New lingerie collections

Last weekend was the annual Fashion Exposed Trade Fair in Sydney where many fashion designers, wholesalers and importers got together at Darling Harbour Convention Centre to display their next season's wares and hopefully engage with their buyers to secure indent orders. While most of the suppliers I deal with opted not to hold a store at the Fair, many used the opportunity to showcase their wares at other locations. Like many of my fellow retailers, I love viewing new stock and there are so many brands out there producing goods that really have that WOW factor. Now I know this blog was begun on the premise of showcasing Aussie brands but there are so many beautiful international brands that I really need to get my impressions out there' So here are some I saw:

Affinitas and Parfait - a US owned lingerie company that specialise in the lower mid price point. Specialising in everyday lingerie wear and bridal, the Affinitas label extends to a DD and the Parfait label extends to a G cup. Very affordable and the pieces can be worn all day. Go down a cup size - their cup sizing is on the larger side as is most US brands.  http://affinitasintimates.com/

Recco Lingerie - only some of their sleepwear will be available in Australia but it's all so gorgeous! Yes, it's a little bit more expensive than the sexy sleepwear you find on online stores but I fully believe you get what you pay for. The microfibre fabrics had a beautiful feel, the trims added that special extra and the designs are just stunning. http://www.recco.com.br/sensual

Lou - this French lingerie brand is on par with Simone Perele if not better. Just slightly higher in pricepoint but still affordable, the pieces are sexy and sensuous, fashion forward, and designed for the woman who is comfortable with her body or who that naughty inner girl that is just waiting to be exposed. http://www.lou-paris.com/

Cake Lingerie - the only Australian owned maternity lingerie brand. Still focused on fashion but their pieces are tending towards everyday basics in line with market demands. If you a a big cup girl and have been struggling to find a seamless bra that you can wear with fitted tops, then look no further - Cake Lingerie has the answer. They are also introducing a line of winter sleepwear with breastfeeding capabilities. http://www.cakelingerie.com/

Update on the Aussie sleepwear label scene

Wow, haven't posted for ages!

So what's the news on the Aussie homefront?

2012 was an eventful year for Australian sleepwear labels. Let's see what I can list here...

The sisters who started the Pickles & Loop sleepwear label sold their business to the owners of Schrank, a Melbourne based sleepwear import group. Pickles & Loop offers youthful, fresh, fun look without compromising on comfort. You can find their items in Myers and specialty boutiques.

Jethro and Jackson, another Aussie owned sleepwear label, was purchased by Simon De Winter, owner of the Fine Lines Lingerie Group. Jethro & Jackson is another funky sleepwear label, available in Myers, and their prints are original and funky.

Lovable was fully absorbed into the Bendon Group and is technically now New Zealand owned.

Love and Lustre, Papinelle, Deshabille, Clemetine Designs and a few others are still going strong despite the downward trend in sleepwear and lingerie sales last year.

Dilly Lane Sleepwear was started with the concept of providing bust support sleepwear to the fuller figured. This winter, they will be entering the plus size sleepwear market with sizes extending from XS to 6XL (size 26).

What I love about these labels is the emphasis on natural fibres - pure cotton, pure silk, silk/cotton blends, cotton/viscose (viscose is made from the processed fibre of tree pulp). We spend so much of our lives in sleepwear, our skin deserves nothing but the best that Mother Nature gave us.

Australian Retail Selling - Charging Customers to Try on Clothing & Footwear

http://www.smh.com.au/act-news/the-ugly-side-of-online-shopping-20120411-1wq5q.html

This piece of news isn't new news - it's been reported several times before but, every time it surfaces again, journalists seem to treat it as a new phenomenon. Well, there's no news to report so lets hash out the same old same old again, after all the bills won't pay themselves. Like all who work on contractual or freelance arrangements, the income is never steady and you have to look like you're still in the game to get more work.

As for comments from readers, you get the usual mash - those who are a bit better informed about the actual costs of running a retail outlet and those who assume they know something about it. In my opinion, if you don't have first hand knowledge of the real costs of running a business, then you're better off being silent rather than sounding silly which, to me, is what a lot of them do. Starting out in retail, after years in a paid job, was a major revelation and huge learning curve for me even though my parents had always been self-employed and I had some knowledge of how tough it was working for oneself.

