Info-Authority: Catalog

It's never easy to stay up-to-date with all the latest trends in fashion. Just when you fill your closet with short skirts, long skirts come back in fashion. One day, the grunge look is all the rage, and then suddenly, it's skin-tight, belly-baring shirts that look like you borrowed them from your preschool-age daughter.

The best way to stay in touch with trends

How can you stay in touch with what's hip and what's not in the fashion world? Turning to catalogs just might be your answer. You probably won't find the really trendy, flash-in-the-pan stuff in the catalogs. Those kinds of fashions change just about as often as you get your hair cut. But you can count on catalogs to offer easy-to-wear, easy-to-understand apparel.

The Casual Friday Effect

Catalog Age magazine reported recently that the shift toward casual attire in the workplace has trickled down and changed the way catalog companies do business. For instance, the Paul Fredrick Shirt Co., catalog, which became famous because of its men's dress shirts, recently changed its name to the broader-based Paul Frederick Menstyle. It now offers a more casual line – casual shirts without ties, and sweater under a blazer. Other catalog retailers have followed suit. Brooks Brothers and Jos. A Bank Clothiers now offer more khakis, chinos and sports shirts than in the past. Many women are relieved to find that catalogs are offering more loose-fitting clothes, which offer more comfort. These can be found in catalogs such as Lands' End, Boston Proper, Coldwater Creek, Chadwick's of Boston, and Jessica London.

The Teen Scene

Catalogs aimed at teens have struggled, possibly because teen clothing trends change quicker than the ink can dry on the catalogs. Some have seen some success, however.

Delia's catalog, which debuted in 1993, has surpassed the million-dollar mark in sales. Alloy, which started as a teen community website in 1996 has sales in the millions.

Abercrombie and Fitch, which targets high-school and college kids has also seen tremendous growth in recent years.

Mature Shoppers

As more and more people reach senior-citizen status, many catalogers are turning their focus to this group. Perennial favorites Roaman's and Lane Bryant continue to succeed. Lands' End also is popular with the over-50 crowd, and Spiegel is also trying to reach that market.

Another Name for Luxury

Neiman Marcus, which is synonymous for high-end products, seeks to reach the discriminating consumer with a lot of cash to spend.

Also popular

J. Jill and Anthropologie are two catalogers that offer a number of products, including those that reflect the popular Asian influence.

By Margaret Evans




	Catalog It's never easy to stay up-to-date with all the latest trends in fashion. Just when you fill your closet with short skirts, long skirts come back in fashion. One day, the grunge look is all the rage, and then suddenly, it's skin-tight, belly-baring shirts that look like you borrowed them from your preschool-age daughter. The best way to stay in touch with trends How can you stay in touch with what's hip and what's not in the fashion world? Turning to catalogs just might be your answer. You probably won't find the really trendy, flash-in-the-pan stuff in the catalogs. Those kinds of fashions change just about as often as you get your hair cut. But you can count on catalogs to offer easy-to-wear, easy-to-understand apparel. The Casual Friday Effect Catalog Age magazine reported recently that the shift toward casual attire in the workplace has trickled down and changed the way catalog companies do business. For instance, the Paul Fredrick Shirt Co., catalog, which became famous because of its men's dress shirts, recently changed its name to the broader-based Paul Frederick Menstyle. It now offers a more casual line – casual shirts without ties, and sweater under a blazer. Other catalog retailers have followed suit. Brooks Brothers and Jos. A Bank Clothiers now offer more khakis, chinos and sports shirts than in the past. Many women are relieved to find that catalogs are offering more loose-fitting clothes, which offer more comfort. These can be found in catalogs such as Lands' End, Boston Proper, Coldwater Creek, Chadwick's of Boston, and Jessica London. The Teen Scene Catalogs aimed at teens have struggled, possibly because teen clothing trends change quicker than the ink can dry on the catalogs. Some have seen some success, however. Delia's catalog, which debuted in 1993, has surpassed the million-dollar mark in sales. Alloy, which started as a teen community website in 1996 has sales in the millions. Abercrombie and Fitch, which targets high-school and college kids has also seen tremendous growth in recent years. Mature Shoppers As more and more people reach senior-citizen status, many catalogers are turning their focus to this group. Perennial favorites Roaman's and Lane Bryant continue to succeed. Lands' End also is popular with the over-50 crowd, and Spiegel is also trying to reach that market. Another Name for Luxury Neiman Marcus, which is synonymous for high-end products, seeks to reach the discriminating consumer with a lot of cash to spend. Also popular J. Jill and Anthropologie are two catalogers that offer a number of products, including those that reflect the popular Asian influence. By Margaret Evans Related Links: Catalogs.com Online list of catalogs.