1. 1.0 Understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry.
Objective 1.03: Understand the categories of fashion merchandise.

2. Retail Merchandise “Goods” are a store’s articles of merchandise.
“Lines” are groups of related products.
Hardlines, are nontextile items.
Ex. Major appliances, tools, and other items not made of fabrics.
Softlines are products made from textiles.
Ex. Yard goods, apparel, household textiles, and miscellaneous items (stuffed toys, sleeping bags, backpacks)
Apparel is further divided into merchandise classifications.

3. Women’s Apparel Apparel for females aged 14 years and over.
Largest, most important segment.
Accounts for about 60% of all apparel sales.
Each season’s lines are in retail stores for about 10 weeks or less before the lines for the next season replace them on the sales floor.

4. Women’s Apparel Sizes Misses: Women’s: For fully developed women
Average height, weight and proportions
Sizes are even numbers 0 to 20
Women’s:
Women with larger portions
Sizes are even numbers from 14 to 46 or higher
Half-sizes are for heavier, short-waisted females, are followed by ½, such as 18 ½

5. Women’s Apparel Sizes Junior: Petites: Tall:
For small-boned and short-waisted females
Offered in odd-numbered sizes 3 to 15
Petites:
Sizes for shorter females (usually under 5’4”)
Have shorter torsos, arms, and legs
Items are indicated with a “P” after the size, number; Ex. 10P
Tall:
Sizes for taller females (usually over 5’6”)
Items are indicated with a “T” after the size, number; Ex. 10T

6. Women’s Apparel Sizes
Some companies use double-ticket sizing by marking items with two combined sizes, such as both juniors and misses.
Ex. 9/10 or 11/12
Some companies also combine sizes into extra small (XS), medium (M), large (L), extra large (XL), and extra extra large (XXL).
There are few one size fits all garments.

7. Women’s Apparel Sizing
All styles from the same manufacturer should fit the same person the same way.
However, they may not depending on a women’s body shape.
Manufacturers of expensive fashions often downsize.
Ex. A dress that is a size 10 from a budget manufacturer may be a size 8 in a more expensive line.
This causes customers of expensive womenswear lines to feel more fashionably slender since they are wearing a “smaller” size.

8. Women’s Apparel Classifications
Sportswear Separates:
Tops: blouses, shirts, sweaters
Bottoms: slacks, shorts, skirts
Sports Attire: for tennis, golf, etc.
Dresses:
One or two-piece styles from casual to dressy
Evening and Bridal:
Cocktail dresses, wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses, other dressy/formal attire
Maternity:
All types of apparel for pregnant women

9. Women’s Apparel Classifications
Outerwear:
Coats, outdoor jackets, rainwear
Suits:
Indoor jackets with pants, skirts, walking shorts
Activewear:
Leotards and dancewear, jogging suits
Swimwear/beachwear:
Swimsuits and coverups
Intimate Apparel:
Foundations: bras, garter belts, girdles, “shapewear”
Lingerie: daywear-slips, panties, camisoles, sleepwear-pajamas, nightgowns, negligees
Loungewear: robes, housecoats, at-home lounging attire

10. Women’s Apparel Classifications
Accessories:
Scarves
Hosiery
Gloves
Handkerchiefs
Handbags/purses
Hats
Belts
Jewelry
Neckties
Umbrellas
Footwear:
Shoes, boots, slippers
Miscellaneous wearing apparel:
Uniforms, aprons, smocks, etc.

11. Men’s Apparel
Men are slower and less willing than women to except fashion changes in their wardrobe.
Active Sportswear, consisting of garments for sports participation, but it also worn during leisure time. It is the fastest growing segment of menswear.
Business attire for men has become more casual.
Decline in sales for structured suits have been offset by increased demand for suit separates.
Mix and match of various jackets with different pants.
Bought individually by the customer.
Allow for a more accurate fit and less alterations.

12. Men’s Apparel
Trends of the fashion movement for men have been influenced by and emphasis on healthy, fit bodies.
This has resulted in a demand for jogging suits, tennis and running shorts, and workout attire.
Since classic tailored menswear lines have slow, subtle fashion changes and long, complex production methods, they are presented only twice a year.
Fall/Winter lines are considered the most important, followed by Spring/Summer lines.

13. Production of Menswear Lines
Menswear includes all apparel for males aged 17 and older.
Menswear companies are emphasizing marketing and responsiveness to customers’ needs, rather than just production.
This has encouraged the use of contractors who will do short runs of styles quickly and inexpensively.
A short run is the production of a limited number of units of a particular item, fewer than an average production run.

14. Men’s Apparel Sizes
Men’s tailored apparel has dual sizing with different chest measurements combined with different body types.
The body types are categorized as:
Short
Regular
Long
Extra tall regular or long
Men’s suits and sports coats are sold by chest sizes and body types, such as 42 long.

15. Men’s Apparel Sizes
Men’s slacks also have dual sizing, with a waist measurement combined with an inseam (inside leg) length on hemmed pants.
Waist measurement is listed first, with the inseam following.
Ex. Trousers sized 36/32 (waist measures 36, inseam measures 32)
Men’s long-sleeved dress shirts are sized by neck measurements at half-inch intervals and sleeve lengths at one-inch intervals.
Most men’s sweaters and sports shirts are sized small, medium, large, extra-large and beyond. (XXL and XXXL)
The men’s big and tall market has begun gaining success.