So for those of you who think being a self employed retailer is easy, allow me to share with you some of my pearls of wisdom as a clothing retailer, whatever it's worth:

• A successful business takes at least three years to build - just have a bricks and mortar presence will not drive customers through your doors - even when they know you are there, it may take ages for someone to even come in and browse. And I emphasize the word "browse".
• For that reason, make sure you have the funds to see you through the first three years and never assume that your sales will cover your costs.
• You will need funds for insurance, rent, advertising, an accountant, stock, utilities, staff, internet access, website costs if you run a website.
• The costs of running a website is not as cheap as some may think. Sure, there are cheap hosting services but the service reflects their price. Also, if you have many products, cheap hosting services will cause your site to run slowly and this frustrates potential customers who are then likely to look elsewhere.
• Make sure your mark up costs are reasonable - it needs to cover the wholesale cost of the product, 10% GST, but also be affordable.
• Your target market is people who will become your returning customers - work out who these will be, what they are looking for from a specialty shop such as yours, and stock accordingly.
• Consider s loyalty card system - there may be startup costs but it's worth it.
• Research whether there are any viable buying groups you can join to get discounts on wholesale stock. Often these also offer non-trade benefits.
• Wholesale costs for clothing are much more expensive in Australia than in the UK or US - that's because we are a much smaller population with smaller production needs so manufacturers will demand higher costs per unit. We don't have the buying power to negotiate costs in the same way a US wholesaler would. We also pay GST on imports over $1,000. There are also other costs involved in wholesaling that pushes costs up eg agent fees, freight, admin costs.
• Some UK lingerie brands set higher wholesale costs to Australian retailers than to UK & US retailers - when I asked why, my sales rep. was unable to give me a logical explanation. This brand has a large advertising budget for their UK operations but spends little or none in Australia. Unfortunately for the Aussie retailer, their products are excellent and not stocking them would not be a good business decision. Also unfortunately for the Aussie retailer, their products can be purchased from online UK stores at a much cheaper price, even with freight, than in Australia. Catch 22. As a retailer in Australia, that means having to deliver high service standards because this is the only means by which we can retain customers.
• Other UK brands sell through Australian importers who are then responsible for the promotion of the brand into stores and in the media, hence the markup costs.
• Focus on quality brands not available in the larger stores. That way you will not be competing with them or have to tolerate their constant discounting.

I'm going to stop here because I could run on forever on this topic and bore you to tears. So more next time I post...

How to find the perfect bra fit

If you are well endowed in the bust area, you should get yourself refitted for a bra every couple of years or so. Why? Because age, lifestyle and weight changes can all have significant effects on your bust size and breast shape and a bra that may have fitted well a few years back may no longer be the right fitting bra anymore. Most retailers offer bra fitting as a free service and it's well worth the investment in time. A well fitting bra minimises shoulder, neck and back pain, gives the bust a nice shape and allows your outerwear to flatter your overall look.

I won't go into details about how to fit a bra as there is sufficient material on the web, as well as lots of Youtube videos on the subject. Instead, I will give you the benefit of some of my knowledge gained as a qualified bra fitter:

• If wires push out from your bust, rather than sitting flush against the breastbone, it means the wires are too small or that your bust is quite full in the middle. Try a wider wire bra or try a bra with a lower front wire.
• If your bust is heavier at the sides, try bras with a side sling as these encourage forward projection of your bust rather than letting your bust slide towards your arms.
• If you have more bust tissue on the lower bust, try a 3/4 cup or a 1/2 cup (balconette) bra. if you use a full cup bra, you may not able able to fill out the top of the cup.
• A heavy top bust? Try full cup bras. These are higher in the middle but they will support you better.
• Chafing at the centre from wires digging in? Try lower cut bras as the wire does not come up so high at the breastbone.
• Breast tissue at the sides spilling from the cups? Look for bras with a higher wire. Panache tends to make bras with a higher side wire, Freya bras tend to have lower side wires.
• Too much back tissue? Try the back smoothing bras that are now available on the market - eg Berlei Back Smoothing Bra.
• Straps digging into your shoulders? Go for bras with a wider shoulder strap or, better still, a padded shoulder strap. You can also purchase pads that fit around your shoulder strap. 
• Find wires dig in uncomfortably no matter what bra you try? Unwired bras maybe the answer for you but look for ones with a side sling as these give a large bust a better shape. There are some great brands on the market such as Royce, Aviana and Elila. The only downside is that these bras tend to be higher at the centre, to compensate for the lack of wire support, so low neck clothes will require a camisole or a camisette to hide the bra.

