Tips for Buying Wholesale Clothing

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Buying wholesale clothing is a tough job for business owners starting out in the

Tips for Buying Wholesale Clothing

retail clothing business. It is full of trends and constantly changes from one season to the next. These are tried and true tips for buying wholesale clothing for women, juniors and plus sizes.

Know what your client wants. – Depending on where you’re located or what the demographic is for your store, you may sell more of one thing than another. This is common for every clothing store, but most common for women’s stores. Knowing what your client wants allows you to become comfortable with what you need to stock regularly. If you’re an online boutique, you can do an email blast surveying what clients look for most from an online store. You can also keep track of similarities of styles and shapes that are selling regularly, season after season. Knowing what your client wants also helps you gauge new trends. Once you know what sells well to your customers you’ll be able to look through trends and immediately know which are the styles your client is likely to latch on to.

 

Always stock the basics. – Nearly every store does well when it comes to selling basics. This is especially true for sites and stores that cater to working women. Working women are always looking for simple pieces that can be implement into weekend and work week wardrobes. Solid neutral colors and classic styles are popular because they flatter many women, no matter what their shape, size or skin tone. Classic styles to keep in stock are trench coats, tailored jackets, button-up shirts, feminine blouses and simple dresses. Denim and tailored slacks are also big sellers.

Choose statement pieces. – Statement pieces like a jacket with an oversized collar or jeans with embellishment are best sellers because they are one garment that update an entire look. This is what many women look for when shopping. This allows a woman to buy one piece that updates many of the basic items in her wardrobe. Most women invest in basic pieces and buy a couple of trendier pieces each season. For the woman who isn’t spending a lot, offering these trendy garments allows her to buy one or two things for a new look without breaking the bank.

It is important to watch trends within your store and on the runways when buying wholesale clothing. You want merchandise that’s going to move quickly and grabs clients’ attention when they see it.

 

  • - February 2, 2012

Spring Trends for Tops Wholesale

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When selling tops wholesale, you must stay on top of the trends. Spring has

Spring Trends for Tops Wholesale

almost sprung and with that, many women are headed to stores and perusing online boutiques to get an idea of what’s hot for the new season. Many trends trickle down from celebrities. When it comes to tops, customers are eager to buy because a top can be worn in many different ways.

Loose tops – Loose tops with a bohemian vibe are hot for spring and summer 2012. This trend is seen on many celebrities. Loose tops look great with skinny jeans and slim leg pants, both which are popular silhouettes for pants. Loose tops in feminine fabrics like chiffon or silk (or synthetic versions of these materials) create a soft, romantic look that’s popular for the new season. Loose tops with elasticized necklines and cuffs or waistlines are easy for most shapes to wear. Loose tops are also popular because they mask a tummy and work for day and night events. Look for bright colors and swirling prints for loose tops.

Nautical trends – Nautical trends like stripes, epaulettes and buttons make a major statement for spring. These tops look sharp and crisp on a warm day. Women wear nautical tops with jeans, slacks and skirts. Nautical tops are great for vacation, but they also provide a playful look for college students or stay-at-home moms. Nautical trends have been going strong for awhile now, but the tops have stuck around and look to be a favorite for spring 2012. There were many runway shows with nautical tops and celebrities continue to wear them with everything from shorts to short, voluminous skirts.

Wrap tops – Like loose tops, wrap tops are easy to wear regardless of a woman’s shape. Wrap tops or faux wrap tops create a feminine shape. For plus size women, this highlights the waist and for thin women, this shows off curves. It’s an easy shape that works for the office or on the weekend. Wrap tops in jersey and cotton fabrics are the most versatile.  You want to offer clients fabrics that have versatility and allow them to wear the item for many occasions. Wrap tops with slight draping at the neckline or roomy arms are also popular.

Spring trends for tops wholesale are a prime area for retailers to make money. Most customers want pieces that can work with basics they already own. Tops tend to be an area where women of all ages will try trends versus pants where most women stick to the same silhouette and colors.

 

Trends for Juniors Wholesale Clothing

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Trends for juniors wholesale clothing are always changing. Spring is just around

Trends for Juniors Wholesale Clothing

the corner and that means stores and online boutiques are stocking up on the latest spring trends. Customers are always eager to try something new in their wardrobes, but there’s something about spring that gets people to get out there and shop. Spring means new beginnings and the idea of warm weather is enough to make anyone want to “spring” for a few new wardrobe pieces. The latest spring trends are ideal for shop owners to explore to give customers the looks they’ll crave this season.

Maxi dresses – Maxi dresses are a major trend for spring and summer 2012. There’s nothing like a flowing, long dress to make a woman feel feminine. Maxi dresses are favored by women of all shapes and sizes because they’re comfortable to wear and easy to throw on. There’s no fussing with proportions or trying to figure out what to wear a maxi dress with. The maxi dress does the work and all the woman has to do is add a few accessories. Maxi dress is bright colors and strong prints dominated the runways in New York and Milan. Some of the best colors for the season are orange, green and yellow. Customers will make use of these dresses during transition season by adding a jacket and can continue to wear them throughout the warm weather months on their own.

