NPD: MEN'S BACK ON TRACK IN '04; APPAREL RESUMES GROWTH IN 2004, AND TAILORED CLOTHING LEADS MEN'S WEAR TO PACESETTING INCREASE.(Brief Article)

Daily News Record, February, 2005 by Pallay, Jessica

Byline: Jessica Pallay

NEW YORK -- Men's apparel sales were up more than 5 percent in 2004, according to a recently released report from the Port Washington, N.Y.-based market research firm NPD Group.

Fueled by tailored clothing, which showed a 24 percent increase from the prior year, men's apparel sales in 2004 totaled $49.4 billion. Other men's apparel categories that saw significant increases from 2003 were fleecewear, growing by 12 percent; sleepwear, up 11 percent; and swimwear and underwear, both of which rose 7 percent.

Men's apparel sales for 2004 accounted for ...