Retail guru and fashion styling extraordinaire, Rawlins Gilliland, will share his expertise during January Apparel & Accessories Market, January 24-27. His guided walking tours are retailer-focused, providing tips and trends to help store owners make sales and gain loyal customers. Check out Rawlins’ tips below for a preview of what you will learn about during January Apparel & Accessories Market.
Contributed post from Rawlins Gilliland:
Starting a new year of shopping at Dallas Market Center, here are my New Year’s Resolution Recommendations – aside, of course, from going on my fast-paced show-and-tell tours where I showcase lines and items that I feel will sell; things with affordable minimums and great mark-up potential.
Concentrate on categories that you would like to grow. Here are a few to consider maximizing:
- WRAPS: Stoles, shawls, etc. This is the most under-utilized business opportunity in summer months as well. Here is why: women tend to cover less in the summer months and then freeze when they go to restaurants, movies, planes, meetings.
- The solution is this. Quoting my mother: “A woman should always have something that she takes off when she enters a heated place in the winter, but in the summer she must have something (in her tote bag or carry-on) that she can put on when she enters the a cooler place from outside.”
- It’s important that summer wraps be thin and easily folded when not used. Challis, silk/cotton, even silk/wool blends are a huge business opportunity to layer into the sale of dresses that might be otherwise too bare for a wedding or too skimpy for comfort in summer interiors.
- DRESSES: Concentrate on dresses of all sizes and styles. Little black dresses never get old. Sheaths are very now, a shift – a skimming “chemise”— is always something that is great for comfortable chic. That style can also be belted to give it more tailored and shorter fashion fun with heels versus loose and longer with sandals.
- BELTS: Look for elastic cinch belts, wrap belts, all sorts for versatility. Assuming our bodies do not expand more than the stock market in 2017, belts are the best timeless wardrobe investment ever.
Make sure to register for January Apparel & Accessories Market and don’t miss these anticipated events:
Discovery Tour with Rawlins: Fresh & Profitable Fashion Accessories
January 24 | 3PM | WTC 14 - Kim Dawson Runway Café
Discovery Tour with Rawlins: Apparel Items Guaranteed to Sell
January 25 | 10AM | WTC 14 - Kim Dawson Runway Café
Discovery Tour with Rawlins: Hottest Temp Picks
January 25 | 3PM | WTC 13 - SCENE