Wholesale Clothing to Make a Boutique Work

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wholesale fashion dealsWhen creating a business plan for opening a women’s clothing boutique, one of the most important aspects to develop is where and how you will acquire the merchandise. Having a strong and varied supply of wholesale apparel is a major part of creating a successful boutique.

As a rule, women shop for any number of reasons. Sometimes we just need a new outfit for an event, or to replace certain elements of our wardrobe. Other times we shop for sport, just enjoying perusing the new fashions, trying on and dreaming. Other times we shop for emotional reasons. Whatever our reasons for heading to the store, going shopping does not always mean spending money in that moment. But if you are building customer loyalty, having unique, quality and ever-changing merchandise is the number one draw that will keep customers coming back.

As a boutique owner, you can never forget the power of new merchandise. Large stores are subject to go with the trends and change with the seasonal styles as the corporate headquarters determine. As a small boutique you can make up your own rules, bring in new styles at anytime, and feature a larger variety of clothes than the larger stores can provide.

Offering new merchandise doesn’t mean having to go outside your market. Instead, constantly turning over your stock gives you the reputation of freshness and brings clients back on a more regular basis. Online wholesale apparel stores are a great place to find new merchandise.

This constant change offers your customers more reasons to return. When they know you have new lines in frequently, they also know you will have more sales. Moving merchandise out the door is what you want to achieve. Any revenue lost in the sale price is gained in long-term loyalty to the sales, as well as the new delights that replace the old.

So changing the racks on a regular basis provides more than just new clothes. Bringing in fresh styles creates a reason to have another event such as a sale, fashion show or tea party. It also inspires new windows and displays, which keeps your sales floor a surprise. Customers begin to know you as a shop that is always offering a new find.

So when you are looking for ways to build brand loyalty and gain a reputation for being fresh, new and fun, think about how often you change the racks. You don’t have to do an overhaul, but going out of your way to always be looking for and bringing in new styles of wholesale apparel will be the change you need to have them coming back on a regular basis.

How to buy wholesale clothing

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Kaelyn Max

Kaelyn Max

When acquiring merchandise for your clothing store or boutique, understanding the process of buying women’s clothing wholesale will go a long way to ensuring customer satisfaction in the most cost-efficient way. Here are some smart guidelines when developing a process to create an exciting inventory that will keep your clients coming back for more.

First, you must have a sales tax ID number. This number should have been issued early on in the process. If you are planning to open a clothing store, you will need to bring a letter of intent to do so in lieu of the tax ID number.

Fashions, by their nature, will change frequently. It’s important to develop healthy relationships with your wholesalers. They are the ones on the front lines of these changing fashions. Once you pick the wholesalers you wish to work with, spend some time getting to know them, informing them of your mission and basic style choices so they can be on the lookout for what you need and like.

Finding good wholesalers can be done over the Internet, or, by making regular shopping trips each year to fashion headquarters in various cities around the world. New York City has an entire district that caters to wholesale fashion buyers. On the other hand, local flea markets are places to find other vendors selling the styles you want to carry. Strike up a conversation and see if they will be willing to share their wholesalers with you.

If you are only selling on the Internet, find a wholesaler who will update you often about new styles, sales, and hot sellers.

Be very careful if you choose to do business with foreign wholesalers. They can generally offer a much better deal around quantity and price, but educate yourself on not only tariffs and taxes, but also on customs procedures. Be sure to request that the packing list be attached to the outside of the box for easy access. Otherwise, customs officials may end up opening the packages and searching them before delivering inventory to you.

A-List Women's Multicolor Tiered Maxi Dress

A-List Women's Multicolor Tiered Maxi Dress

When first establishing relationships with your wholesalers, be sure to place an initial order of some basic wardrobe staples, like wholesale maxi dresses. Once you receive the first order, you can check the actual quality (if you are buying for the first time from a seller you have not met in person). You also need to see how responsive and accurate in their orders they are. Pictures on a website should be excellent depictions of the items that arrive. Plus, remember you are developing a relationship. Do they ship in a timely fashion? Can you reach them over the phone? Get to know them before you invest further.

As fashions are always changing, be sure to buy what works for your store. Choose a variety of sizes and colors that will appeal to your clientele and have fun doing it!

The best dresses for spring and summer

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Ahh dresses— what better way to feel flirty, fun and free? If you think about it, dresses are the fashion equivalent to the seasons of spring and summer, giving a sense of awakening, freedom, adventure, and confidence that almost makes you feel like an enhanced version of yourself. So what more appropriate combo than the spring and summer seasons and dresses to make you feel alive? Plus, it you choose the right one, a dress will beat out a pants/blouse outfit any day on the comfort-scale.

