Latest fashion options ‘suit’ multiple needs
When it comes to men’s wear, opposites attract. The style for men this season and beyond continues to be pairing elements of casual and dressy attire, such as a pair of jeans with a button-down work shirt and a nice blazer.
“I continue to see men wearing ratty, worn-out jeans with a nice polo shirt or even a blazer that costs a few hundred dollars that they might wear to work,” said Matt Vander Wyden, president and ceo of Vista Global Brands, which makes Born men’s wear, at the most recent MAGIC show. “On the flip side, I also see men wearing $250 jeans with a pair of Chuck Taylors.”
The trend for men ‘dressing up’ a little began in earnest in 2005, when men’s tailored clothing (suits, suit separates and sport coats) grew 7%, totaling over $5 billion in sales, according to The NPD Group. Young men took the tailored clothing industry by storm; combined sales of suits, suit separates and sport coats and jackets grew 53% among men ages 18 to 24.
In 2006, the trend continued. The pants/slacks category (a dressier option) posted 7.2% growth, while jeans posted a steady 5.4% growth. In the suit category, unit volume sales were up 6.2%, NPD reported.
“Dress for success has become ‘dress to impress,’ ” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for NPD. “And the unit volume trend has a lot to do with price point. When you have mass merchant retailers offering suits for $84, all of a sudden it becomes much easier and much more accessible to those men who have limited dollars to purchase a suit.”
Retailers are responding to men’s needs to dress up and dress down, offering items to suit both needs. Target’s men’s wear category on its Web site is divided into two categories, one for work and the other for play. The work category features suiting separates ranging in price from $24.99 for suit pants to a grey blazer for about $100, while the casual category is anchored with staples like polos, denim and khaki pants. Price points for casual duds start at around $12 for a T-shirt to $34.99 for “premium” twill jeans.
Best sellers at Kohl’s also span the spectrum of apparel appropriate for the casual and corporate occasions. These items include a basic T-shirt from Urban Pipeline for $12, as well as a solid satin tie from Arrow for $25.
JCPenney’s Concepts by Claiborne brand addresses the need for combining dressy and casual clothing. The brand includes “business casual” apparel such as twill blazers, for $120, as well as dressier fare, like wrinkle-free dress shirts for $48. The line also features windowpane polo shirts, for $36, as well as crewneck ribbed T-shirts for $22.