Punky or peasant, skirts hike up sales - Women's - latest merchandising trends at women's clothing retailers

DSN Retailing Today, May 20, 2002

A hop, skip and jump ago--the spring 2002 buying season, to be exact--women's apparel retailers budgeted major outlays for skirts; items such as minis, maxis with long slits and a variety of fashion-forward denim models have been key.

Each of these styles seems ready to translate well for fall, and to make spring 2003 a season to win with fashion power.

VARIETY, VARIETY, VARIETY

Don't look to skirts for a one-style-fits-all market.

"Skirts in any length are doing great," says Ilyse Cohen, vice president of ladies apparel for Burlington Coat Factory. "We do see some strong selling of the short-short skirts," she adds. The 300-store off-price chain also reports compelling activity in the relatively modest knee-length bias-cut models.

"The best length for us is short, but not ultra-short," observes Cindy Levitt, vice president and general merchandise manager for Hot Topic.

While Hot Topic's juniors customers may be going fairly short, not all retailers have that kind of clientele in the store.

"Long skirts and below-the-knee" will dominate in the first quarter of 2003, says Sandy Sansavera, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of soft lines for Ames Department Stores. He projects above-the-knee lengths to rule in the second quarter.

Vendors, too, are chiming in for variety. "Pick a length--any length! Anything goes, even uneven lengths: long back, short front!" asserts J0 Ann Jacobsen, designing partner at Mudd Jeans. She elaborates, "For the denim market, I'm concentrating on mini- or knee-length, unless we're talking about flounced skirts. In that case, I say ankle-length will be best."

A hot brand at JCPenney and a swath of specialty chains, Mudd has found that denim skirts are ballooning in importance since an early push two years ago. "Gadzooks was one of the first who took us up on it, in spring 2000," she says, referring to the 425-store juniors trend shop.

With targeted retail price points in the $30 to $40 range, and produced with somewhat less labor and material costs than jeans, skirts are indeed a bright spot for margin relief.

Denim is now appearing in many incarnations, few if any of them basic. At Ames, for instance, the emphasis will be on stretch denims and twill. "Traditional challis prints will continue at a price," remarks Sansavera, "and linen/cottons will also be important."

At Kmart, a focus on denim is likely to fit into Kathy Ireland's plans. She waxes enthusiastic: "Any fabric that will give you comfort and style, with ease of care," she says, "is ideal for my customer: the busy mom." This also holds true for softer fabrications "that move with you."

In addition to denim this fall at Kmart, that will mean corduroy, twill and stretch synthetics, as well as a dressy side with tweeds and suedes. Ireland also is making an equestrian statement, riding through the seasons with suede patches and related details.

At mall-based chain Hot Topic, where street-concert-punk styles dominate, the tale is a bit different. Skirts are a year-in, year-out slice of the business, driven by items, notes Levitt, who expects no spike for spring. She also has a divergent take on the fabric of choice: "It's mainly wovens for us now, not denim, not leather."

Printed rayons and rayon crepes will offer additional good vibrations in skirts, notes Cohen, who says the Burlington Coat Factory shopper is high on rayons in brights, animal patterns and "anything with a little beading."

COLOR, TRIMS, TIERS ADD LIFE

Amidst the current, vibrant fashion cycle, skirts in numerous fabrics and cuts are being positioned for "item" status by a mix of romantic and glitter details. For example, Cohen points to "fray, fringe, studding and rhinestones" as factors in the success of the denim assortment at Burlington Coat Factory. Lace trims and "lacy prints" are accents that she expects will continue to provide traction for sales next spring. Sansavera likes lace-ups and belts as variations.

Soft, romantic looks, as well as brighter colors, are being prepped for spring skirts in the Kathy Ireland line. Feminine accents will include lace and, specifically for the younger customers and tweens, Ireland sees "embellishments like glitter, grommets and bum-out velvets."

The Hot Topic shopper favors such embellishments as safety pins or straps, usually aligns with "punk solids" (black, white, red and pink) and maintains a steady demand for plaids and kilt looks. In some respects, the broader market for spring 2003 is picking up on style elements that are perpetually in vogue at this chain, though with more of a peasant twist.

One romantic look in particular, the tiered skirt, has caught the imagination of upstairs shoppers arid seems poised to sweep into the other channels.

A confident Sansavera asserts, "This will hit the mass market by spring 2003. We currently have a test on order."

Cohen is a bit more cautious. While she believes tiered looks could be a factor in spring 2003 for the off-price segment, she says it is still too early for Burlington Coat Factory to commit open-to-buy for that particular mode. Leather and suede also are a bit out of synch for this consumer.