Results Count ... everything else is conversation.: Forget cool … what else do your clothes do?

Whatever happened to clothes that were just clothes?

Image Credit: Stuart Miles; Freedigitalphotos.net

In our posts we have mentioned it many times … Differentiate or Die! This law of the jungle is not only true for retailers, but for retail products. In this competitive world there seems to be a mad rush for line extensions that add features way beyond the product itself. Some would argue that in this busy world we are searching for versatility. But do you really want clothes that talk to you, or wear leggings with caffeine to slim your thighs?

Functional fashion vs. Bordering on ridiculous

How many of you own a garment with “wicking” capability? If you golf in places where you sweat when you get out of the shower, fabric that wicks away perspiration is a godsend. And that same wicking functionality also is invaluable for keeping warm in the winter … especially if you are an old photographer like me going on safari in South Africa in August (the equivalent of January in the northern hemisphere).

To stand out and differentiate, garment companies are incorporating a variety of new features designed to garner consumer attention and sales. Some new fabric features like adding sunblock would seem to be highly functional for summer clothes. Other features seem to be almost pure kitsch, bordering on ridiculous. But who am I to judge you by the clothes you might choose to wear!

Nice Clothes … but what else do they do for you?

Image Credit: Anand Sports Industries, Jalandhar; Indiamart.com

There seems to be an almost lemming like rush to offer up the next style of garments that multi-task. It’s as if overnight, clothing must suddenly do more … much more. In the words of the famous curmudgeon Andy Rooney, “when did clothes stop being just clothes”?

There was a great post in the NY Times entitled: Nice Jacket, but it can’t do my taxes. It highlighted some of the more recent attempts in fashion to both differentiate and charge higher prices by adding features:

Sunscreen Infused – Unigo promotes clothes infused with wearable sunscreen. The “UV Cut” is supposed to protect against the sun for at least 30 washes. Ironically, if you buy the thick hooded sweatshirts they have a UPF factor of 50 … well duh!
Silky dry + No odor – Beyond the “wicking” fabric there are now shirts and blouses that both keep you dry and prevent odor … does that mean you can forego buying antiperspirant?
Slimming clothes for everything! – First it was the special shoes that shaped your backside. Now it’s t-shirts with enough spandex to hold in your gut and bulges - Check out Yummie Tummie. But my favorite has to be women’s leggings laced with caffeine with the claim that they slim your thighs. No evidence that the $50 caffeine leggings smell like coffee or slim your thighs, but they are selling like crazy (gee, one pair of leggings vs. 10 cups of Starbucks?)

So what’s the answer for retailing today?

There are many that say that consumer technology is a very tough business. And, with razor thin margins and short product life cycles it can be very tough to differentiate beyond price … just ask Best Buy.

On the other hand, fashion is a very fickle business. Styles and color preferences vary every season … forecast wrong and you are holding a boatload of major markdowns at the end of the season. So it is understandable that manufacturers are doing line extensions and adding features to garments to expand SKUs, extend lifecycles and sales.

One key to retailing success is segmentation. There are consumers who might value listening to music through ear buds that are drawstrings on a parka. The “thumper” style sunglasses with built in headphones have certainly shown that multitasking can differentiate and significantly raise the price of shades. But where is the law of diminishing returns?

Bottom line: Consumers have to perceive value

Image Credit: Sean Poulter; The Mail Online

Consumers have to experience what they perceive as value before they open their wallets or smartphones to purchase. The key to retailing the new wave of multi-tasking garments is not just listing more features on the fact tag. Retailing is still the business of communicating what it means to the consumer … giving them a reason why to buy.

Case in point from the NY Times article, Eastern Mountain Sports offers a polo shirt that is the ultimate multi-tasking garment. It is a polyester shirt that wicks away perspiration, dries quickly, resists odor AND has a UPF UV sunblock value of 30+. So what does all of this really mean to the consumer? The point of sale merchandising for this ultimate shirt said it best – “I’m effortlessly cool”.

Sometimes it is the Art of Retail … not the science of the garment which makes the difference at the moment of truth for the consumer’s purchase decision.

What do your clothes say about you as a cutting edge multi-tasker? (Let us know your opinion by clicking on a link.)