TWEEN POP
There has been a lot of snickering going on in our buying office of late. This has to do with all the attention we are paying to the newest tween phenomenons. The vibe is a bit different around here, as our day is typically spent looking at classic rock tee shirts and pop culture fashion. Now we are expanding our education and learning about Hannah Montana, Cheetah Girls, High School Musical and the Jonas Brothers. Our stores have been begging for merchandise to keep up with young customer demands. So much to the protests of my sophisticated group, I declared that we are going to ‘the young side’.
To win the argument democratically, I regaled my team with stories of long ago I would go to a 7-Eleven, buy the latest Tiger Beat with allowance money and read every statistic about David Cassidy, Peter Brady and Leif Garret. Suddenly my buyers remembered their crushes on Corey Feldman, Corey Haim and Ralph Macchio (and anyone who was in The Outsiders). That created a little more enthusiasm for the project. Once we got samples for t-shirts, bags, caps, candy and other accessories, we realized we would make moms and tweens very happy and that made us smile. Now everyone can find something cool & trendy to wear while shopping in our Virgin Megastores. First delivery is coming in late April. As Miley says” I can’t wait to see you again”.
Ciao, Maureen
The Classic Tee
I’m not going to lie- my favorite outfit for work, to go out in or just lounge around the house is a pair of jeans and a great Rock Tee. Because I’m in the biz, my closet is full of all sorts of music-inspired tops. My rock tees get the best shelves, and I even sort by color and sleeve length (yes, I worked at the LIMITED when I was in college- who didn’t). Anyway, I mix my tees with Levi’s, flats and a hoodie for the trip to the mall, movies or our local pub and it’s perfect. Not too much effort but still a cool ensemble. My favorite tees include anything BEATLES, Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Queen. Every now & then I go retro 80’s and wear Blondie, Iggy, or classic Madonna. Now I wish I hadn’t thrown away my WHAM concert tee (hey! don’t judge).
I love the new vintage washes that we offer in the store- the shirts look like I’ve have had them forever. And most of the tees are under $30- so it’s my guilty pleasure. My husband totally loves my job- since he wears a medium; he gets all the vendor samples. But when I travel to our stores, I can’t help buying more shirts for him. He loves the rock tees, but his absolute favorite that I’ve purchased so far is from the movie The Big Lebowski- “I don’t roll on Shabbas”- huh?? It must be a guy thing.
FASHION WEEK in the Big Apple
NYC wins the Super Bowl and they get Fall Fashion Week. Starting Saturday night, Bryant Park has been populated with 6 feet tall uber-gorgeous creatures and designers in a constant frenzy. Key buyers from the well-known department stores are sharing front row status with celebs. Big news from the runway for FALL included big bright plaids and opulent luxury in brocades, metallics & tweeds.
Betsy Johnson was inspired by the Beatnik look complete with jaunty berets. “It’s lean, mean, rock ‘n’ roll and edgy” she says of her collection. BCBG showed lots of dresses with details including origami pleats, jersey rosettes, asymmetric ruffles all in subtle tans and grays. Kimora Simmons’ Baby Phat line presented cheetah print denim but the rest of the line seemed a bit un-focused. Miss Sixty took on the 60’s vibe, adding a graffitied VW bus and Janis Joplin soundtrack to the runway. Hippie print dresses, wide-legged pants, and shaggy fake furs delighted the audience including Ashley Olsen, Anne Hathaway and Milla Jovovich. It’s a tough week, but the parties and the glamour make it worth the aching feet.
IS GOING GREEN JUST A FAD??
One very hot topic around college campus, the dinner party, and in fashion is the trend of GOING GREEN. I am thrilled that it’s top of mind for many people but I hope that with all the media, people won’t become numb to the cause. We have been dabbling in Green Messaging t-shirts in the past and they have performed just ok. I don’t know if we were too ahead of the trend or if customers weren’t willing to spend a little more to save the earth. Luckily, the price of “being green” has gone down and we are excited to introduce some new styles. This month, we plan on bringing in some t-shirts from Junk Food, Chaser , etc. Check out your local Virgin to view the whole GREEN assortment. 
COLORS we must learn to love for fall 2008
I am so ready for some warm weather! Seems our customers are as well. We have sold out of our fingerless gloves – who knew that would be a best seller. We don’t have much Outerwear left in the stores, and our lightweight jackets from TokiDoki, Harajuku and Junk Food are just hitting the floor. I love that the days are getting longer but I am sure we are in for a few more winter storms before it’s all over. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the great pastel tee shirts that signal Sping is near!
1. PANTONE 18-3843 BLUE IRIS- sounds yummy and this color looks good on everyone!
2. PANTONE 18-3531 ROYAL LILAC- I love all shades of light purple
3. PANTONE 18-5634 SHADY GLADE- lush and cool…. almost Eco friendly
4. PANTONE 18-4525 CARIBBEAN SEA- I want to visit
5. PANTONE 19-3938 TWILIGHT BLUE- described as a warmer navy
6. PANTONE 18-1550 AURORA RED- really rich red
7. PANTONE 14-1036 OCHRE
8. PANTONE 16-1448 BURNT ORANGE- charred pumpkin?
9. PANTONE 18-1015 SHITAKE – not sure who this color will flatter- it’s not a brown, not a gray, not a green… but I guess it will look good mixed with some of the others
10. PANTONE 18-1435 WITHERED ROSE- pinky brown… sounds romantic
I Miss Spring
I am so ready for some warm weather! Seems our customers are as well. We have sold out of our fingerless gloves – who knew that would be a best seller. We don’t have much Outerwear left in the stores, and our lightweight jackets from TokiDoki, Harajuku and Junk Food are just hitting the floor. I love that the days are getting longer but I am sure we are in for a few more winter storms before it’s all over. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the great pastel tee shirts that signal Sping is near!
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