business suits and snappy sport coats and the different buying patterns for each. The basic core business suit has become a quick-replenishment, in-stock item, while sport coats are now selling on the basis of novelty and availability.
* The threat of higher prices for both 100 percent silk and cashmere sport coats surfaced. The immediate problem is the silk sport coat. Some exhibitors are already talking about a 10 to 15 percent hike in fabrics next fall when they return to the mills for spring reorders. The feeling is some of the increases will have to be passed along.
* The shift in model interest in stores, notably to three-button single-breasteds in sport coats and suits, is also being felt. But even with this trend, double-breasteds register strongly in reorder gabardine suit business.
Generally speaking, young men's, leathers and outerwear, received the major attention at the NAMSB Show, which closed Wednesday, but a number of retailers were on hand for clothing, and then some.
Typical was Paul Ginsburg, president, Moe Ginsburg, the pioneer New York off-price retailer, who reports, 'I use these shows to check ourselves and to correct and adjust our inventories of suits and sport coats. We see some interesting sport coats here.'
And commenting on the growth of unconstructed sport coats, another NAMSB regular, Norman Lanson, CEO, Baron's, Miami, Fla., feels that this merchandise 'belongs' in a young men's rather than a regular men's specialty store. 'We're not into FridayWear because we cater to a more mature man and don't want to compete with the Merry-Go-Rounds and Zeidler & Zeidlers of the world.
'The problem for us is that our customers, from about 45-years-old and up, want us to tailor these jackets. We can't at those prices. The idea of an unconstructed coat is great for young stores, but not for our typical customer who wants a regular constructed sport coat.'
Discussing the major importance of solid-color suits, which was felt at the show, Ron Wurtzburger, president, Peerless International, comments, 'Olives and taupes are still the best-performing colors at retail. And these are the in-stock goods the stores are looking for in gabardine and high twist worsteds.'
'One change that is beginning to happen in store is the move to three-button suits. There seems to be a strong indication that the three-button model has really trickled down and become a factor in the market.'
Wurtzburger feels that this model will cut into two-button suits and adds, 'For fall, three-buttons will represent about 12 precent. And for spring '95, the figure will go as high as 20 percent.'
Bob Bennett, president/CEO, Raffinati, also claims that solid-color suits were the hit of the show, 'Not only gabardines, but plain weaves and bengalines. The best colors continue to be olive tones. 'We're also doing well with rust as well as black and navy.
'We cater to the 7-inch drop customer and stores selling this clothing are buying the six-button, one-to-button double-breasted. It's outselling the single-breasted. But singles are getting stronger in solid-color suits and we're showing both two-and three-buttons.
'I know three-buttons are new, but I still have a lot of faith in two-buttons because hte average guy looks better in a jacket with a lower button-stance.'
At Sandy Bay, Herb Sendik, executive vice-president, reports, 'About 70 percent of the business is still in doubles, and this is mostly in blazers. The suits are mostly single-breasteds.'
He agrees with the run on solid-color gabardine suits and adds, 'Stores are buying for immediate as well as fall. The bookings for models are going two ways--both single-and double-breasteds are selling.
Meanwhile, Paul Wattenberg, president/CEO, Leon of Paris, asserts that a variety of models are selling at the same time. 'We're getting action on a higher-button, three-button model for both immediate and fall both in suits and sport coats.
'But in gabardine suits, the in-stock bookings are for double-breasted in black, navy, taupe and teal.'
Turning to the increasing prices for silk, Wattenberg reports that fabrics are going up about 5 to 10 percent. 'We're going to try to hold prices as best we can, and I suppose sport coats will have to go up a trifle. But we'll make it up in modeling and give the stores more value for the dollar.'
More on the silk situation from Ben Lipson, president, Linea Classica, who takes issue with the reports of increases. 'From what I see, there's still enough silk around from competitive mills to hold fabric prices. If these prices went up, we'd make it up by doing something extra in the modeling and color selection to justify an increase.
'We run a flat weave silk from Italy and, at this point, these fabrics fit into our price structure. We've hearing about super 100s prices going up at the Biella mills, but frankly, this doesn't affect us.'
Also discussing the silk situation, Ed Kass, sales mangager, Sunoo & Co., reports, 'We do a big job in Matka silk sport coats and, based on the job we did a year ago, we tripled our spring '95 projection and our piece goods needs are covered. From what we can learn, Japanese silk prices are up about 10 percent because of the exchange rate.
'We also buy silk from India and they could be affected because these mills buy their raw material from China where prices are rising. Combined, the price of volume Matka silk sport coats will have to watched.'
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