Archive for January, 2021

5 Tips for Buying Quality Apparel for Men

January 10th, 2021

If you’re on a tight budget, did you know purchasing quality apparel for men will actually save you money in the long run? It’s true. Spending a bit more on good clothing has numerous benefits.

You may argue there are some pretty good quality products on the market today, which are similar to designer clothes but for half or even less the price. It’s pretty difficult to pass up a designer knock-off jacket for only $25.

But often, after several washes, the seams can begin to fray, separate or holes can even start to form. When this happens, your next stop will find you donating them to the local thrift store. In other words, cheap clothing isn’t all that cheap.

Better quality clothing lasts longer simply because the products are created with much more care. Especially with designer clothing, the designer’s name is on the product, and they most likely will want a good reputation to go along with that name.

5 Tips for Buying Quality Apparel for Men:

1. Beware of impulse spending. Buying designer clothing will help keep your impulse spending down. Because you’re paying more for the item, you’ll probably take more time thinking about buying it. This also has the effect of making your clothes more meaningful to you.

2. Clothes will last longer. As already been stated, quality clothing lasts longer. The fabrics, design and workmanship have been tested and have been proven durable. You’re making an investment in your wardrobe when you buy quality.

3. Shop wisely. Did you know you can find designer clothing at thrift stores? And, many will still have their original tags on them. Even if you can’t find brand new, even pre-worn designer clothing will still have plenty of wear in them.

4. You can take your time. Buying designer apparel for men should not be rushed. There will always be plenty of designers ready, willing and able to take your money. Certain classics will never go out of style. You can spend an afternoon at the mall just looking through the designer sale racks or perusing the current styles.

5. Educate yourself on quality. Sometimes you can’t tell if a certain piece of clothing has a famous designer name attached to it. If you spend a little time educating yourself on what quality looks and feels like, you’ll be able to spot it before you even know who made it.

Understandably, it may be challenging to recognize quality at the beginning. The best way to learn is to visit a high-quality store and check out the details of each piece. Try on the clothing and see how it feels. This is the standard test – better-made clothing simply feels better.

Purchasing quality apparel for men is no different than buying any other product. You get what you paid for is still true. Don’t be tempted or tricked into buying something that won’t stand the test of time.

Apparel Merchandising Career: Buyer For a Clothing Company

January 10th, 2021

A clothing buyer is a professional negotiator or shopper who uses both fashion and business sense of acquiring clothing and accessories for clothing companies. A professional at this post must always stay updated with the current fashion trends. He/she must develop strong and useful connections with the vendors along with skillful management of product orders and profit targets. A clothing buyer is also responsible for tracking industry competition and hence creating strategies accordingly.

Individuals with a strong business sense and a passion for fashion are most likely to be interested in this career option. A person at this position must skillfully use this business and fashion knowledge in order to make great deals with the vendors hence, establishing company’s goals. He/she may work with sales employees for analyzing and understanding the process of buying trends and placing bids on clothing and accessories.

Educational Requirements

In today’s commercial era, employers usually prefer hiring clothing buyers who have successfully acquired a bachelor’s degree in apparel merchandising course. The course is aimed at providing the aspirants with on-the-job and skills related to apparel merchandising, which may include marketing, trend forecasting, economic theory, customer behavior and much more.

In addition to the degree program, one must also consider taking up an internship, either offered by the fashion institute or outside-the-institute. This will provide the students with real-world skills and experience in the apparel industry. Various designing institutes are now offering diploma, bachelor’s and master’s level courses in apparel merchandising, which are aimed at imparting both practical and theoretical knowledge about the field. But make sure you do a thorough research about the institutes you are interested in, so as to be able to pick the right one for yourself.

After having done an internship, apparel merchandisers can choose to take up entry-level positions such as junior buyer, assistant buyer, associate planner, allocation assistant and so on. This will provide them with a chance to learn everything about the market trends, buying process, sales system and price negotiations.

Some Last Words

It is of prime importance for a clothing buyer to keep him/herself well-educated about the latest product lines, market trends and industry scenarios, so as to be successful in the field of buying clothing and accessories for a clothing company. It would be very useful for such professionals to attend fashion shows and seminars along with continuously reading apparel industry publications. This will be a great way of bagging new opportunities in terms of learning and establishing new industry connections.