Shop Talk

Check Out Line: Lazard looks at fashion

Check out what’s hot in fall fashion.    Lazard Capital Markets looked at 10 September fashion magazines and identified these trends:   Boots, with Jones Apparel getting seven call-outs in the magazines.   Skinny denim and leggings, both getting play with looser, less form-fitting tops.   Motorcycle jackets, military jackets, trench coats, sheath dresses and one-shoulder tops.   Also, “studs appear everywhere in clothing and accessories, including handbags, belts, shoes, dresses.”   Companies best capitalizing on the various trends include Jones, Gap, American Eagle and Guess, among others, Lazard said in a research note.   We were going to toss in a kicker of some fashion trend that is never coming back.  But face it, they all seem to come back at some point.  We expect to pull out our Members Only jackets any day now.   Also in the basket:   Tween Brands Q2 loss narrower than expected

BJ’s Wholsesale profit beats Street, raises FY view 

Popcorn, a hidden source of antioxidants, study says (ABC News)

(Reuters photo from 2004, because leggings always come back)

Wal-Mart’s Black Koi aims to suit Asian shoppers

In Wal-Mart’s rocky attempts to sell trendy clothes a couple years ago it learned some very important lessons — one being that it is difficult to sell a huge volume of skinny jeans to your shoppers when analysts say the average American woman wears a size 12 to 14. 

Since its fashion foray fumble, Wal-Mart has since gone back to the drawing board and is now trying to tailor its stores to meet local demand. 

In Canada, that means Wal-Mart has decided to launch Black Koi, what it calls “the company’s first line of women’s apparel designed specifically for petite Asian customers.” 

The Black Koi collection includes dresses, jackets, shirts and skirts, and is designed “to fit petite customers, 5′ 3″ or under, with tailoring suited specifically to Asian body types.”

Wal-Mart said its merchants have looked at AC Nielsen and census data to identify multicultural population clusters around stores. Some of its Canadian stores already carry Asian food and housewares, while signage is shown in English and Chinese.

The Black Koi line, available in 16 of its stores, comes after Wal-Mart said customer response to its Bollywood Signature line of clothing targeted at South Asian women was so positive, it launched a follow-up collection this fall.

(Photo: Reuters)