The women's apparel industry was made up of small, family-oriented businesses. This began to change at the end of the 1960s. The ownership of apparel manufacturing businesses by such conglomerates as Gulf and Western became economically desirable. These changes necessarily brought some restrictive measures to an industry noted for its flamboyant methods of operation. While it is still possible to respond quickly to changing demands in fashion, more planning is now involved.

As the apparel industry moves into the pattern of big business, it cannot contract or expand its facilities at a moment's notice. Starting an apparel business with minimum capital in hopes that a particular item will catch on and skyrocket into the fashion success story of the year is today the exception, not the rule. Although the advent of mergers has affected the women's apparel industry, certain aspects of operation remain the same.

Firms within the industry are highly specialized in terms of their production. Not all producers of apparel actually perform all the processes necessary to turn out the finished garments. And the new lines, or assortments of styles, are developed for each selling season of the year.

Types of producers
The fashion apparel industry consists of three types of producers: manufacturers, jobbers, and contractors. A manufacturer is one who performs all the operations required to produce apparel, from buying the fabric to selling and shipping the finished garments. An apparel jobber handles the designing, the planning, the purchasing, usually the cutting, the selling, and the shipping, but not the actual sewing operation. A contractor is a producer whose sole function is to supply sewing services to the industry, where it is sometimes called an outside shop.

Manufacturer
A manufacturer, by definition, is a producer who handles all phases of a garment's production. The staff produces the original design or buys an acceptable design from a freelance designer. Each line is planned by the company executives. The company purchases the fabric and trimmings needed. The cutting and sewing are usually done in the company's factories. On certain occasions, however, a manufacturer may use the services of a contractor if sales of an item exceed the capacity of the firm's sewing facilities and if shipping deadlines cannot otherwise be met.

Apparel jobbers
Apparel jobbers handle all phases of the production of a garment except for the actual sewing and sometimes the cutting. Some jobber firms may employ a design staff to create various seasonal lines or may buy acceptable sketches from freelance designers. Jobbers, however, do not actually sew and finish garments. Instead, they arrange with outside factories run by contractors to perform these manufacturing operations.

Contractors

Contractors usually specialize in just one phase of theproduction of a garment: sewing. In some cases contractors also perform thecutting operation from patterns submitted by a jobber or a manufacturer.Contractors serve those producers who have little or no sewing capability oftheir own as well as those current business exceeds their own capacity. If acontractor is used, cut pieces of the garment are provided by the manufacturer.For an agreed price per garment, the article is sewn, finished, inspected, andreturned to the manufacturer for shipment to retail stores.

Size of producers

Throughout the history of the industry, many of the firmsproducing womens apparel have been relatively small. However, during the lasttwo decades a number of large apparel companies have emerged.

Specialization by product

Traditionally, womens apparel firms were divided intodistinct groups according to

types of apparel, size ranges and price zones. Anincreasing number of firms are developing diversified lines and crossingpreviously established price and product lines. Nevertheless, both producersand retail buyers still have to think and work in terms of productspecialization.

Categories

The following are the traditional basic categories inwomens apparel: Outerwear-includes coats, suits, rainwear, jackets. Dresses-includesone-or two-piece designs and ensembles (a dress with a jacket or coat). Sportswearand separates-includes active, contemporary; town and country and spectatorsportswear, such as pants, shorts, tops, swimwear, and cover-ups; bathing caps,beach bags; sweaters; skirts; shirts; jackets; tennis dresses; casual dresses;pant-suits.

After-five and evening clothes-consists of dressy apparel,bride and bridesmaid attire, blouses -include both dressy and tailored.Uniforms and aprons- include house-dresses and sometimes career apparel. Maternity-includesdresses, sportswear.

Size ranges

Womens apparel is divided into several size ranges. Itincludes even-numbered half-sizes 12 to 26 and straight sizes 36 to 52. Misses-include regular even-numbered sizes 6 to 20, tall sizes 12 to 20, andsometimes sizes as small as 2. Juniors-includes regular sizes 5 to 17 andpetite sizes 1 to 15. Petite-includes regular even-numbered sizes 2 to 16 andjunior sizes 1 to 15.

