Blurring the Lines

Tunic lengths, burn-out prints and sheer fabrics — all popular at the juniors level — hit the bullseye in women's wear for 2008.
May 1, 2008

This 100% cotton military green hoodie was manufactured by Royal Apparel and embellished by Summit Apparel.

By Susie McManus

Blurring the lines is a popular concept in women's wear. For females, casual wear is becoming more appropriate as corporate wear. Athletic tops and bottoms are everyday outfits, suitable for shopping, grabbing coffee with friends and — of course — going to the gym. And the latest shrinking divide is between women's wear and juniors styling.

It's not that women over age 25 want to jump into midriff-cut tops, but they do want to avoid the boxy, unflattering fits of days past, explains Jeff Fenech, president of the wholesale blanks division for J. America, Webberville, Mich. This latest trend is caused by the modern woman's emerging desire for juniors-inspired clothing that's styled appropriately for her.

"I don't think the 20- to 40-year-old demographic we're catering to is looking for the tight fits [of juniors]," Fenech says. Today's woman admires the edgy, hyper-trendy looks of juniors fashion, but she prefers toned-down, sized-for-her versions. Fenech adds that J. America's future line Vanity, which is just for women and is scheduled to debut this fall, appeals to their desire for juniors styling in women's sizes.

It's a trend that makes sense for women. Think of the average 15-year-old girl's outfit. More than likely it involves low-rise jeans, a sheer shirt layered on top of a longer, not-so-sheer, but lightweight shirt and a zip-up hoodie over the top. Not only is this style comfortable, but it's also flattering.

"Women really like lightweight, well-draped styles," says Brinden Asher, marketing director for Bella, Alo and Canvas, Los Angeles. "Lighter fabrics lend themselves to women's shapes." In addition, the low-rise pant phenomenon is not limited to the teenage market, but is raging among more mature females too. "Low-rise bottoms are more flattering on women, especially when paired with longer-length tops," Asher adds. "[This combination] really emphasizes the hourglass figure."

Though women are seeking more fashionable tweaks in wholesale blanks, they still have different expectations from the juniors market. "Women's quality expectations are different than juniors," explains Andrea Engel, vice president of merchandising for Broder Bros. Co., Trevose, Pa. "They demand higher quality and better wash-and-wear performance."

ALL TRENDS CONSIDERED
The retail apparel market strongly affects wholesale brands across the board, but its influence is perhaps most noticeable in women's wear. As trends pop up at popular chain stores such as Old Navy, The Gap or Ann Taylor, smart wholesale suppliers take note and add similar styles to their selections. "Driving the [latest in wholesale women's wear] seems to be a combination of several things, [including] trends that are popular at the retail level, a growing global importance on environmental responsibility, and the demand for products that are as flexible and hard-working as the modern woman," says Margaret Crow, marketing director for S&S Activewear, Bolingbrook, Ill.

Royal Apparel, New York City, has in-house representatives who often travel overseas to see what new styles are developing, says Morey Mayeri, president. "You have to be cutting edge, but at the same time [be conscious of styling] because we do make basics and want [our clothing] to fit everyone," he explains.

For American Apparel, Los Angeles, mirroring the latest trends is easy since the apparel supplier dabbles in both the retail and wholesale markets. "Most of our [wholesale] development occurs when we see exclusive styles in our retail stores that are popular," says Mark Smalley, marketing product manager. "[If they] can be easily decorated, we have the unique position of bringing those styles over to our wholesale matrix."

Here are the top retail-inspired trends that wholesale suppliers are pulling into their women's collections:

Longer Lengths. Elongated tops are hot in retail and wholesale, and Bella/Alo's Asher thinks this styling is here to stay. "Longer-length tops are great for layering options," she explains. "[Layering] adds texture and updated styling to any piece a woman is wearing." Asher adds that because the leggings trend has stuck and is not just a juniors look, women are more interested in dresses, tunics and elongated tops to layer on top of leggings.

Burned Out. Burn-out prints, which lend themselves to the layering trend, are a current hit with both juniors and women, according to Mayeri. "Burnout is a chemical process used on garments made of cotton/polyester blends," he says. "The chemical essentially 'eats' the cotton, leaving a web-like pattern through the shirt to give it the popular distressed or vintage look. It is done all over shirts to create a worn look, or done via the screen printing process so that just a portion of the shirt features the effect." Many apparel suppliers, including Royal Apparel, Boxercraft and American Apparel, are debuting burnout styles and adding new colors to this category as the trend grows.

Light as a Feather. Sheer, lightweight fabrics, which again are popular for layering, are everywhere, says Broder Bros. Co.'s Engel. "Women are looking for lighter fabrics," she explains. "The lighter a fabric is, the better it drapes and [the] more comfortable it is. Nothing feels worse to a woman if what she's wearing isn't comfortable or doesn't fit her well."

Eco Minded. As consumers worldwide evaluate their carbon footprints, many look for ways to reduce the negative impact they have on the Earth. "Certainly the demand for eco-friendly styles is going to continue to grow," says Matt Waterman, senior marketing manager, Hanesbrands Inc. And with eco-minded styles, quality is not on the back burner. "Outer Banks has an eco-fiber polo that is made of a blend of cotton and bamboo, which are both renewable resources," he explains. "The bamboo has properties that are similar to synthetics that help wick away moisture, feature a super-soft hand and naturally inhibit the growth of odor-causing bacteria." Alo is another vendor that's bringing bamboo into the wholesale women's wear sector. In addition to its moisture-wicking and anti-bacterial capabilities, Asher adds that bamboo fabric is inherently hypoallergenic. "There [are] no chemicals added [to bamboo], so people can feel great wearing it," she says. Royal Apparel's Mayeri adds that, due to the growing popularity of organic and eco-friendly apparel, end-users are seeing a jump in the number of colors these styles come in. "We're up to 13 colors in our organics," he notes.

Delicate Details. For women, it's all about the feminine frames and accents that pique their interests. V-neck tops continue to attract women due to the feminine framing they provide. "We're seeing more of a demand for V-necks because they elongate the neck, which is flattering for women," Engel says. Other non-classic crewneck styles seem to impress adult end users too. Smalley notes that the scoop neck is popular and that the one-shoulder style is coming back. "Women don't like clothing that is tight around the neck," he explains. American Apparel's deep V-necks are among the manufacturer's best-selling necklines, in addition to the aforementioned regular V-neck and scoop neck. Another trend that has stuck in women's wear is the 3/4-length sleeve, agree S&S Activewear's Crow and Broder Bros. Co.'s Engel. "If a shirt doesn't have 3/4-length sleeves, women will roll them up anyway," Engel says. "Women are wearing watches and jewelry and don't want their shirts to cover [their accessories]."

Color Cravings. As for color, black forever reigns with women. "It's always been a staple," says J. America's Fenech. "But we are seeing brown becoming a new neutral." Mayeri agrees, adding that brown, along with other earth tones, are gaining ground in the women's market. "Platinum and asphalt grays seem to be doing really well, in addition to basics such as red, navy, white and olive." Bella/Alo's Asher notes that jewel tones, such as true royal, are hot hues to look for now and in the future. "We're going to start seeing some richer, strong colors and not so many brights," she says. Engel agrees, saying the jewel tones of emerald and fuschia are strong. "Colors aren't so citrusy bright as they were a year or two ago," she says. "They're really rich and organic-inspired."

For more information or to comment on this article, please email Susie at smcmanus@impressionsmag.com.

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