Behind the Tag

Kelsey Allen

Public Typography in Retail Stores

Behind the Tag

Behind the Tag

Public Typography in Retail Stores

Behind the Tag

Background of Boutiques

Section 37 Boutique True Religion Brand

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Sister Moses Boutique Scarfs

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Standard Style Boutique The Baldwin Story

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The Tag Line

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Background of Boutiques

passion A passion for an idea can turn into a true idea if the person works hard to achieve their goal. Locally owned boutiques are created to be a representation of the owner’ s passion of clothing and retail stores. The passion continues in selling entities of certain kinds to customers who are passionate

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about the owner’s same style type and design.

Displays boutiques choose to display their merchandise in many different ways and try to reflect the feeling of the store through their displays.

style

the boutiques have to be unique to their industry to survive on their own in the corporate world. In

Each boutique is unique in its style and appearance

becoming a successful business, the owner has to

because of how the owner chooses toexpress their

first select a prime location for their selected demo-

passion through the store. Like any small company,

graphic of the store.

In an article written by Jeff Parissi,to start a

suc-

for the customer to have easy access to their store.

cessful business the owner needs to ďŹ rst

Many of the boutiques consist of a cohesive style

pick their selected demographic with the

that is re ected in the design of the store, interior

store and survey the competitor stores of

and exterior, if possible.

the area. Then they will select the best location

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design

incorporated throughout the store with the brand, which should refl ect the atmosphere of the space.

The design is also reflected into the clothing sold

Some boutiques, in particular Section 37, Sister

inside the store along with the branding system

Moses, and Standard Style Boutique, reflect well

that appears in as many places as the owner would

the owner’s passion behind the store and their

like it to appear . A successful boutique needs to

presence as a whole. From the brand to the product

also have a cohesive look that could be recogniz-

inside, these boutiques are cohesive in color , im-

able apart from any other store. The look should be

age and design.

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Section 37 Boutique

Chapter 2

Location Located in Wichita, KS on the northeast side of town, Section 37 creates a unique atmosphere for young, high-fashion shoppers.

The brand reflects the inside of the store and attracts the younger generation by the way it is stylized and designed.

Atmosphere is everything with an individual, locally owned boutique. The photo is a panoramic view of the whole store. There are many extra design elements and additions to the space that make this boutique different from the rest. Lighting is a big part of the store’s design and stage lights help set the ambience of important clothing that is on display.

history A sleek, hip design both for the male and female cliental is what Section 37 is all about. Section 37 is a boutique in Wichita, KS and is a branch off of Johnstons which is a larger boutique for the older , fashion inclined generation. From the outside design to the interior of the space and design elements, the direction of Section 37 pulls young, modern day fashion lovers

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into the store.

logo Section 37 chooses to market their store with a cleancut, typograpic-only brand

that consists of white

and black color with a pop of red. The brand is seen throughout the store on tags placed on the apparel as well as on each hanger of the apparel. The brand is what sets this boutique apart and it is important as said in a article about branding boutiques

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The article said that the brand needs to allow the clothing to connect with the target audience.

Posters Graphic posters are placed into the interior space to add to the ambience of the store and feel of a boutique.

T

rue Religion is one of many brand name jeans

sold at Section 37. True Religion style is known for their way of marketing and uniqueness compared to other competitor jean companies. Their clothing and marketing techniques stands out from the rest.

Their apparel line is easily depicted and recognizable by their signature upside down “U” that is displayed on all the pockets of the jean line. They are also known for their brand illustrations to be depicted with a Buddha cultural symbol and each jean style has its own name displaying one differ ent from the other . Their are many different kinds of True Religion Jeans, all of which still reflect back to the upside down U form placed in different ways on the pockets. Throughout the years the brand has been reflected onto hats and shirts to represent a

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whole clothing line instead of just aa jean jean line. line.

merchandise In this case the sleek sophistication of the brand directs specifically back to the young, classy audience in which the store is trying get the attention of. Section 37 sells a wide range of merchandise mainly apparel consisting of shirts, pants, and

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shoes in both male and female styles.

brand names

The boutique has a sleek and sophisticated way in which they display their clothing. It carries a wide selection of many of the top name brand apparel lines. Each brand’s name tag and mark is reflected on to their clothing and the way in which the competitors’ clothing apparel lines interact with each other is cohesive within the store.

In an article about clothing labels the main reason for a label is to

The labels are supposed to be easy quick links to more information about the product to which the label is attached.

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connect the label back to the large brand it reflects.

jeans This boutique is also also know knowfor forselling sellingaa wide se-

with a strong, type-inuenced tag and stickers that

lection of jeans jeans and andhaving havingitsits employees employees well

are relating back to the brand. The store is all about

rehearsed in what types types of ofjeans jeansgoes goeswith withwhat what

the atmosphere and the experience that each client

outfits and occasions. occasions. The Thejeans jeansare are allall marked marked

will have when they come into the store.