 

Wholesale price zones

Womens apparel is produced and marketed at a wide rangeof wholesale prices. Major factors contributing to the wholesale price of agarment are:-

The quality of material used, the quality of workmanshipemployed, the amount and type of labour required in the production process. Withinthis wide range of prices, however, there are certain price zones that appealto specific target groups of customers.

The womens apparel market has traditionally been dividedinto the following four price zones:

Designer-usually the higher prices; sometimes referred toas prestige market.

Better-usually the medium to high prices

Moderate-usually the medium prices

Budget-usually the lower prices sometimes referred to asthe promotional or mass market.

MERCHANDISING AND MARKETING ACTIVITES

Most fashion producers sell directly to retail storesrather than through intermediaries. Womens apparel producers aim their salespromotion efforts at both retailers and consumers. Such efforts take the formof advertising, publicity, and promotional aids available to retailers who buytheir products.

Advertising

Advertising of womens fashion apparel carries the name ofthe apparel producer. The apparel manufacturing industry spends less than 1percent of its annual total sales on advertising, but the exposure given to itsproducts is impressive. Apparel producers advertise their apparel on televisionand radio, and in newspaper and magazines. Both fashion and general-interestmagazines are prime outlets for advertising exposure for all apparel firms, asare trade publications to reach retailers. Another important source of exposureis cooperative advertising with retail stores.

Publicity

Whether they spend money on advertising or not, apparelproducers have many opportunities to familiarize the public with their brandnames through publicity. To obtain maximum publicity, producers sometimes hirea public relations person or firm. These publicity firms distribute photographsof best-selling styles to newspapers and magazines. They also may supply TV andsports personalities with items of apparel in an attempt to attract publicattention.

In addition to the individual efforts of firms to securepublicity, the major womens designer firms located in New York City show theircollections at semi-annual press weeks. There are two press weeks in January andtwo in June. One is organized by the New York Couture Group, and the other iscalled the American Designers Showings.

 

Both give the countrys fashion editors (newspaper,magazine, radio, and television) an opportunity to examine the latest designercollections. Both also provide photographs, prepared stories, and interviewopportunities that editors need to tell the fashion story to their audiences.

Promotional Aids

To assist retailers and to speed the sale of theirmerchandise, many apparel manufactures provide a variety of promotional aids.The range is vast, and a single firms offerings may include any or all of thefollowing:

       Display ideas

       Display stockfixtures.

       Advertisingaids.

       Suggestionsfor departmental layout and fixturing.

       Reorder formsand assistance in checking stock for reorder purposes.

       Educationalbooklets for salespeople and customers.

       Talks tosalespeople by producers representatives.

       Assistancefrom producers fashion experts in training salespeople, staging fashion shows,and addressing customers.

       Statementsenclosures or other mailing pieces for the stores to send to customers.

       Special retailpromotions to tie in with producers national advertising campaigns.

       Advertisingmats for smaller stores.

One apparel producer showed a 20 minute color videotapefeaturing its current line to sales personnel of its retail store customers.The purpose of the videotape was to help educate the fashion sales personnelabout fabrics, colors, silhouettes, and skirt lengths in the producers line,as well as the accessories necessary to complete this fashion message.

Another effective promotion is a trunk show. A trunk showmeans showing of samples of most of the producers line to a retail storescustomers. A fashion show is usually part of the trunk show, with the produceror the producers representatives on hand to deliver the commentary, meetcustomers, and discuss actual garments. The retail stores customers may thenorder any of its item shown.

Everyone benefits from these special events. Customers seefashions that they might never otherwise see, and the retailer enjoys adramatic influx of customers who come to see the show and place their orders.And finally, the manufacturer has an opportunity to see which of the stylesshown are hot.

Sivambiga .V is astudent of NIFT Kannur

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