ASK THE EXPERT | IS OUTERWEAR THE BEST STRATEGY FOR GROWTH?

Q: I’ve been in the menswear business for the last 15 years, and I used to think that Sportswear was my most important category, especially during the long sneaker trend.

But in recent years, I’ve seen steady growth in Outerwear, which took me by surprise. Are you seeing this nationwide, and what is the best strategy for planning this growth category?

A: What you’re seeing in your business is exactly what we are seeing in our client stores – Outerwear now comprises a huge amount of business. It doesn’t just include fall and cold-weather wear, but also the growing category of indoor outerwear, such as shirt jackets and jean jackets.

When we step back, Outerwear as a category contains a huge assortment of top pieces for both inside and outside. The styles with the most momentum recently have been shirt jackets (indoor) and long fashion coats (outdoor.) These longer looks are being used as a starting point to build entire outfits, driving sales in a range of Clothing and Sportswear categories.

Meanwhile, shirt jackets are increasingly being used in place of the traditional sport coat.

Then there is your classic cold-weather gear, which saw a huge uptick amid the storms last month, as it should. Combined, all of these top pieces represent a great and growing part of our business.

Getting back to your question, in order to grow Outerwear, we recommend that you widen your assortment because we believe this trend will stay with us for quite a while. Monitor your sales and consider breaking out shirt jackets as its own planning category as some of our clients have, so you can track and fund the growth.

Remember, Outerwear is no longer an add-on, it’s a starting point. Help your clients express their style with a wonderful top piece, and then see what flows next.