Fashion Perplexes, Seduces and Rings Up Sales
Fashion is such an intangible for those of us who do not understand how outrageous runway frocks translate into what we'll wear to work today. But they do translate. Trust me on that.
That is why major retailers hire fashion divas who travel to the big international shows, sort through the drama on the runway and make sense of it for the rest of us when they buy a season's new line and put it in their stores.
Even though I understand it (in a big-picture kind of way), I don't get how all the retailers know to advertise, for example, trapeze jackets this fall. And, believe me, many retailers are showing them. Ditto for print dresses.
Never mind how they know, the point is that fashions change with the years and the seasons, and retailers who keep up with the fact that, say, quarter-zip sweaters are going to be big this fall will reap the benefits of paying attention to fashion.
Belk's fashion smarty Arlene Goldstein tipped me off about trapeze jackets, print dresses and quarter-zip sweaters. Otherwise, I wouldn't necessarily have noticed, but something about the design might have crept into my unconsciousness. That's how it works.
You never know what will drive a customer into your store or what will cause that customer to spend money, but one thing's for sure -- whether shoppers know it or not, they are influenced by fashion. It turns the heads and opens the wallets of those who know what they are doing and those of us who really don't.
And so, listen to Goldstein when she says that leggings are back (Can you believe it?), as are baby doll dresses (I had a fave one back in the sixties.) and vests for men (Wear them for dress up or to dress up a pair of jeans.).
What's in your store window?
