Seasonal fashion

Posts Tagged ‘Seasonal Fashion’

Introduction

Seasonal merchandising refers to the process of merchandising that is the management of products and stocks according to the seasonal trends or fashions prevailing in the market. Seasonal merchandising is fast becoming the mantra in the Indian retail scenario.Seasonal merchandising has its own benefits as well as limitations. The following points analyze the concept as a whole:

Accurate forecasting

In order to generate more sales through seasonal forecasting, it is necessary to be able to forecast the market trends accurately. You should have a fair idea of what is in demand in the international market and in other markets in your country. A trend might be very popular in one country, but it might not have the potential to dominate the national market. You should have the ability to determine which trend is just a passing fad and which one is likely to become popular and manage your stocks accordingly. A wrong forecast can lead your firm to great troubles.

Timeliness

Timeliness is the key to successful seasonal merchandising. While deciding to stock a particular product, you should ensure that you are not bringing in a trend earlier than its time. At the same time, you also need to ensure that you are not stocking an outdated item. You have an added advantage over other retailers if you are able to spot a trend and be the first to stock it in your store.

Customer base

While undertaking seasonal merchandising, you should have a fair idea of what customers each type of seasonal product would attract. Sometimes, products that are in fashion may attract only a specific class of customers, while some other products might attract a large number of customers. This gives an idea of how much of the product should be stocked and situations like overstocking and understocking can be avoided.

Managing risks

You should have well-planned strategies for risk management in order to make seasonal merchandising successful. In case overstocking happens, you should take into account ways for stock clearance, discounts and exploring other potential markets. Some retailers have well-defined sections such as core products and seasonal products. Core products are the basic or classic products offered by the retailer, while seasonal products are those that are currently in fashion.

Remember the days when trends lasted one season? To be caught wearing last season’s “it” item was the Kiss of Death. Now we cross our fingers and hope that skinny jeans and metallics come back for encore performances. Well, we got our wish. And for those of us who love wearing dresses-even in the dead of winter-we can hold on to most of those too. Finally, the style mavens are cutting us some slack!

A Leg up on Leggings

You’ve probably noticed that leggings are back in a big way, so if you were holding out to make sure the trend caught on, now’s the time to catch up to the early adopters. According to Michelle Antonelli, design director of Cable & Gauge and Spenser Jeremy, wearing leggings can be tricky (and you thought it was as easy as one leg after another).

To avoid further confusion, Ms. Antonelli breaks it down for us.

How to wear leggings

• Pick an easy style dress in one of the new baby doll, a-line or trapeze shapes.
• Go soft by selecting a feminine printed georgette or an easy soft knit dress in a great color.
• Keep it simple by opting for a solid color legging in black or brown.
• Keep it in proportion. Make sure the dress or top you select hits just at or above the knee. If you’re wearing a mini-dress, select Capri length leggings and a ballerina flat.
• Skip the hosiery and show off your ankles and the top of your foot by wearing a ballerina flat or colored pump.

Dressing up for the transition from winter to spring/spring to summer

Fashion divas hate to give up their favorite frocks, and fortunately layering is still a key trend, which allows us to wear make a smooth transition. Here are some simple tips from Ms. Antonelli on making your must-have dress span a couple of seasons.

Favorite Sheer Printed Dress:

When the weather is chilly pair with a great turtleneck, tights and boots. When springtime arrives shed the layers and slip into a strappy metallic sandal with the great completer – an abbreviated length cardigan. For a super casual summer look, treat yourself to a fabulous pedicure and slip on your favorite flip flops.

Essential Sheath Dress:

Layer a fine gauge long sleeve knit tee to give the essential dress a jumper look for winter. On a chilly spring day trade in the tee for a soft short sleeved tee or slip into a colorful topper jacket that is just about two inches above the hem of the dress. When it’s time to go sleeveless be sure to select a structured patent leather flat or go for a color or special detail like a bow or buckle. Jimmy Choo recently featured a rich red with vanilla trip and a bow that would be the perfect addition to the essential sheath dress.

Knit Dresses:

Matte jersey dresses or separates can be your year-round friend. Pair with your favorite short cardigan a pair of warm and cozy tights. Many women find knits an essential addition to their travel wardrobe or for those in between days when Mother Nature hasn’t quite figured out what she’d like to do.

The Return of Metallic: How to Make It Work

According to Antonelli, if the runway is an indication of what’s here to stay, then metallics will be with us for yet another year. Designers have embraced shimmer and retailers are still hot for metallics, but how can we be on trend without blinding ourselves? Here are two quick tips to keep in mind the next time you reach for a metallic piece: