PULSE SHOW STAYS IN RHYTHM; MODIFIED URBAN-PREPPIE LOOK DRAWS TRAFFIC, ORDERS AT CHICAGO'S TREND-ORIENTED MARKET.

Daily News Record, January, 2005

Byline: Deb Pahl

CHICAGO -- Maybe it was the unexpectedly balmy 60 temperatures that put everyone in a buying mood at January's Pulse show, but booths were indeed packed with stores seeking to fill their stores with the latest in denim and streetwear. Retailers and manufacturers alike at this urban apparel market were optimistic about 2005.

Buyers from across the Midwest -- Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan -- were on hand to shop for spring and summer 2005.

Many of them were coming off a solid holiday season, and were aggressively placing orders at the show, which ran Jan. 11 to 13 at The Merchandise Mart here.

Many buyers said they were seeing a switch to a more lifestyle philosophy at the consumer level, which...