Men's specialty stores see leather rebound for fall. (leather outerwear sales) - Daily News Record

NEW YORK -- Men's specialty store executives expect this fall to be a better season for better leather outerwear.

Many shop owners say that after a couple of boom years, fall '93 marked somewhat of a slowdown in leather. This, they report, reflects the consumers' desire to get some wear out of their previous purchases before buying new items. Additionally, the cloth outerwear category attracted so much attention last fall that leather suffered at its expense, they claimed.

That brings retailers to the fall '94 selling season, which they say should benefit from classics in smooth lamb and new styles in worn, rugged skins.

At Silhouette, which has four stores in the Washington, D.C., area, owner Alain Chetrit said about 75 percent of his leather outerwear open-to-buy is in place. He said he's left some room to make purchases at the beginning of the season.

'As far as fashions for this coming season, I like the nubby lamb and shearlings,' Chetrit said. 'And I'm a big believer that the B-3 [bomber] shearling model is important for casual dressing. I started noticing that piece a lot in Europe last year and I thought I should have it here. I think it will be great here.'

Chetrit said that leather outerwear comprises about half of his total outerwear business in dollars.

'Leather was not as good for me last year as the previous year, so I think there could be a resurgence now,' he predicted. 'It's cyclical. We go through a couple of good seasons then we have to give people a chance to wear what they bought and then they come out again.'

The leather selection at the Silhouette stores, which will range from $395 to $1,000, will include an unconstructed blazer in chocolate-brown suede from Hugo Boss, retailing for about $750, and a B-3 bomber from Schott. Said Chetrit of his choices: 'I feel the blazer is a longer silhouette that could be a sport coat or dressier outdoor piece. As for the B-3, I started with Schott in our jeans store and I think it is the most authentic looking B-3 I saw, so I chose the most authentic manufacturer.'

At New York's Camouflage store, partner Gene Chace said he's very excited about this fall.

'Leathers were a bust last year -- cloth coats were the thing,' he stated. 'But I think the business will be stronger this fall, because there's some nice new shapes around.'

Chace, who's placed all his leather orders for fall, said that while the three-quarter shape is 'really the deal,' it's the distressed or worn treatment that will be important to consumers this fall. 'The texture and finish is key, because it makes the piece look like your old favorite jacket fight off the rack,' he said.

Camouflage's leather outerwear offerings will retail from about $300 to $800. Labels include Golden Bear for its consistent sales, New Republic for its retro styling and, as one of the store's new resources this season, Ufuk Arkun.

At Threads, a men's apparel store located in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., owner Nancy Amoroso said she's placed most of her fall leather orders.

'But I haven't placed all of them because last year was not a good leather season,' Amoroso said. 'Had the January/February leather sales taken place in November and December, we wouldn't have had any in stock. But the change in season didn't happen fast enough. So this year we bought more lightweight and shorter leather jackets for early in the season. But we also bought some heavier pieces and shearling, in the hopes that the weather will take off earlier this year.'

The Threads assortment will include leathers with removable liners, and fashion pieces from Victor/Victoria, Scarab and DKNY. The styles, which will retail from about the mid-$400s to more than $1,000, will emphasize versatility, she said. 'They're pieces that guys can put on and not wait until it's freezing cold outside. They're less gimmicky and more in the way of classic.'

At F.R. Tripler, the leather business was quite good last year, according to Richard Press, president. So, he said, the store will continue with the items that meant business last year.

'We will continue to carry both short aviator lengths and longer topcoats for city or country walking wear,' he said. 'Both of those have been very popular with us. And leather in general seems to be on the upturn.'

Press said he's banking on leathers in the brown family to sell best. His assortment includes both private label and better brands, which he declined to identify. But price points, he did mention, will range from the mid-$400s to about $1,000.

West Coast business just keeps rolling; jog suits to sport coats continue selling. - Daily News Record

LOS ANGELES--Business on the West Coast maintained its momentum in the second week of the holiday season, with items that sold well in the first week after Thanksgiving continuing their strong showing.

Heavyweight shirts in flannels, acrylics and fleece were big sellers in the young men's area along with hooded tops, said Gary Gladding, executive vice-president of merchandising for Fresno-based Gottschalks.

'The tops business continues to perform well with the highlights in the heavier-weight fabrics, denim and some silks,' and Gladding.

'Jog suits have also been a big seller during the holidays, along with sport coats,' he added. The only real disappointment seems to be in the neckwear category, where Gladding said it's been a struggle to generate business.

