California Apparel News

The sartorial pendulum may be starting to swing back toward professional dress.

The troubled economy and the threat of war have created a somber American culture—and that culture may translate into more serious dressing in the workplace.

Apparel retailers say they’re seeing more interest in careerwear by shoppers—either of their own accord or at the behest of their employers—and that’s led to a bump-up in sales for the category.

Retailers are reacting by emphasizing their career looks for both men and women. But shoppers shouldn’t expect to find a vast array of monochromatic suits to wear with sensible pumps.

“We’re stepping forward with a new hybrid—a combination of looks that are professional but not uptight, and casualwear pieces that are comfortable without being scruffy,” said David Wolfe, creative director of the Doneger Group, a New York-based buying office and consultancy. “This isn’t about your father’s old white shirt and conservative tie.”

That means more-relaxed, textured fabrics and tailoring: Think cuffed, pinstripe trousers worn with a printed silk tunic, said Hope Brick, vice president/fashion director at Robinsons-May.

“She’s looking to get the most mileage out of her wardrobe with more separates,” Brick said.

The company’s private labels i.e. and Valerie Stevens are performing strongly as are resources geared to younger consumers, Baranda and New York City Design, she said.

To better promote the clothing trend, Robinsons-May has re-merchandised the store in the last 12 months, away from price-point clusters to segmented sections of tailored and casual clothing. Brick said the suit business, especially those resources with affordable price points, “is also accelerating” in pinstripe sets and fur-trimmed combinations by Kasper and Valerie Stevens.

At Macy’s West, knee-length skirts and jackets cut closer to the body with novelty seaming, collars and textures are top draws, said Durand Guion, company fashion director for women’s ready-to-wear.

“Fashions are looking feminine and ladylike, but are very wearable day in, day out,” he said.

For men, there’s “significant growth” in coordinated sport coat and corduroy trouser looks by Liz Claiborne and Nautica, Robinsons-May’s Brick said.

Like women, men are seeking more-flexible wardrobe options, such as separates, and that can cut into the sales of suit manufacturers.

Some suit designers are reacting by changing the way they do business.

New York-based Jhane Barnes, a men’s suiting and sportswear label produced in Italy, reduced its Spring 2003 price points by 15 to 20 percent to $595 to $795. President Gary Lowy said it’s a strategy that helps the firm compete on cost against Italian suit designers Canali and Ermenegildo Zegna, whose prices run from $1,000 on up.

“Combining the lower retail prices with ’Made in Italy’ is certainly giving the Jhane Barnes product an advantage in the market,” he said.

He projects the move will help boost sales 8 percent this year, compared to a double-digit downturn in 2000.

Still, casual attire in the workplace remains the norm rather than the exception.

Last year, about 85 percent of companies offered some form of casual-dress code and 53 percent of respondents said their employers allowed them to wear casual dress to work on a daily basis, according to the 2002 Benefits Survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, based in Alexandria, Va.

But not all employees are so lucky.

Jeff Still, manager of national marketing for Cushman & Wakefield in Los Angeles, said his New York-based company reverted back to a formal business attire dress policy at the first of the year, which put a ban on denim, sneakers and even open-toed shoes.

That means he has spent about $700 on new sportcoats, ties and slacks and anticipates his dry cleaning bill tripling for the year.

“There’s been grousing in the men’s room,” he said. “It wasn’t much of a change for brokers who work out in the field, but for those of us in ancillary departments like legal, marketing and human resources, it seems onerous and expensive.”

Employers can impose morestringent and often costly dress code policies as long as the changes don’t bias based on sex. For example, under California law, companies can’t prohibit female employees from wearing pants.

“If it’s part of the job, there’s no prohibition if it’s a reasonable request,” said Laura Worsinger, an attorney who specializes in labor law at Buchalter Nemer Fields & Younger