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WEARABLES OCTOBER 2011

WEARABLES THE EDUCATIONAL AUTHORITY www.wearablesmag.com

fit

October 2011

The THE FIT ISSUE ❉ APPAREL SIZING GLOSSARY ❉ EMBOSSING/DEBOSSING ❉ SWEATERS AND VESTS SHOWCASE

issue

U Proven sizing strategies U Comprehensive glossary U Fit tips for real people

Watching The Clock Benefits of part-time help

Magic's Bright Outlook Trends from top fashion show

Casual Crackdown Latest in corporate apparel

Bohemian Rhapsody Recreate this retail favorite

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Cheat Sheet: Embossing & Debossing

Sweaters & Vests Showcase

FASHIONSENSE

Future Looks Bright at MAGIC Show

BY C.J. MITTICA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAKE MILLER

T

he only thing brighter than the outlook at the MAGIC Fashion Show was the clothing. That’s the positive takeaway from the mega-fashion industry trade show, held in Las Vegas August 22-24. Despite clouds of economic uncertainty surrounding the show, brands and buyers both reported strong interest and sales. Seemingly, the prolonged retail slump of the apparel industry coupled with the specter of higher prices did not put a damper on the industry’s outlook heading into 2012.

Which is good news, considering that a somber mood would be completely at odds with next season’s continued obsession with ultra-brights.

The trend – which started this past spring and carried over into the current fall season – has clothing lines eagerly demonstrating their affinity for color in classic items like dresses and jackets as well as more unusual fare, such as brightly-colored shorts and chinos for men. “This color thing has really taken hold in men’s,” Barry Miguel, president of popular jeans maker Seven For All Mankind, told Women’s Wear Daily.

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The military look continues to thrive. Top Gun Fashion showed off military jackets with fitted silhouettes and unique material combinations.

Cockpit USA (asi/43022) showed off a multitude of items in camo as well as its newest line of bombers.

Original Penguin

by Munsingwear, a division of Perry Ellis International (asi/77715), tapped into the men’s brights trend with sherbet and pastel hues for shorts, chinos, blazers and more.

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Brighten Up

Trendsetter American Apparel (asi/35297) is featuring its expanded neon line with items like cropped tops and hoodies.

The preppy trend is being extended to the urban scene with pieces like this multimedia polo from Hawke & Dumar with embroidery and Chenille patches.

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FASHIONSENSE

Khaki is surging as the key piece in next spring’s Americana trend.

Look for it in shirts and jackets, like this piece from Original Penguin by Munsingwear (asi/77715).

Outerwear supplier Weatherproof (asi/68318) skipped ahead to fall 2012, showing off its expanded 32 Degrees Heat collection, including this puffer jacket with fashion details like Sherpa lining.

Several leading men’s brands were in on the trend. Original Penguin

by Munsingwear – a brand of Perry Ellis International (asi/77715) – exhibited shorts, pants, jackets and shirts in a range of day-glo oranges, sherbet pinks, yellows and more. Popular trendsetter American Apparel (asi/35297) has expanded its line of neons to hoodies, crop tops and raglan shirts. And well-known brand Victorinox (asi/93755) leveraged the trend with a wave of strikingly-hued nylon jackets. Taking note of the dazzling influx, trendwatcher Fashion Snoops highlighted a number of key colors for spring, including brights like orangeade, poppy and ink.

However, it wasn’t all about color on the MAGIC floor. Here are some other enduring trends to look out for next spring.

Khaki: The fashion industry’s affection for classic Americana never really goes away. Heritage denim had its moment the past couple years, 24 OCTOBER 2011 WEARABLES • wearablesmag.com

MAGIC Happenings Trends dominate at the MAGIC Fashion Show in Las Vegas, but the show is also the place for major launches and interesting news. Here’s what was making waves at the show and elsewhere.

Golf Attire, Reinvented: The MAGIC and PROJECT shows are the key events of Las Vegas’ “Fashion Week,” but they are not the only apparel shows on the strip.

The PGA Expo at the Venetian peeled back the curtain on the latest in golf wear, and one name in particular was looking to significantly change the future of the category: Ashworth. John Ashworth, founder of his eponymous line, unveiled his latest independent collection. Named Linksoul, the new line included luxury cotton polos, interlock knit shirts, cotton/linen chambray wovens and cashmere sweaters. “It’s Déjà vu … the golf market is saturated in polyester clothing again,” said John Ashworth when the brand was announced. “The Linksoul brand will represent a shift to a natural look and feel with unique performance features, designed for on or off the course.”

Weather or Not: Not too content to roll out a spring line, popular jacket-maker Weatherproof (asi/68318) got the jump on the competition by revealing its fall 2012 line. Its 32 Degrees Heat collection showed new jackets that upped the fashion quotient – such as puffer jackets with rich details like a Sherpa lining – while expanding the technology into a whole range of items, including hats, gloves, pullovers and more. “We see 32 Degrees Heat becoming a wardrobe collection,” President Freddie Stollmack told Women’s Wear Daily.

Mobile Solutions: Apparel continues to tap into the burgeoning mobile technology scene. Technology company Zappar teamed up with Hybrid Apparel to launch an initial range of 20 “Augmented Reality” T-shirts at the show. When a user downloads the Zappar app and views the shirt through a smartphone or tablet, the design comes to life and moves around.

Safe to say, the technology has definite applications for logoed apparel down the line.