A Slice of Leisure Life

You guys know how much I love American Apparel for their devil-may-care advertising and Los Angeles manufacturing. Hot. But today I cheated.

Today I tasted a slice of some new big time basics also manufactured in LA, and with an edge: ANKH by Jennifer Grossman. And I liked this stuff. I liked this stuff alot. In fact, I came home, took off my American Apparel miniskirt, and put some of this new stuff on instead. I'm wearing it now. It's clear ANKH is a big time contender in the basic ready to wear and sportswear spaces.

This stuff is so comfortable - and that's always big time as far as I'm concerned. Comfortable elegant rock n roll basics with a softened edge - oh yes, that's life. These tees, sweats, hoodies and dresses are made from soft combed cotton and sometimes other innovative fabrications such as bamboo that feel like silk. Fabrics incorporate fresh dye techniques, original graphics and understated embellishments. Guys, men's stuff may be coming soon so don't be jealous!

ANKH APPAREL will be at Las Vegas MAGIC August 27-30, so if you're retail industry and buying at MAGIC, stop by their triple-wide!

Tie One On

Big biz is awash in hardship. Profit sullied by Loss. The Widgets 2.0 aren't selling. And - brace yourself - guys don't like ties anymore. Yes - this is a fact. Gone are the days of neckties. Seriously! When was the last time you saw a tie at the office? On someone other than the intern - a mod hipster type ?

Us girls still like ties - and I mean wearing them. I made this halter dress from a man's necktie - and sold it (and 20 just like it) for about $100 bucks each. The profit margin was 30%. But that was for the ladies. The guys...well, even the tie guys aren't even wearing ties anymore.

The Men's Dress Furnishings Association, who represents American tie manufacturers, has lost 85% of their membership in the last 20 year (since the 1980's, when power suits needed power ties.

Unless you were Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas

The scoop is that U.S. tie companies have been consolidating and overseas competition has taken half the market share that used to belong to US necktie manufacturers. Why? A recent Gallup Poll revealed that 6% of men wore ties every day to work in 2007, down from 10% in 2002. Worse, NPD Group reports that US sales plummeted from $1.3 billion in 1995 (who knew?) to $677.7 million by March 31, 2008 from their peak of $1.3 billion in 1995.

Well, fashion evolution is necessary, even in the workplace. I better get out the sewing machine; I sense a tie sale.

A Brief Look at Ties Through the Ages (WSJ, June 4, 2008)