'Overall, we're looking for men's to show increases in the high single to low double digits over last year. If the traffic keeps up as it has been so far, we will be happy,' he said.

Wilkes Bashford, owner of the San Francisco-based store of the same name, said holiday buying just keeps rolling along. 'We haven't seen any signs of it slowing down,' he said. 'Sport coats, especially Zegna Soft, continue to sell well, as are cashmere sweaters, which we're almost sold out of,' he said.

Neckwear is doing very well for the holidays, according to Bashford. 'The neckwear business is execellent. We had some late November deliveries that have helped our inventory,' he said.

December business was so good last year that Bashford said he will be happy with a slight increase this year.

Ron Herman, owner of Los Angeles-based Fred Segal, said most of his customers haven't really started to do their holiday shopping yet. 'Our customer doesn't reall shop ahead. We're experiencing good traffic currently, but I wouldn't attribute it to holiday gift shopping,' he said.

Because Fred Segal caters to a largely celebrity clientele, a lot of the holiday business that has been done is over the phone. 'We have customers that call us about their friends and ask us ot pick some items out that we think that they would like for a holiday gift,' said Herman.

Gary Ross, owner of Raffles in Encino, said: 'Our business is steady and we're expecting it to end up over last year, but it will really depend on the weather. It has been so warm-lately that it doesn't really put people in the holiday mood. But people are, however, a lot more positive in their shopping attitudes than last year, price isn't a problem and people do seem to be more confident in their purchases overall.'

Leather and suede jackets, along with flannel, corduroy and plaid shirts, continue to be top sellers. The neckwear business is a little off, according to Ross, but sport shirts and sport coats are performing nicely.

Jerry Rutledge, owner of Colorado Springs-based Rutledge's, is optimistic about holiday business. 'We had a huge 26th anniversity sale at this time last year, so it's going to be hard to beat those numbers, but it looks like we're going to come close,' he said.

USPTO Issues Trademark JOULE SPORT to Joules for Leather, Imitations Of Leather - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 10 -- Joules Limited LIMITED COMPANY UNITED KINGDOM, Leicestershire, United Kingdom, has been issued the trademark JOULE SPORT (Reg. No. 3705427; International Reg. No. 0962523) by the USPTO.

The trademark application (serial number 79053201) was filed on April 4, 2008 and was registered on Nov. 3.

the big chill.(Sports) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: NANCY ARMOUR

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- By NANCY ARMOUR

the associated press

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Break out the Day-Glo golf balls, hand-warmers and the winter rules.

Chilly temperatures and a brisk north wind made the Masters feel more like it was transplanted to Augusta, Maine. Spectators bundled up in their winter finest Saturday, and players dug out every last bit of clothing they had stashed in their golf bags. Henrik Stenson even teed off in a stocking cap - at 1 p.m., no less.

And he's Swedish.

'The only other time I remember the weather like this is when I'm here playing for Thanksgiving and Christmas,' said Charles Howell III, an Augusta native.

Temperatures at the Masters hovered around 50 degrees, with overnight lows expected to drop below 30. Add wind gusting to 25 mph and it felt like the low- to mid-40s .

That's a good 30 degrees below normal. It's not expected to be much better today , with a high near 57 and more wind.

So much for warm Southern hospitality.

'We looked out this morning and thought it was going to be beautiful,' said Simon Burgess, an Englishman by way of Portugal who was shivering in shorts and a light sweater. 'It's bloody freezing.'

The Masters is normally spring break for the golfing set - sun-splashed days that are warm, if not hot; a pleasant breeze that's the perfect complement to a pimento cheese sandwich.

Shirt-sleeves are the uniform for players, with maybe a light sweater vest for those trying to show a bit of style. Spectators wear shorts. The women come in skirts or show off their sundresses. While the golf is the main attraction, getting an early start on the year's tan doesn't hurt.

Rain can put a damper on things - the third round didn't finish until Sunday morning last year because of thunderstorms. But it's one thing to have muddy shoes, another to not be able to feel your feet.

'This seems like another tournament altogether,' said Rich Cheney of Rocky Mount, N.C., who was at his fourth Masters. 'Kind of British Open conditions.'

Players were layered in sweaters, wind shirts and jackets. There was even a mock turtleneck or two. The wind played havoc with almost every shot and made Augusta's already quick greens even slicker.

'Do I look like I'm out in my shorts and T-shirt?' Englishman Lee Westwood asked. 'When I got out of the house this morning, I said to (his agent), 'It's like walking out of the Old Course Hotel at the Dunhill Links.' It was that cold.'

