Here’s what’s happening this week in the apparel world …
Every shirt comes with a label. While some companies work to make them more comfortable, Columbia is trying a new approach. According to Gizmodo, the apparel company is turning the informational label on some of its garments that are designed for outdoor adventures into stainless steel survival tools that will help in activities like cutting wood, fixing clothing tears and filtering water. But don’t worry: The tags still will include the always useful information on how to clean and care for garments.
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Looking to best the competition? So is Uniqlo. While the Japanese casual clothing company has built a solid foundation by providing quality apparel at affordable prices, it now wants to upset companies, like Gap and H&M, to become the world’s biggest apparel maker, Business of Fashion reported. Experts say the way for Uniqlo to do this is to drive brand loyalty through fostering better customer connections, increasing its digital presence and adapting to non-Asian markets.
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For some reason, ugly concert merchandise is a new trend—so much so that companies are copying the style for their own products. Just look at Forever 21. According to Racked, the company is selling short-sleeve crewneck T-shirts designed by a Los Angeles-based clothing label that look suspiciously (and, we’ll say it, blatantly) like Kanye West’s “The Life of Pablo” tour T-shirts. Surprisingly, so far it’s been all quiet on the Kanye front.
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In the market for baby clothes? You might want to skip Amazon. While it seems like you can find just about anything on the online retailer’s site, surprisingly, baby apparel makes up just 2 percent of all of its available apparel products, Business Insider reported. This could change—especially considering Amazon’s plans for growth in the apparel sector—but as of now, almost 90 percent of apparel is focused on adult clothing. Children’s clothing, for both boys and girls, sits at only 9 percent.
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Britney Spears loves tracksuits—and Juicy Couture does too. (In fact, the brand is launching a collection of the classics in July.) And now, the two have rejoined forces in a rather unique way. In Spears’ mobile app game, “Britney Spears: American Dream,” players will select from 20 Juicy Couture looks (including, yes, tracksuits) to dress their characters, Racked reported. And, bonus, there’s a pop-up shop in the game where players can shop for real Juicy Couture pieces.