We all have our favorite dresses, you know, the default dress for a birthday dinner or a fancier Sunday brunch. But if you’re looking for something new to really ring in the warm weather seasons, here are a few styles to consider.

The little WHITE dress : Little white cocktail styles are going to be huge this spring and summer, as girls don them for graduations, bridal rehearsals, cool nights out, and hot summer days. Whether sleek and satiny, or cotton and full, the little white dress is a must have.

Denim: Denim is huge this year, with denim and denim/cotton dresses coming back in a big way. Denim is a great casual look that’s comfortable and sturdy, and so it will likely never completely go out of style. Look for full denim skirts with cotton tops, or button-up denim shirt dresses.

Wishes Halter Maxi Dress

Wishes Halter Maxi Dress

Maxi: While this style became huge last summer, it has stuck around as a great spring and summer staple. By nature, these dresses are flowy and free, so they add a lot to the overall spring/summer feel of your outfits. Wear a printed or even tie-dyed maxi for a great outside shopping day outfit (can also double as a cover-up by the pool!) or choose a solid-colored style for a night time outing.

Tiered: These dresses are a great choice for an after-5 dress that still has a summery feel to it. They are very flirty (how could they not be when they can literally flow in the breeze) and great at hiding those 5 extra pounds you didn’t quite loose in time for swimsuit season.

One-shouldered: Not to be confused with the toga, which can be worn to a whole different type of party (if you’re looking to pick up a frat boy or two), the one-shouldered dress allows for the same sex-appeal as a strapless while adding a little extra comfort to the mix. Go with a loose-fitting version and tie it up with a belt (gold-colored if you want to play on the Greek theme) or sport a form-fitting version to show off what you work so hard to maintain.

Anything Neon: Let your imagination run wild with this one. If you’re doing neon, do it right. If you couldn’t tell, neon is the hot thing (unfortunately, pun intended) for this season, which gives you the freedom to pick any style you want—from short, long, tailored, poofy, tight or flowy—just wear it in neon and you’re good to go. I dare you to tell us these highlighter hues don’t make you feel more confident—even if only for one night.

Always a bridesmaid – Stocking the perfect bridal dresses

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For those of you carrying bridal fashions, be on the lookout for the very best stock in bridesmaids gowns as the wedding season approaches! “The brides are saying I want them to wear it again,” said Monta Vaden, a certified wedding specialist at Wedding Wonderland in West Knoxville. “Some of them look like party dresses.” One reason dresses translate to other occasions is length. “The trend is tea-length to cocktail, which is about right at the knee,” Vaden said. “This makes them kind of flirty but sophisticated.”

The higher hemline plays to a certain bridal demographic. “The average bride that comes in here is 19 to 24,” Vaden said. “Her bridesmaids are going to want something young and sexy, so they are going for the shorter dresses.”

Silhouettes for the little numbers range from classic A-lines to empire-waist goddess designs. Some have a simple natural waist with an easy skirt. Also, the bubble skirt is blowing up.

Fabrics also make them easy sells. There is polished cotton, which has a soft casualness and creates a dress that works for more relaxed or outdoor weddings. Chiffon adds elegant movement to the pieces. Of course, silk is popular, as is taffeta. Some makers have opted for polyester-silk blends, which has a super-lightweight hand. The Alfred Angelo label has done a knit-jersey line of bridesmaid dresses. “The fabric drapes beautifully and flatters every body type,” says Alfred Angelo designer Michael Shettel. “The combination of a unique fabric and trendy styling means these dresses can be worn again. Whether to a summer cocktail party, fancy dinner out or next year’s holiday parties.” Vaden said some brides are snapping up the dresses for rehearsal dinners. Also, she has sold some of the dresses to high schoolers during the prom season, where shorter looks took center stage.

At A Joyous Occasion, Frye has seen interest in them from mothers of the bride. “I encourage younger mothers to look at bridesmaids dresses,” she said. “A lot of the things for them are so matronly.” Although short is in vogue now, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for long dresses. “Some girls get nervous about the hem not falling at the same place (on their bridesmaids) with the shorter dresses,” Frye said. “I say eliminate the stress and go long.”

In necklines, strapless reigns supreme, with emphasis on the sweetheart. Halters are an option, too.

Details make the dresses pop. Waist interests are key, from skinny belts to bold obi-style sashes. Ruching (vertical and horizontal) at the bodice works, as does pleating. Some even have pockets.

As far as color, citrus brights are hot right now. On the other end are neutrals: black, brown, and taupe. Metallics are popular, as well. And it seems white bridesmaids dresses are no longer a no-no.

“The rules are out the window,” Frye said. “It’s all about personal style and about what the bride envisions.”