For the spectators, the chilly conditions called for drastic measures.

Mike Misiak had on a T-shirt, turtleneck, sweater and a jacket. He wore black pants - 'to soak in the sun' - and tundra-worthy black gloves.

'This, I think, is a beautiful day,' Misiak said. 'My golfing weather is 40 degrees. I've golfed in snow 6 inches deep. I don't know what the temperature was, but probably below freezing.'

OK, but Misiak is from Tecumseh, Mich. He's a pro at this. Ditto for David Lewis, a high school golf teacher from Buffalo, N.Y., who was at his first Masters.

Lewis had shed his coat by midafternoon, though he did have on a sweater and turtleneck.

'I hang out at football games. I've been watching the Buffalo Bills for years,' Lewis said. 'I know better than to be cold. I can take stuff off. But if you don't have it, you don't have it.'

Which is why so many spectators looked as if they were wearing half the clothes in their closets.

More than a few people had on ear muffs and wool caps. One man had on a long, leather trench coat and a leather hat. A woman already wearing a sweater, heavy jacket, gloves and hat wrapped herself in a wool blanket.

One fan who had staked out a seat along the blustery No.7 fairway was hunched over, a hood over his head and his windshirt pulled up over that.

'Temperature-wise, it's not too bad,' said Cheney, who traded the shorts and golf shirt he normally wears to Augusta for thick corduroys, gloves, a shirt, sweater vest and windbreaker. 'But when you throw in the wind, it makes it really tough.'

At least the sun was shining. When the wind would die down briefly, it wasn't that bad. Not ideal, but tolerable.

For those who weren't prepared for the elements, though, the day was brutal.

Burgess shivered and chattered for 3 hours as he followed Westwood. As soon as Westwood was done, so was Burgess. He and a buddy headed for a restaurant to get some hot wings and warm up.

'I bought $700 worth of clothes yesterday, and they're all back at the house,' Burgess said. 'I should have brought it all out.'

CAPTION(S):

David J. Phillip/the associated press

The shopping basket sports car - for [pounds sterling]250; SCHOOLBOYS MAKE CLASSIC ROADSTERS FROM SCRAP. - Daily Mail (London)

Byline: RAY MASSEY

QUESTION: What do you do with a rusty Ford Escort, a leather handbag from Oxfam and a shopping basket?

Answer (if you're a pupil at Oundle): Turn them into a classic wind-in-your-hair sports car costing just [pounds sterling]250.

The public school, founded in 1556, has started its own production line using cannibalised parts to make the DIY vehicles.

So far 32 of the `LoCost Sevens' have been built, all uncannily similar to the classic Lotus 7 designed by the late Colin Chapman - hero to the school's head of motor engineering, Ron Champion.

`We are one of the few truly Britsh motor manufacturers left,' Mr Champion said yesterday. `It's effectively fallen to one of Britain's top public schools to be a last bastions of the British motor car industry.'

Now Mr Champion, 52, has written a manual revealing the Northamptonshire school's engineering secrets. It will be released today by motoring publisher Haynes at [pounds sterling]14.99.

It advises would-be car makers to scour scrapyards for a Mark I or Mark II Ford Escort with a good engine, gearbox, back axle and tyres. Body condition is immaterial. The school says it has never paid more than [pounds sterling]75 for a whole car.

The manual then gives full details of how to strip the Escort and turn it into a shiny new sports car.

Top tips include making the radiator grille from a discarded wire shopping basket, using [pounds sterling]2.50 bath sealant to fix the windscreen and making old leather handbags and coats into trim for the dashboard and gear-stick surround.

Once the car is complete have it inspected by a vehicle licensing centre, fix on the number plates, insure, MOT and tax it - then head for the open road.

Oundle's motor industry connections run deep.

Former pupil Rudolph Stahl designed the first Chrysler, while Charles Amherst Villiers created Malcolm Campbell's land speed record-breaking Bluebird and later designed the landing craft for Nasa's Mars exploration.

TOPCOATS, OUTERWEAR, RAINCOATS SELLING SHORT; CLASSIFICATION LINES BLUR WITH EVERYONE MAKING SHORTIE WOOLS, TECHNOS AND LEATHERS. - Daily News Record

Score one more for business casual.

Because of dress-down everyday, everywhere, the topcoat industry has morphed into a new total coat business that designer Joseph Abboud simply calls 'overwear.' This is for the many who snapped up something casual, comfortable and warm this fall to wear over a sport coat or sweater for work. They made shortie coats a smash.