16. Men’s Apparel Merchandise Classifications
Tailored Clothing: suits, overcoats, topcoats, sport coats, dress trousers, formal wear.
Furnishings: dress shirts, neckwear (ties, scarves), underwear, hats, socks, sleepwear, robes, belts.
Sportswear: sport shirts, knit shirts, sweaters, shorts, khaki and cord slacks, exercise wear, swim trunks.
Heavy Outerwear: parkas, snowsuits, ski pants and jackets.
Work Clothing: work shirts and pants, overalls, jeans.
Footwear: shoes, boots, slippers.
Miscellaneous wearing apparel: raincoats, uniforms, caps.

17. Infants’ and Children’s Apparel
Infants’ apparel is for babies and toddlers younger than 3 years old.
Children’s apparel is for girls and boys in preschool and grade school.
Preteen and teen sizes provide the transition to adult apparel.
The “tween” market for girls is ages 8-12.

18. Childrenswear Most childrenswear producers sell 3 seasonal lines.
Spring/summer, fall and holiday.
Fall being the biggest selling time with back to school apparel.
Childrenswear producers usually specialize by type of merchandise, size and price level.
Price levels for childrenswear include budget, moderate, and better, with an additional small designer market at very high prices.

19. Infantswear Sizes and Desirable Features
Infant sizing is for babies from birth to when they start to walk (at about one year).
These garments allow room for diapers.
Numerical sizes are in increments of 3 months, from 3 to 24 months.
Others garments may be sized newborn, small, medium, large and extra large.
Shoppers should buy infant apparel according to a baby’s actual height and weight, not age.

20. Toddlers’ Sizes and Features
Toddlers are children who are actively moving around and walking.
Usually are between the ages of 1 and 3 years old.
Toddlers’ sizes are from 1T to 4T.
Sizes are generally based on age, but are established according to measurements of height, chest, waist, and approximate weight.

21. Childrenswear Sizes
Preschoolers’ sizes are for young children who are taller and more slender than toddlers, and starting to have defined waistlines.
Generally for girls and boys between the ages of 3 and 6 years.
Sizes for these young children are 3, 4, 5, 6, and 6X or 7.
They are based on weight, height, chest and waist measurements.
You can often buy in either slim or regular.
Can also be labeled small, medium or large.
Small (2-3), medium (4-5) and large (6-7)

22. Additional Features of Childrenswear
Self-help features make it easier for children to get into and out of clothes by themselves.
Such features include: large armholes, well-marked backs and fronts, and easy-to-fasten front closings.
Growth features allow garments to “expand” as children grow.
Elastic waistbands, stretch fabrics, and wrap styles adapt to growth.

23. Apparel for Older Children
Girls sizes 7 to 16 are for girls of those corresponding ages.
Have slim and girls plus categories.
Preteen sizes parallel girls’ sizes but offer more sophisticated styling.
Boys apparel sizes range from 8 to 22.
Have slim and husky categories.
“young men”, “student”, “teen” or “prep” labels are sometimes used to suggest a more sophisticated styling.

24. Accessories
Accessories, or articles added to complete or enhance outfits, are the secondary items that dress up or set off garments.
Accessories are often impulse purchases, bought on the spur of the moment without preplanning.
Accessory items become more important in poor economic times because they are used as inexpensive extenders for consumers’ wardrobes.
Extenders, or multipliers, can be mixed and matched within a wardrobe for more outfits.

25. Types of Accessories
Footwear: dress shoes, casual shoes, boots, slippers, and athletic shoes.
Hosiery: panty hose, tights, socks, knee-highs, leg warmers, and all other stockings.
Handbags and Small Leather goods: purses, straw bags, canvas bags, wallets, billfolds, coin purses, small cases for business cards.
Belts: various widths, colors and materials.
Headwear: hats and caps.
Scarves: many sizes, colors, fabrics and designs.
Neckties: many fabrics and surface designs.
Handwear: gloves or mittens.

26. Types of Accessories
Jewelry: pins, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, cuff links, and other items.
Fine Jewelry: most expensive and is usually retailed by jewelry stores. High quality, made of genuine gold, silver or platinum, may contain gemstones.
Bridge Jewelry: of excellent quality and is made to look like fine jewelry, but is less expensive. Made of good metals or other materials and may have semiprecious gemstones.
Costume Jewelry: least expensive. May be made of plastic, shells, wood, plated metals, artificial stones, or unusual materials.

27. Cosmetics Industry Products
The Cosmetics industry consists of products designed to use directly on the body.
The overall cosmetics industry has 3 main segments.
Cosmetics: products to be applied to the face, skin, or hair to improve appearance. Ex. Makeup
Toiletries: personal care products used in grooming. Ex. Toothpaste, shampoos, and deodorants.
Fragrances: products that add a pleasant scent Ex. Perfume, cologne, and scented bath products.

28. Cosmetics Industry Products
Two major price levels:
Prestige Lines: sold by department and specialty stores, as well as on certain websites, and account for a high sales volume of fragrance and skincare products.
Mass Market Lines: sold by lower-priced retailers. Constitute the bulk of cosmetic sales. Often sold in “health and beauty aids” sections of discount and variety stores, supermarkets, and drugstores.
Brand-line Representatives are hired only to sell prestige line brands, are specially trained and uniformly dressed.