American Baby Maternity Alliance Newsletter, What`s

TREND REPORT
WHAT’S
Spring '06
W
O
N
t
o
H
Armanda Texidor, A New View Maternity
I always get my cues for the next year’s spring trends on the
streets of New York during late summer. Here’s the verdict:
®
Skirts are the rage
You can find any length, from real minis to floor length, in a
range of fabrics, from boho gauze to country club prints. This
season there is a skirt for every height, style and budget.
Fall/Winter 2005
Shorts are back
Slim and long, close to the knee. This flattering cut looks
good with shapely waist treatments, various pocket styles
and the continuing trend of camis, with or without the extra
layer of cotton tees.
INSIDE
These two trends have fueled the rebirth of the gaucho, which is
now in triple reorder mode. A perfect item for transition, it looks
sophisticated with boots, and casually chic with sandals.
Waistline
The maternity waistband has transformed once again and is
clearly driving sales upward. You can now satisfy
both the over-the belly and under-the-belly
www.duetdesigns.com
customer with one garment. This unique band can
be rolled up or down. This simple design idea must
be engineered properly, and the correct fabric must be
used for it to stay up after a multitude of washings and an
ever-changing waistline.
Denim is still the hot ticket
You can find great fitting denim with very current
washes and treatments from your maternity
vendors (and some new entries as well). Don’t
know where start? Call your regional sales
representative.
Bling is the thing
Sequins, beading, studs, shimmery
threads, iridescent stones are the details of
www.japaneseweekend.com
the season.
“ ”
Fashion-savvy moms-to-be
will not compromise their
sense of style. Don’t get
caught chasing the trends!
HOW TO REACH US
CONTACT: Julia Beck PHONE: (212) 455-1471
EMAIL: Julia.beck@americanbaby.com
THIS ISSUE
to be at the center of this exciting and thriving category. Many of you have already begun to take
The Fitness Factor
in-store capabilities survey to help us bring the perfect promotional partnerships right to your
Designer Profile
Accessories, etc.
Sizing Up Your
Bra Inventory
www.japaneseweekend.com
The excitement over the American Baby Maternity Alliance continues to grow. We are so pleased
advantage of our complementary resources—from use of our mailing lists, to completing our
door. And, there is much more to come. Be sure to visit our website for updates and to share your
feedback. This issue we look at some of the little things that make a big difference in store. It is our
goal to positively impact and unify the independent maternity fashion community. I encourage
you to use our website to keep in touch. www.americanbaby.com/abma
Foundations
for Growth
Norma Blatto
Publisher, American Baby
Spring 2006
Trend Report
Think Color!
Color is dominant in all fashion
from daywear to home furnishings.
Beautiful bright colors like orange
and cool turquoise are more striking
when paired with white. Ice cream
colors like pistachio, pink cotton
candy, and lemon drop yellow are
easy to wear with denim and glittery
skirts. Purple is now lavender and
brown is still the new black.
PUBLISHED BY
®
Mom to mom. Woman to woman.TM
THE FITNESS FACTOR
T
Shari Wohl, Body Wisdom Media
The prenatal exercise industry has experienced dramatic
growth in recent years. There has been a 15% increase in
prenatal DVDs, for example, over the last three years. Where
once there were few options, now there is an abundance of
pregnancy-specific fitness goods and services. In major
cities, prenatal training, yoga and even dance continue to
be popular with new options emerging on a regular basis.
Expectant women represent an increasingly larger segment
of fitness enthusiasts who enjoy and participate in a wide
range of activities. With this growth, the demand for creative,
innovative exercise options and comfortable
fitness wear increases.
By introducing several DVD options
to the mix of fitness merchandise,
maternity stores can take advantage of
this growing trend. It is another
opportunity to offer pregnant
clients information as well as
product, thus strengthening
the customer – client bond and
increasing your bottom line.
Stores should ideally carry at
least one interactive DVD from
these major categories: yoga,
pilates and general fitness.
There are approximately
2 0 p r e n a t a l D V D ’s
www.bodywisdommedia.com
currently on the market.
Merchandising DVD’s with
active wear is highly effective as it enhances
and completes the presentation and creates a “specialty
department” while taking up minimal in-store space.
Body Wisdom offers Prenatal Complete, which are the
first fully interactive video offering more than 20 customized
routines for each trimester. It addresses a myriad of pregnancy
conditions (pre-conception) from fatigue to morning sickness
and swelling and does so through the gentle and easy-to-follow
instruction of prenatal yoga expert Mary Pappas-Sandonas.
Prenatal Yoga Complete allows the pregnancy yoga routine to
change throughout the pregnancy. ❉
DESIGNER PROFILE
Skye Hoppus
Q. You came from a highly creative background. What were
some of the highlights of your
career?
A. Traveling the world with MTV
was probably the most exciting
and incredible time in my life. I
was so fortunate to be constantly
surrounded by creative people and
musicians. And with Childish, I’ve
been able to build something from
the ground up, with NO experience in the fashion or manufacturing industries.
Q. What brought you to design maternity
fashion in the first place?
A. I was leaving to go on tour with my husband and discovered I was pregnant with my son Jack. I could not find
anything flattering to wear. I wanted to feel great and look
great but found it nearly impossible with the lack of great,
fashionable maternity clothes. I met Suzanne (co-founder of Childish) and we started researching how to make
clothes…sewing, finding fabrics, understanding the chemical dye process, and this led to the birth of Childish.
Q. How much of an influence is LA and the
“West Coast Look” in your work?