Naturally, everybody wants a piece of the action. Wool dress coat specialists are doing their versions of short outerwear, rainwear and leather. At the same time, outerwear and rainwear companies are both into short, dressy wools, technos and leathers, and the early blast of cold weather made them all hot performers at retail.

And this is where the biggest changes are happening.

Kent Gushner, vice-president, tailored clothing, Boyds, Philadelphia, says, 'Today the line between outerwear and overcoats has blurred because of the dress-down movement. Obviously the guy who wore a suit to work bought the dressier wool overcoat; today he's buying sportswear because he needs an outerwear-type coat. Whether it's wool, nylon, techno, shearling or leather, they're all fighting each other. It's no longer an exclusive wool business.

'What used to be four or five classifications is now one with subsets and they're all performing well.'

But he points out that this has produced major changes in the marketplace with a much smaller number of specialists and more collection lines out of Europe now making coats. The retailer claims this has changed buying patterns 'and the new mentality is that the average store is selling the names in the coats, so companies like Zegna, Canali, Hugo Boss and Burberry are all benefiting.'

Stephen Saft, CEO, Jacob Siegel & Co., a survivor in a tough dress coat market with the license for such designers as Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Jones New York and Bill Blass, among many, reports reorder business in the past two weeks has been 'spectacular after a good season. But the business is very different. Short coats, from 34 to 42 inches, are very strong and they're now 40 percent of our business. But the big surprise has been long 46- and 47-inch coats -- they're much stronger than we expected.'

Siegel, like other key makers, is no longer putting all its bucks into traditional wools. The company is doing water-repellent versions for all-weather coats and included is a reversible in wool to bonded polyester microfiber.

Picking up on the length story, Ian Selig, president, Mario Valente, which manufactures Burberry wool coats, says, 'There's no such thing as a coat company any longer. We have to provide a collection from blousons all the way down to 49-inch coats. Actually, it took several years for the original giaccone, or 36-inch Italian carcoat, to take off in this country. Now it's the casual model, while the 44-inch is the dressy coat.

'In fact, 40- to 44-inch coats are replacing the longer, 49-inch dressy coat. Shorter lengths are about 65 percent of our business.'

He also contends that the fabric assortment is just as broad and adds, 'We're not just in wools, but we now offer cottons, leathers, technos and Teflon finishes for all-weather coats. As far as our business, 36- to 40-inch wools are still our best items, and next year wool will be stronger than ever because stores haven't bought wools for the last year three years.

'Everybody went into this fall very cautiously and now they're buying as needed. We expect them to end this season clean.'

More on the state of the business from Carlo Quintiliani, president, Cardinal USA, who says reorders followed the cold weather East, starting in the Rocky Mountain states, then hitting the Midwest and finally the East Coast. 'What's happening is that the short coat has become a steady business. Both the 38- to 45-inch lengths were 60 percent of our initial bookings and the shorter length itself was a third of the business. It will end up at about a quarter of the season.'

He expects a repeat next season in a much broader range of fabrics to include more luxury as well as techno fabrics.

'It takes a little cold weather and the coat business is flying,' says an enthusiastic Joe Gordon, corporate senior vice-president, George Weintraub & Son. 'For a manufacturer like us with three different businesses -- suits, sport coats and topcoats, the mix we now have will help make up the shortfall we're finding in suits.'

Noting that 100 percent cashmere is 'on fire' in short and long coats, he says, 'We're not selling the wools we sold five years ago. There are many new blends, also techno fabrics, like bonded polyester microfibers, microfiber suedes, etc. These fabrics have put us into the outerwear business and we're also into leathers and suedes. We're in the total coat business and this includes raincoats.'

Robert Vignola, executive vice-president, wholesale, Burberry USA, says, 'Because of the new slimmer silhouette and shorter lengths, rainwear is now sportswear, especially in techno fabrics. The biggest development for us next fall will be the great expansion of our leathers and suedes as part of our growing made-in-ltaly London sportswear collection.'

Meanwhile, raincoat specialist Harvey Arfa, president of Gruner & Co., says the definition of his company has changed dramatically. 'Over the past year, short coats with more sporty details and special fashion features have gone through the roof. We once made two basic rainwear styles in one fabric and two colors.

'Today we have 35 fabrics ranging from cotton twill to high-tech bonded fabrics, wools and leathers. Our wool program has quadrupled and our new leather line looks very promising. And if this isn't enough, we add 15 new models every season to our DKNY line and the same number for Chaps.'

