Discussions about the fashion industry thread

[cb200]

Thanks for sharing @gdl203

This seems like an intuitive approach. What sort of challenges exist for boutiques and the smaller brands we love on Styleforum from adopting a similar approach?

I can only add perspective from working on the small brand side here. In many cases stores essentially pre-order from brands ahead of time in a wholesale relationship and production numbers are, in part, based off of that info. Thin initial buys with optional restocking from open to buy budget in season is a tough one to manage as far as inventory and cashflow for brands.

A retailer who could sell 20 pieces but only orders 4 as a test reduces their inventory exposure but adds a false signal to the brand as far as projected demand. In apparel "just in time" is almost impossbly slow. Reordering and resupply due to supply chain distance is months not days. Unless finished goods are held in reserve by the brand restock will not happen.

You will always get inventory numbers wrong. Due to cash flow needs it is better to mitigate against holding excess inventory in either finished goods or raw materials as that's cash tied up. So, there's either underproduction or increased inventory risk absorbed by brands. As a brand you can finance against pre-booked orders. That would not be possible if everyone was doing low initial buy and second order based on sales type behaviour.

Sometimes due to fabric and factory minimums you have to simply go to production with much more than is pre-booked. Other times styles or colors don't make it through "adopt or drop" choices ahead of production due to too much inventory risk from lack of pre-bookings.

My personal belief is that the retail margin and financing terms are compensation for inventory risk and skin in the game for retailers. Some online retailers I've seen list inventory that they don't even have available in their warehouse and then order it to be shipped to them from the brands warehouse. That's unfair towards brick and mortar retailers who have taken the risk of holding inventory but would earn the same margin on a sale as the online retailer.

That might be rare, but it's a retailer pushing risk back to the brand and using the 30 day payment terms to have the brand finance their sales. It's solving the problem of the retailer at the expense of the brand. Not every brand can afford to carry their retailer or be a bank. Some retailers are great but many schemes out there make an already challenging business harder for small and medium sided brands to deal with.

 

[Zamb]

I know you're a merchant, not necessarily a producer, but I'd love to hear what you think about business models like Taylor Stitch's 'workshop', where they can use the pre-sell to, I imagine, very effectively predict how much to manufacture for regular stock. It seems brilliant to me, but then again I know very little about these things

read up a little about lean manufacturing ( Im assuming you haven't)
there are two basic approaches to manufacturing.........
PUSH.....where a manufacturer makes a large batch of products with hope th

That might be rare, but it's a retailer pushing risk back to the brand and using the 30 day payment terms to have the brand finance their sales. It's solving the problem of the retailer at the expense of the brand. Not every brand can afford to carry their retailer or be a bank. Some retailers are great but many schemes out there make an already challenging business harder for small and medium sided brands to deal with.

this is an increasing problem for many brands and even in such and agreement, stores want to be notoriously late with payments. 30 days stretching to 60 or even 90 if they can get away. sometimes it turns into an unspoken consignment deal, where they expect to get goods and be able to sell it before paying you the brand.

 

[LaymanX]

Why do RMC suppliers have a breakout section for them? Is it some contractual requirement when being a stockist for RMC?

Like this:

Standard & Strange - Own Fewer, Better Things

Home to the absolute best in denim, boots, and more from Japan, USA, and Europe.

standardandstrange.com

Menswear built on quality, craftsmanship, heritage & the classics

Hi folks, we're called Lost & Found and we love great clothes. But even more so, we love sharing our favourite brands with you. So come on in and lay down your hat/cane/umbrella and take a gander. | Alden | Gitman | Viberg | Real McCoy's | Paraboot | Norse Projects | Our Legacy | Auralee |...

shoplostfound.com

Just curious

 

[vanmosh]

I can't believe there's been five pages of Loro Piana discussion without a mention of Gstaad Guy:

 

[heebalabala]

To bring the conversation about the appeal of bland luxury brands like BC and LP full circle, these comments from Brad Pitt about sum it up:

"You get older, you get crankier, and comfort becomes more important. I think it’s as simple as that,” he said, posing for De’Longhi’s latest campaign wearing a four-figure cashmere Loro Piana jacket.

“If I have a style, it’s no style.”

...

Indeed, Pitt seems to be channeling Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who have built a lucrative business on designing ultra-luxurious clothes for the wealthy shopper who wants to appear modest.

“I don’t want to look ostentatious, but if you come close, you notice,” he added. “It’s those details that are important to me. It’s too exhausting to follow trends."

Brad Pitt says he has ‘no style’ as he’s ‘older’ and ‘crankier’

“You get older, you get crankier, and comfort becomes more important. I think it’s as simple as that,” he said in a recent interview.

pagesix.com

 

[Ed13]

My philosophy on clothes has been the same as Pitt for the last 15 years. I don't care about trends and prefer my clothes to fit a certain way. My style is fairly plain with an odd piece with a little pop. I still only wear ties that are 3 3/4" width because that is what suits me best. I have many items I still wear regularly after over 10 years.

