HIP activewear gets play at mass - Children - play clothes in form of activewear

DSN Retailing Today, April 8, 2002

"The active look is hot, but connecting it with real sports gives it validity, and the 'cool factor' that's become essential in boys," says Eli Harari, president and ceo of Americo. Americo has licensed Lollytogs to do a boys version of its Mountain Dew brand, MD Stitches, for fall to hit this trend.

Even in established brands like NFL, active looks are rolling out with skate-influenced designs, such as open-bottom sweatshirts. "It's key to provide updated looks in sports licenses," says Sam Haddad, president of Haddad Apparel, adding "brands are definitely more important for 2002; we're manufacturing Buffalo jeans and Lucky brand for fall, and signed for P.L.U.G.G."

Lollytogs' Cotler brand, Wal-Mart's No Boundaries label and Target's Ecko line also follow the skate influence, with graphic hooded sweatshirts and tech pants.

At Velvet Pixies, "brands are 100 percent of our assortment, and Paris Blues graffiti-accented jeans and M.u.d.d. have been blowing out," adds Blankman. She sees corduroy as the next denim, with sandblast, fraying, patchwork and whiskering treatments driving the jeans business.

Kmart is married to its brands, banking on the Disney program and Joe Boxer to get things on track. Target is a smorgasbord of edgy names, such as Stephen Sprouse for its Americaland line. Expect the Americana look to still be a trend industrywide.

The final call is that active, trend-right looks will score this fall.