Barry Denn, chief creative director, Newport Harbor, says, 'Today you have to ask whether it's a topcoat, raincoat or outerwear. Rainwear has become outerwear and outerwear has become sportswear. That's where the market is. And to me, the fabric makes all the difference because there's a crossover. We have to provide a collection from blousons all the way down to 49-inch coats.

'And they're interchangeable. We're putting outerwear and topcoat fabrics into rainwear and vice versa. How about a rain blazer in water-repellent wool? Or a barn coat in a microfiber blend that's also a raincoat? Or a 40-inch Amaretta sueded bonded microfiber polyester topcoat?'

As far as Ralph DiBenedetto, executive vice-president, Crown Clothing, is concerned. 'Anything goes today when you're talking lengths, from 34-inch giaccones to cover a sport coat down to 45- and 48-inch coats. Now the 34-inch outerwear coat is sportswear and the 36-inch length in a water-repellent nylon is rainwear.'

Like many in the market, he feels the real challenge will be to give this growing mix of coats the right retail real estate. 'Does it belong in sportswear or in the clothing department? Most department stores are putting these coats between clothing and sportswear because clothing buyers are now treating them as a new all-inclusive classification that can stand on its own.'

Adds Saft at Jacob Siegel, 'For the most part, the tailored clothing buyer buys topcoats and rainwear, and then there's the combined sportswear and outerwear buyer. As the lines between the three get grayer, it will make sense for the store to have one buyer rather than several competing for the same customer.

Leather bombers fly out of stores. (sales of leather bomber jackets) - Daily News Record

NEW YORK -- Call it the comeback kid.

Despite all the confusion and predictions of doom and gloom -- and there's a lot of it out there in outerwear departments -- the leather bomber jacket has people talking again. And reordering. It even has some in a quandary.

'We are a fashion store, so I didn't want to buy the basic bomber at all this season,' said Ben Bublick, co-owner of and buyer for the family-owned The Hang Up Shoppes and The Man Alive, with 24 stores in Michigan.

'But some customers, apparently, still consider it fashion. It's been the real surprise this year. You just can't kill it,' said Bublick.

Many had predicted the demise of the bomber last year with the exception of discount stores, who had good runs with bombers last year. But the trend at discount stores has only pickep up steam this year. And, perhaps unexpectedly, this promotional style, along with zip-outs and toggle coats, is helping other retailers to put some shaky outerwear business on a firmer foundation.

Though generally not the rule, some stores have gone back into the market to look for reorders to bombers. 'We've been chasing around for the last month or so to try to get more bombers in,' said Tom Tomechko, outerwear buyer for Carlisle's, an 11-store chain based in Ashtabula, Ohio. 'That commodity is basically driving our business.'

Vendors claim they are already getting some '92 orders for bombers, and several said they had placed some quarter-million-dollar orders for bomber leathers last week.

Still, the outerwear market is on a consumer spending roller coaster. Two weeks ago, the weather was cold, and promotions worked well to loosen pockets. But last week, the weather warmed up again, and consumers stayed home, said retailers.

'You always feel that somehow, once the weather really turns cold, people will rush out to buy coats,' said Janet Franklin, a buyer for S & K Famous Brands, a 120-unit chain based in Richmond, Va.

Franklin said leather bombers had begun to do well, but that there were no clear indications to necessitate reorders at this point.

'With the new three-quarter-length jackets we have, I thought business would be better, but outerwear is still a major purchase, and I don't know if people are willing to spend that much. They are making do with last year's coats.'

Aside from leather, there are bright spots. S & K has also done well with wool bombers and lightweight outerwear and three-in-one jackets.

J.C. Penney, too, has begun to see some pockets of business. 'Sales have generally picked up over the past few weeks,' said Jeff Coate, outerwear buyer.

'We got a cold streak, and that pushed out business from some big losses to some small gains. Down parkas have started selling, zip-out basics have done well and wool has performed better, although that's still only a small percentage of the total,' said Coate.

'It's still a tough business, but at least I'm encouraged. If this trend continues, we should go from potential disaster to an okay year.'

Best sellers for other retailers include longer-length down-filled coats and anything in leather with a sports logo, said retailers.

And one store reported improved sales with a new type of outerwear -- the heavy sport jacket.

'We put money into sweater coats and blazers, and that added an additional boost to our outerwear department. We started off the season with these and added the coats later,' said Pat Scaccia, outerwear buyer at Bigsby & Kruthers. 'Short wool blousons have been doing well, and 3/4 lengths are good.