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Brand Continuation Brand of items are reflected into advertisements and logos throughout the store. Many advertisements show a consumer wearing the product to put into picture what the product would be worn with.

Floor The numbers 37 that goes along with the brand is found many places including carved in the floor as you enter the space.

experience

Section 37 is designed to leave a lasting impression from the moment the customer leaves the store. They would be able to recognize what the clothing was they saw in the store and be able to remember the experience while shopping to later share with others. The impression of the store should leave a lasting impression on the customer and the funky style of the oor is unique and

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draws leaves a lasting impression on the client.

Sister Moses Boutique

Chapter 3

history Pazas and spunk are two words to describe Sister Moses boutique in Wichita, KS. The boutique started with a group of women having a desire to run their own clothing store together. Their dream came true with the birth of Sister Moses boutique.

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style The brand reflects off of the Biblical character Moses and the burning bush, however has a gestural feel of organic curly shapes that create the bush.

The inside reflects the heart behind the owner’s as well as reflects the brand throughout the store.

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Many Brands Many different clothing brands and collection lines are sold in Sister Moses. But all have the same style and feel and similar

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color tone to help keep the store cohesive with clothing

Psprint was giving tips on how to make a boutique cohesive, there advice was to take a brand and reect that same style and feel throughout with color scheme, identity packaging and overall design of your boutique.

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and merchandise.

passion Sister Moses does just that. They take their dream of four women owning a store with a passion for design as well as a passion of clothing and start a store that gives a customer with the same passion for clothing and design to be able to purchase hip, fun clothes of the time. The passion reects back to the apparel and merchandise that is sold throughout the store. This is reected into the customers and becomes a representation of the store.

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A

ccessories are a large part of Sister Moses

boutique. The way the store is divided there is a large quarter of the store just for extra accessary articles, one of which is a scarf. Sister Moses carries many scarfs in many different colors and designs. They range from solid color palletes to full arrays of multi-colored and patterned designs.

They also do a great job of displaying these scarfs throughout the store in many of their clothing and merchandise displays. The scarfs in the store act not only as an item to be wrapped around the neck but also as a decoration for a table or place setting. The way they are set up, like the display featured in the photo, allows for the customer to get a good sense for how to wear this particular scarf in the way it is best designed. The positive thing about also placing the scarfs with the apparel is that the customer may like the outďŹ t as a whole and end up purchasing more because of the one scarf that drew the customers eye in the ďŹ rst place.

clothing The organic style of the logo is

reect-

ed into the way the elements inside the space are designed. The target audience of Sister Moses are female women from a wide age range from eighteen to seventy. Many different elements of foliage is incorporated with the store design and the clothing apparel also re ects back to a very organic style through the way the store is designed.

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design The owner has a passion for women to

fully ex-

press art through what they wear and how they design their spaces. The passion is re

ected in

how she presents the store to the customer . The clothing is a majority of the store, however there are many house furnishings that are available for purchase as well.

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Many Items Sister Moses has their logo on many of the products being sold not just their clothing line. Their logo is also placed multiple places around the outside of the building helping draw customers inside.

own brand From decorations to clothing styles, there is a strong cohesive bond in which both can be displayed side by side and still incorporate the coherent underlying theme. The store also sells multiple clothing brand lines, one of which, is designed by the owner and is sold only out of this only store. These pieces of clothing are labeled with Sister Moses just like the store and

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reect back to the style of refl of the the store store itself. itself.

ambience

experience. The store strives to be different in its style and design as well as how it displays the ap-

The ambience of the store seen through the ex-

parel to keep its self separate from the rest of the

travagant displays are directed at customers and

boutique and clothing industries, and

are designed for them to

enjoy there shopping

allows for

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growth of the store and the the expansion expansion of of clients. clients.

Standard Style Boutique

Chapter 4

Tags The Standard Style makes a point to make sure each brand of clothing contains their tag as well as the tag of the brand.

location High fashion and sophistication are reected in the brand and design of the Standard Style Boutique.

The Standard Style Boutique is located out of Kansas, City, Kansas and was created by a young couple to share with the Midwest the culture of

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fashion from the east and west coast styles.

brand

mint green with a chocolate brown color are easy to recognizes among many stores. The way the font selection of the name is so unique the “S” itself can

The brand of Standard Style Boutique uses typog-

stand alone and when seen without the context of

raphy to become very recognizable. The back-word

the store or the name it can easily be placed back

“S” is signature to the store and their identity of

to the store.

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The S The backwards “S”is for branding and allows the “s” to stand alone and still be able to recognize in relation to the store.

Decorations The ambience of class is replicated throughout the store in the clothing but also through the extra decoration items that are placed throughout.

atmosphere The store is classy and simple in its design and focuses all of the attention on the apparel it sells. The inside look reverts back to the look of their brand which is reected on each cloth-

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ing tag and product purchased in the store.

Standard Style Boutique sells many

high-end

clothing brands and has a large part in providing

options

the midwest with the brand names of the large New York and Las Angeles stores.

