From Tropic Zone to Retro Preppy — Fashion on the Internet Brightens Up! New Looks and New Fashion Boutiques Available at BizRate.com, the Web's Leading Comparison Shopping Site

Business Wire, March 12, 2001

Business Editors & Apparel/Internet Writers

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2001

With more than 73% of online shoppers buying clothes on the Web(a), spring 2001 is likely to be bright -- in terms of both fashion colors and consumer demand, say BizRate.com's merchandising experts who forecast eight spring fashion trends this season.

Eye-catching colors abound this year, from the 1980s-inspired "Disco Glam" look to camouflaged-inspired "Military Zone" casuals with a twist (clothing trend visuals available upon request).

BizRate.com's Eight Forecasted Spring 2001 Fashion Looks

--  The Tropic Zone
    Vibrant, fun colors like orange, pink and lime green in jungle
    prints and floral patterns. Retro Hawaiian prints in Capri's,
    cropped pants.

--  Retro Preppy
    The preppy trend of the '80s is back with it's classic Khaki's,
    pastels and polo shirts -- but the look has been updated for the
    new millennium with fresh styles and colors.

--  Bathing Beauties
    "Barely there" swimwear is in this season, ranging from
    string-bikinis to maillots with plunging necklines. Whatever
    the style, the colors will be bright and shimmery, with Hawaiian,
    jungle, fruit and leopard prints.

--  The Short Of It
    Short-shorts and mini skirts in denim or stretch cotton are the
    hot trend this spring with a range in color seen from bright to
    neutral and even military.

--  Rocker Chic
    Big hair is back? Well not quite, but keeping in line with the
    '80s trend, we will once again be seeing hip-hugging jeans,
    stiletto's, vintage concert t-shirts and lightening bolt jewelry
    this year.

--  Prom 2001
    The big ball skirts of 2000 have given way to a sleeker
    crossed-back long gown and two-piece dresses. Although black is
    always a hit, this year color is here to stay with an assortment
    of pastels, brights and metallics.

--  The Military Zone
    Military is definitely back as seen in this season's fashion,
    across the board, in pants, hot screen t-shirts and even
    accessories. Traditional military colors can be found mixed in
    with pastels and blues.

--  Disco Glam
    The return of brands like Sergio Valente and Vanderbilt mark the
    return of disco-inspired fashions including one-shouldered
    blouses, stretch denim with studs and embroidered pockets.

"Consumers are having fun with online apparel shopping as it continues to be one of the top-performing e-commerce categories, producing nearly $2 billion in sales for last year alone," said Eva Boker, vice president of merchandising, BizRate.com. "As the snow and rain disappear across many parts of the U.S., and the weather heats up, I expect to see consumers clicking their way to explore the latest new spring fashion looks."

Fashion doesn't have to be costly. Savvy consumers can comparison shop at BizRate.com's new spring fashion boutiques, comparing prices as well as quality. And every day at BizRate there are a range of special offers within the apparel category.

About BizRate.com

Founded in 1996 and based in Los Angeles, BizRate.com (www.bizrate.com) is the leading comparison shopping site on the Web. Connecting millions of buyers to thousands of sellers in a single, organized location, the site provides the best efficiencies for both buyers and sellers.

In BizRate.com's marketplace, shoppers have access to a powerful product search engine, standardized check-out, exclusive deals, "hot" product listings and gift guides to empower consumers to "shop smartly" across 20 popular store categories and more than 1,500 merchants.

Through BizRate.com's unbiased consumer rating system, compiled exclusively from point-of-sale and fulfillment surveys of participating merchants, shoppers can compare merchants across 10 service dimensions. BizRate.com ratings appear on Consumer Reports Online and in Consumer Reports magazine.

Note to Editors: BizRate.com experts are available to add commentary to your articles. To schedule an interview with a BizRate.com merchandising expert, please contact: Leslie Barry, 310/305-3506, ext. 186, lbarry@bizrate.com or Helen Malani, 310/305-3506, ext. 120, hmalani@bizrate.com.

(a) Based on a BizRate.com survey of more than 12,000 online buyers conducted from 2/21/01 through 2/22/01.