Majority of CM items are from Kiton, standard shirts fit better than the numerous times I have tried to have them bespoke made. Completely quit having bespoke clothes made about 5 years ago. Only go to one store for CM items. Have sports jackets, suits and some outerwear made through the retailer and have had better results. If something does not fit properly he takes care of it. Less work for me. At 50 I do not want to waste much time thinking about clothes.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

At 50 I do not want to waste much time thinking about clothes.

I'll be 50 next year and I am more interested in clothes than ever before. Probably because I can't drink or take drugs, mind you...

 

[Ed13]

I'll be 50 next year and I am more interested in clothes than ever before. Probably because I can't drink or take drugs, mind you...

Haven't been interested in drugs since my mid twenties. I have been an alcoholic since I was thirteen but once I finished university only go on a 1-3 day bender maybe 3-5 times a year. My kids have never seen me drunk and my wife only once in over 20 years. Difference is the last 12 years I now swill high end scotch, gut rot liquor is far in the distant past for me.

At 50 there is no kidding yourself you are on the back end of your life, people living to 100+ are so rare. We are now on the slow descent to death. Possessions mean less to me now and more interested in experiences with family and friends. The last few years I keep giving things away and plan on selling most of my possessions. Only want to keep the things that really give me joy. Clothes are nice but many other things more important to me.

 

[smittycl]

Haven't been interested in drugs since my mid twenties. I have been an alcoholic since I was thirteen but once I finished university only go on a 1-3 day bender maybe 3-5 times a year. My kids have never seen me drunk and my wife only once in over 20 years. Difference is the last 12 years I now swill high end scotch, gut rot liquor is farm in the distant past for me.

At 50 there is no kidding yourself you are on the back end of your life, people living to 100+ are so rare. We are now on the slow descent to death. Possessions mean less to me now and more interested in experiences with family and friends. The last few years I keep giving things away and plan on selling most of my possessions. Only want to keep the things that really give me joy. Clothes are nice but many other things more important to me.

We have a few similarities. I don't like "stuff" anymore either. I give all kinds of stuff away and I own almost nothing that I couldn't replace without issue. Still, I have very few possessions but those I have are nice. I kind of like it that way. Experiences, of course, are definitely the best part of life.

 

[Salad]

Haven't been interested in drugs since my mid twenties. I have been an alcoholic since I was thirteen but once I finished university only go on a 1-3 day bender maybe 3-5 times a year. My kids have never seen me drunk and my wife only once in over 20 years. Difference is the last 12 years I now swill high end scotch, gut rot liquor is farm in the distant past for me.

At 50 there is no kidding yourself you are on the back end of your life, people living to 100+ are so rare. We are now on the slow descent to death. Possessions mean less to me now and more interested in experiences with family and friends. The last few years I keep giving things away and plan on selling most of my possessions. Only want to keep the things that really give me joy. Clothes are nice but many other things more important to me.

I agree and I don't, lol. No doubt that I'm on "the slow descent to death" but this has lit a fire in me to try new things. If anything I'm looking/thinking about clothes more than I ever did. I'm at the age where no one reads too much in to what I'm wearing or maybe no one ever did. Age brings a freedom of sorts. This reminds me of a line at the end of "Synecdoche New York" which is "...as you learn there is no one watching you, and there never was.".
You can look at it as "I'm old and this stuff isn't important anymore" or "I'm old and I better try to get a fit off as often as possible.". I'm in the latter camp. I'm actually in both camps. Maybe old age has got me confused!

 

[dieworkwear]

I'm also more into experiences nowadays. The experience of getting a fit off.

 

[BlakeRVA]

Update: I saw some Brunello Cucinelli today at Nordstrom's. After several posters hyped it up as the "best quality", I had high hopes, but honestly found it indistinguishable from $500 - $600 knits I've handled. The aesthetic is definitely sharply dressed, without being ostentatious. I think I'm probably too young to appreciate it yet, but my wife quite liked it. Perhaps I'll be the elderly gentleman sitting in the cordovan recliner on his VR headset as my wife shops for me in 40 years.

$1750 Alpaca / Yak Knit

$1,200 Cotton Hoodie

 

[clee1982]

For me if you're getting something from BC/LP better be cashmere...

 

[bry2000]

Update: I saw some Brunello Cucinelli today at Nordstrom's. After several posters hyped it up as the "best quality", I had high hopes, but honestly found it indistinguishable from $500 - $600 knits I've handled. The aesthetic is definitely sharply dressed, without being ostentatious. I think I'm probably too young to appreciate it yet, but my wife quite liked it. Perhaps I'll be the elderly gentleman sitting in the cordovan recliner on his VR headset as my wife shops for me in 40 years.
View attachment 1664117
$1750 Alpaca / Yak Knit
View attachment 1664118
$1,200 Cotton Hoodie

King of the Bad Takes.

 

[dieworkwear]

I think the cowboy hat looks good on Bezos.

Personal politics aside, can someone explain why they think the hat looks bad on him?