Sarah Mahoney of the Media Post mentioned that the pop-

ulation in the fashion industry has increased 27% more in favor of the brand name apparel then the non brand name apparel.

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Jean Wall The Jean Wall placed on the male side of the store displays many brand name jean lines all arranged by size to accommodate the clients needs.

baldwin

The Standard Style Boutique has also created a brand on their own in reflection to the apparel trends of a jean and clothing line named Baldwin, after the owner of the Standard Style Boutique.

This clothing line makes up the male section of the Standard store and is connected to the Standard Style Boutique.

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M

att Baldwin, the owner of Standard Style

high-quality, fabric choice and use of design

Boutique, started his only clothing line that is

elements throughout the brand. This simple,

a new and upcoming line for the high fash-

yet high quality, line does very well competing

ion industry. His dream as a Boutique owner

with the high-end fashion industry brands of

expanded drastically when he got the oppor-

today because of its logo that stays consistent

tunity to design his own clothing line. Along

and the simplicity that pulls away from the

with his line came the brand. His vision of

high designed advertisement and logo brands

sleek and sophisticated style from the Stan-

of today. The Baldwin line is growing and

dard Style Boutique carried over into brand-

expanded in clothing materials and the dream

ing his clothing line after his name Baldwin.

for one man to grow a line of his own has only

The “b� is lower case like the Standard

begun. The Baldwin line is up-and-coming

however a new addition are the three rows of

in many new fashion boutiques and runways

dashed lines that allow the logo to be a more

across the United States. This brand goes to

rectangle style. The rectangle of the brand

show how one man can make a successful line

horizontally is then placed on a large verti-

of clothing with the will power to work hard.

cal rectangle with the tags that appear on the

The clothing industry is struggling today but

clothing line. The simplistic black and white

still has a large group of customers that are

color scheme allows for the brand to stick

looking for the hit line and baldwin is one of

out against all the bold high color-designed

those lines, that is very trendy with the young

elements of the competitor . The line is then

fashion population.

reected from the brand with simple, yet

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experience Both the female and male side of Standard Style Boutique reflect back to the logo and give a unique experience of shopping for high-end clothing lines at a sophisticated store would be like. Their are rows of options and choices to choose from. How -

ever the store design is set up to where it allows for the employee to make

personal interaction

with every client in helping them chose what is right for that customer. Some boutiques think they overwhelm their costumers with laying out many options and allowing many options to be chosen.

The Standard Style chooses to display many op -

tions to show their wide range and inventory with many brands to allow for the customer to get the most needed and best piece of clothing they desire. Another beneďŹ t to placing multiple styles and options for the costumer is that it urges them to have more than one option of choice and trying to boost sales for the store.

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assistance

From the moment the customer enters the boutique an employee is there to give excellent advice and allow the customer to have an easy shopping experience. They are well trained in the products and fashion trends of the season and are able to easily assist any costumer with any

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question they may have.

The Tag Line

Chapter 5

realize Unique boutiques add life and personality to such a largely populated high industry culture. W e as customers of these stores, need to realize the pride and passion that each individual owner has placed into their store.

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Typography When focusing on the ambience, logo and brand designs also remember that type is found through stores an is usually what draws your attention from the “extras� of the store that can be sold as well and also sets the mood,

look Remember to look next time you are in a boutique, possibly one of these and recognize if the boutique is successful in its collaboration of brand to design to apparel sold inside. Pay attention to what draws you in to look further at what is being said.

Realize the name brand tags on the apparel are not designed because they have to be designed. But are designed to draw you, the customer to look at them further and develop a love for their clothing line.

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remember But really pay attention to the way the public typog- extra effort to allow the customer to remember the raphy is used and incorporated in apparel as well

experience as a unique one that you as the custom-

as boutiques. Attention getters are everywhere in

er will go and tell others about as well as revisit the

this society today, many boutique owners make an

store to have that same experience the next time they enter the store

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credits Anonymous. (2011). Clothing label: a small tag big article. Billow Industrial. Retrieved from http://www. shinegem.com/html_news/Clothing-label-30.html Fashion Boutique Marketing: Branding. Retrieved from http://www.psprint.com/resources/ businessmarketing-plans/fashion-boutiques/fashion-boutique-marketing-branding.asp Mahoney, Sarah. (2010). In Apparel, The Brand Makes A Comeback. Media Post News, Marketing Daily. Retrieved from http://www.mediapost. com/ publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_ aid=126136 Parissi, Jeff. (2008). Opening A Retail Store? Demographics - And How They Can Guarantee Success!.

EZine Articles. Retrieved from http://EzineArticles. com/1791457

Camera: Cannon Rebel xti Font Selection: Walbaum, Univers Thank You to Matt Baldwin for personal information and to the owners of Section 37 and Sister Moses for allowing me to take photos and write a book about their boutiques Designer as Author Patrick Dooley Fall 2011 The University of Kansas