Chapter Four

1
Chapter Four

• Ready-to-Wear
• Company Structure

2
Definition

• Clothing that is completely made and ready to be
  worn
• Large quantities
• Mass manufacturing
• Little or no hand sewing

3
Sizing

• Standardized body dimensions
• Company sizes
• Wearing and design ease
• Standardized sizes necessary
• Know what size to buy
• Not always followed
• Company size developed for target customer

4
Lines and Collections

• RTW industry produces seasonal lines and
  collections
• Collection Groups of merchandise that is more
  expensive
• Typically by name designers
• Lines
• Groups of merchandise that is less expensive
• Gap
• Four to six lines per year

5
Couture

• Smaller quantities
• Hand sewing
• Not mass produced
• Houses
• Paris shows
• Twice a year
• January and July
• Couture designers are world wide

6
RTW Producers

• Conventional manufacturer
• Performs all functions (creating, marketing,
  distribution)
• Produce in own plants or contract production
• Multidivisional companies that produce several
  lines
• Levi
• Specialized company that produces one line
• Russell
• Branded products, private labels, licensed
  products

7

• Jobber
• Buy fabrics and designs and contract production
• Intermediary and declining in popularity
• Retailers have product development

8

• Contractors
• Specialize in sewing and finishing product
• Usually specialize in a product category

9

• Importers/packagers
• Develop full lines of apparel with contractors in
  other countries
• Sell to retailers as a complete package for
  private labels
• Licensors

10
Classifications

• Gender/Age
• Mens
• Womens
• Childrens
• Each has unique requirements for
• Machinery
• Sizing
• Number of lines per year
• Store categorized by these classifications
• Buyers categorized by these classifications

11
Subcategories

• Type of garment and or size range
• See page 141 in text

12
Wholesale Price Zones

• Designer
• Most expensive
• Bridge
• Designers less expensive lines
• Donna Karan Signature
• Better
• Nationally known brand names
• Nautica
• Private label
• Nordstrom

13
Price Zones (cont)

• Moderate
• Nationally known sportswear brands
• Dockers
• Lower priced better national brands
• Lizwear
• Department store private label
• Macys
• Budget
• Least expensive
• Private label of discounters
• Kmarts Jaclyn Smith, Martha Stewart

14
Brand Name Classifications

• National/designer
• Distributed nationally
• Represents image, quality, or price points
• Hanes, Calvin Klein
• Private
• Owned and marketed by a specific retailer
• Bon Marche Charter Club

15

• Retail store/direct market
• Name of retail chain as name on label
• Gap, Victorias Secret
• All other
• Miscellaneous
• Licensed brands
• Looney Tunes
• Non-brands
• Consumers attach no significant identity

16
Organizational Structures

• Merchandising
• Fashion/Product Development
• Sales/Marketing
• Production, planning and control
• Advertising/sales promotion

17
Merchandising

• Research and forecast trends
• Consumer purchase behavior
• Develop color, fabric, and garment silhouette
• Interpret trends for the target market
• Facilitate creation of lines
• Oversee fashion direction of company

18
Fashion/Product Development

• Interpret trend forecasts
• Create designs
• Includes designers, stylists, pattern makers and
  sample sewers
• May include management and operation of
  production facilities

19
Sales/Marketing

• Sells company merchandise to retail buyers
• Regional sales managers, sales reps, and market
  research
• In-house or contract

20
Production, Planning, and Control

• Material buying
• Production
• Quality control
• Shipping
• Work with contractors

21
Advertising/Sales Manger

• Create promotional/advertising campaigns
• Tools to sell merchandise
• Sometimes contracted to outside ad agency
• Communication among/between various functions is
  critical for success

22
Merchandising Philosophies

• Design-driven
• Innovative, cutting edge
• Interpreters
• Interpret successful innovative trends for their
  market
• Imitators
• Success depends on ability to affordably produce
  knock-offs

23

• Consumer information users
• Market research
• May interpret and imitate
• Real-time merchandisers
• Get sales info from retailers and produce and
  ship in short time frame

24
Trade Association/publication

• Association
• Promote, conduct research, sponsor trade shows,
  develop and distribute educational materials
• See list on page 158
• Publication
• See list on page 159
• Source of industry info for industry
  professionals