Slim pants – We aren’t talking about skinny jeans or pants, but just a slim silhouette. Forget the slouchy bunching at the ankles that many of the mega trendy skinny jeans have. Slim pants are a trim, straight leg silhouette that cuts off just at the ankle. These aren’t capri pants, which hit under the knee, but ankle skimming pants with a slim leg opening. Slim pants are ideal for showing off wedges or other playful shoes during the warm weather months. Slim pants in bright colors are popular and white is always a winning shade for spring and summer. The details on slim pants should be fairly discreet with flat pockets on the front of back of pants. Many women avoid pants with slanted pockets because they can wing out or bulge if the fit is not perfect.

Maxi dresses and slim pants are strong trends for juniors wholesale clothing this season. Get to know your clients to see what they are looking for each season and gauge what sells best at the store. Sticking with basics along with a healthy mix of trendy pieces that update a client’s wardrobe is the best way to move product.

 

Popular Clothing for Plus Size Fashions

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Plus size fashions have evolved in many ways in the past few years. No longer

Popular Clothing for Plus Size Fashions

are plus size women forced to wear the same boring shapes and colors from decades ago. Plus size women’s fashion has taken a turn in a stylish direction. Plus size fashions is all about trendy, cute clothing that looks great for work and play. These are some of the most popular clothing options for wholesale plus size fashion retailers.

Jersey fabrics – Jersey fabrics are among the best sellers for plus size fashions. Jersey is a soft, pliable and moves with the body, making it an easy fabric for plus size women to wear. Plus size women want fabrics that are soft and wrap curves without clinging to them. Jersey fabrics do this perfectly. Also explore Tencel and Modal, which are jersey-like blends. Jersey fabrics with 2-4% Lycra stretch are also smart choices for stores catering to plus size clientele. Jersey fabrics for blouses and dresses are the most common. In recent seasons, we’ve also seen a lot wide leg pants in jersey, along with maxi dresses and skirts. Jersey is a fabric women reach for year round. It is cool during the warm months and it is easy to layer with other pieces during the cold weather.

Cardigans – Cardigans are great for plus size women. Many plus size women have trouble finding jackets that fit them well, so they opt for cardigans. Knit cardigans are simple to wear over blouses at the work place and can go over T-shirts or tank tops on the weekends. Popular styles are draped cardigans, grandpa-style cardigans and crochet styles. Cardigans should be purchased in colors that are popular that season. For spring, ideal colors are bright tones and often stripes. For fall, think of dark neutrals such as chocolate, eggplant and navy.

 

Bootcut pants – Bootcut pants are a favorite silhouette of many plus size women. The bootcut balances the shape of the women who carry weight in their hips. Work slacks and denim pants in bootcut shapes generally sell well for plus size women. For work slacks, opt for black, shades of gray, pin stripes and navy. The best denim for plus size women are dark shades of blue and black. Stonewashed denim sells well year round.

Plus size fashions have many options for wholesale buyers. Wholesale buyers should focus on items that are trend driven, but also flatter the plus size woman’s shape. Jersey fabrics, cardigans and bootcut pants are favorites for plus size women who know fashion.

Wholesale Clothing Trends

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Wholesale clothing trends move as quickly as the rest of the fashion industry. Fashion forward pieces are available at every price point now, making customers eager to check out the latest fashion fads at a price they can afford.

Wholesale Clothing Trends

Women want pieces that work into their existing wardrobes, but update their wardrobes as a whole. Instead of more basics, women seek out trendy pieces at low price points to give their closet a face lift without spending a lot of money.

Jackets – Jackets are a favorite of women of every age and lifestyle. Jackets change the look of a dress or blouse in a flash, making jackets a hot seller for boutiques and clothing stores.

Women want jackets that show off their shape without constricting. It’s all about fashion and function. Many wholesale jackets marry these traits, making them a hot seller for any store. Jackets in neutral colors are what most women look for, but often versatile bright colors like grass green, red and orange are also popular sellers. Jackets in classic styles such as a trench or of-the-moment silhouettes like a draped style are usually the top sellers.

Skinny pants – Even women who may not consider themselves fashion forward have hopped on the skinny pant trend. Skinny pants started with jeans and leggings, but the silhouette has quickly evolved to include all styles of pants, including work slacks. Skinny pants are popular because they are flattering on a variety of shapes. Plus size women like skinny pants because they don’t add bulk to their shape. When worn with stacked heels or boots, skinny pants can translate from the office to evening nicely.

Tunics – Tunics are popular because they flatter many body shapes and work day or night. Tunics in knit fabrics or jersey blends are the most versatile. Women can wear them on the weekend during the day over leggings or skinny jeans, along with flats or sandals for running errands. Once it’s time to go out at night, a woman can dress up that same tunic with metal jewelry and sky high heels or platform shoes. Tunics in bright colors and jewel tones are popular because they are a simple style.

Wholesale clothing trends should be monitored for those who work as buyers and managers of boutiques and stores. Watch what your customers are buying to gauge what is selling in your area and zone in on who your target customer is.