A certified bra fitter will be able to help you find the correct bra for your shape and needs and most lingerie boutiques have a good selection of bras to choose from.

Where to find a short cotton dressing gown or kimono wrap?

I have searched all summer for a lightweight cotton dressing gown, with short sleeves and no longer than just on the knees, without success.  All of our Australian sleepwear brands - including Pillow Talk, Love & Lustre, Deshabille, Pickles & Loop & Peter Alexander - had only longer length robes with 3/4 or full length sleeves. Why is it that short sleeve and shorter length dressing gowns are not available? Surely with our hot summers the retailers would be begging the brands to be more accomodating? Or is it because the brands are simply not listening? While they all offer fantastic styles in beautiful cotton prints, please consider our climate in your designs.

It's been a while since I last posted and quite a bit has happened in lingerie.

Bassoni have lot's of new styles out on the market and again they have outdone themselves in supplying the small cup market with unbeatable value items, even better priced than BrasnThings. A bra and brief set costs no more than $35 and many of their nightwear pieces cost the same. What's more, their fit is good as well, even better than Elle Macpherson and Bendon which cost twice as much. As with the latter two brands,I have yet to come across a fitter who likes their fit and most only stock them because of theirappeal to the younger market. Bassoni also targets its products at the younger market so have a look for the label next time you're in a lingerie boutique. Also look for their more upmarket sister label, Little Minx. Again, you'll find quality pieces at very reasonable prices. Bassoni and Little Minx are not sold in the department stores as they do not want to compromise their brand through constant pricing wars.

http://www.littleminxlingerie.com.au/

http://www.bassonilingerie.com/

Love and Lustre, long known for their basics and sleepwear, have finally launched their first bra collection. Thre is a balconette half cup bra, a T-shirt bra and a mouded unpadded bra, all beautifully designed and made with a fresh youthful appeal. Unfortunatel, the maximum cup size is a DD but hopefully they will extend on this in later collections. Next season will also include a beautiful little lace bra reminiscent of Elle Macpherson style but again, the attention to fit is impeccable. Here is their Facebook page link but unfortunately there are not many piccies to view:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Love-Lustre/137932592937106

Pickles & Loop have launched their summer collection and again have managed to keep their prices to 2010 levels without compromising on quality. Beautiful cotton lawn and voiles and their basics range in cotton knit. For an Australian brand, there is nothing over $100 and a single piece can start as low as $25. Check out their range at:

http://www.picklesandloop.com/

In the luxury lingerie market, Ku Shu Shu are getting ready for their new collection so watch this space!

Also, have a look at what Sally Jones Lingerie has to offer:

http://www.sallyjones.com.au/

Time is running out but we will be back for another instalment, hopefully in the next few days!

Giving Birth - What to Wear in Hospital

Now I am going to detract from my original purpose for this blog and write about what nightwear to take with you to hospital when you are giving birth. Having birthed two children, and experienced life in a maternity ward - ok I was only there for two days - I think I can claim some knowledge on this topic or at least pretend to.

What prompted me to start this topic was a comment I overheard today about why would you need to wear nice nightwear to hospital. The person who was making this comment was looking at some HOTmilk nursing nightwear and clearly thinking it was not necessary. I have no problem with that as my thinking is, well each to his own. However, reflecting on a hospital social scene, with staff coming and going through the wards, a stream of visitors which can be either family or friends as well as visitors for other mums in the ward, and sometimes the urge to get away from the ward and go outside for a walk or just to the coffee shop, I know what I would prefer not to be seen in. After all, a hospital is a public place and, like any other public place, a self-imposed dress standard would not go astray. While it may seem shallow, overall presentation does reflect pride in oneself. Would we turn up to a formal dinner dressed in t-shirt and trackies?