A. I am definitely a Southern California girl with a punk
influence and that has a huge influence on the line. A big
reason why I started Childish is because I could not find
maternity clothes that were my style and this also happened
when looking for clothes for my son. Boy clothes were for
the most part adorned with baseballs, sailboats, cartoon
characters, etc. I think Childish is filling a style niche for
those who are looking for edgier, more unique clothing
options.
Q. What is next for the line and for you?
A. We are adding new stores monthly and I’m always
looking to find new ways to meet the needs of moms
and kids everywhere. Look for more dresses in the
maternity collections, as well as more of your basic
needs—tees, tanks, capris. And for the little ones, we
continue to push the envelope with clever “punky”
tees/tops and great, bright colors and a little unexpected attitude. ❉
www.childishclothing.com
ACCESSORIES, ETC.
Thinking about going “off the rack” for some new and
buzz worthy lines to generate excitement in store?
Look for products that engage the senses, that are
great for gift giving as well as a fun self-purchase.
Here are some of the latest and the greatest things
we have seen:
Pronto Mini
changer by
SKIP*HOP
A portable kit that holds
everything moms and dads
need to keep their baby clean,
dry and happy! The Pronto
www.skiphop.com
Mini changer can drop into
any bag, strap onto a wrist or clip on a stroller. As practical as it is stylish, this new essential comes in three color
combinations with super hip lining patterns.
Basq
True indulgence! Appealing aromas, rich essential oils and
plant extracts deliver a sensory experience that is both
pampering and comforting for every
pregnant woman. Choose
from four open stock items
including: Resilient Belly Oil,
Rebalancing Facial Cleanser, Soothing Foot Relief and
Sweet Dreams Aroma
Therapy. Also available
in boxed gift sets and
filled diaper bags.
www.???????.com
Lil’ Dipper
A favorite of Courtney Cox and Brooke Shields,
this is THE hot new line in baby care. Lil’ Dipper offers a full line of performance driven
baby skin care products. Choose from adorably packaged ShampooWash, BabyLotion,
DiaperCream and Lil’ One Wipes (super
convenient – the only baby and infant wipes
that come individually wrapped). Gift sets are
also available.
www.lildipper.com
SIZING UP YOUR BRA INVENTORY
Maureen Grice, Bravado! Designs
W
When you consider that women typically buy between 3-5 nursing bras, that’s
big business. But stocking bras in your
inventory can be daunting because of the
high number of SKU’s. It shouldn’t be.
Nursing bras and undergarments can be
a very profitable product for your store.
Consider these points:
Women tend to wear different nursing
bras for different uses – for sleeping, for
going out with friends or to work, or
perhaps for a night on the town. Make
sure you carry a range of styles. Most
vendors can help you select popular sizes
and colors and suggest initial orders.
If you don’t want to carry the full range
of colors available, carry the complete
size range of at least one of the colors.
You should always have the correct bra
FOUNDATIONS
FOR GROWTH
Song Pardue, Pickles and Ice Cream
M
size for a customer to try on.
If you don’t, it’s a lost sale
Ask your vendor about lead
times to order stock. Does
the company have an instock program? Can it ship
re-orders or a special size or
color within a few days?
Once you’ve got the bras
in-store, remember to display them. When customers shopping for maternity
clothes see that you carry
these items, they’ll return to
buy them closer to their due
dates and post-partum.
Educate yourself and your sales staff
about bra sizing and features. Most
intimate apparel vendors will provide
information that helps you put your
www.bravadodesigns.com
customer in the right bra. A happy and
comfortable customer equals no returns
and repeat sales! ❉
I Love Merchandising
DISPLAY Some intimate apparel displays better than others on the hanger.
Consider keeping some of the products in their packaging—especially if the
package is attractive and offers good product information.
More than any other factors, comfort
STOCK If your customer loves a certain bra, show her all the colors! Gone
and fit determine whether a foundaare the days when women wore only white bras. These days, nursing bras are
tion garment sells. Pregnant women
offered in a variety of popular colors and prints, so make sure to have samples
often mistakenly believe that materof all of the colors. Your customer may start with white and black, but return to
nity bras are strictly for nursing, and
order blue, pink or even leopard print…frisky!
hold off purchasing them until the
eighth or ninth month of pregnanFREEBIES Carry complementary products such as breast pads. Most
cy. Expectant moms are even more
women don't set out to buy breast pads, but realize they go hand and hand
hesitant to buy maternity panties and
when shopping for nursing bras. Display them with the bras or at the counter.
thongs, regarding them as just “bigger
underwear.” It’s no wonder foundation sales vary so vastly from market
to market, and even store to store.
The best time to focus your customer’s attention on foundations is in and around
the dressing room. Observe how her current foundations are serving her. Is there
enough support? Are bra-lines visible? Is her bra so tight that it causes obvious
bulges? If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, stay close to the dressing
room and try to engage her after she gets that first top on. Ask if she has purchased
foundations to accommodate her growing breasts. She will either tell you about
Visit our site at
her struggle to find a great bra, or ask why she can’t simply go up a size or two at
www.americanbaby.com/abma
Victoria’s Secret. Either way, you can act as the source of vital information. She
will likely try on a bra to see if what you’re telling her is valid. And if that bra is a
to fill out the American Baby
comfortable fit, she will most likely ask you if she can wear it out of the store.
Building foundation sales brings other rewards, too. With every bra and panty
in-store promotion form
sale, your customers will begin to recognize your store as an expert resource for
all things maternity, before and after baby. ❉
Hottip