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New DR-CAFTA Rules
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Rainy July Boosts UK Online Sales
Page
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July 2008 Retailers' Review
Page
1
Matalan Accused of Squeezing Suppliers
Page 2
Buyers' Best Sellers
Page 2
Ask Andy
Page 2
McPete Sez
Mailbag
Page 2
2008 CILA
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Page 3
Intimate Graphics
Page 3
Ask Kevin
Page 3
2008 CILA
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McCartney Upset Over
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2008 CILA
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Page 2
Van de Velde's Profit Flat
Belgian lingerie company Van de Velde has reported a
0.1% decrease in first-half net profit to EUR17.02m (US$25m), due in part to currency conversion effects.
Net turnover for the first six months rose 0.9% to reach EUR67.6m
The company's gross margin was improved by product mix effects, the impact of the fall of the dollar on
stitching costs, lower depreciations on stocks and good control of material costs, it said.
Conversion of assets in US dollars and UK pounds into euros on the balance sheet date negatively impacted the
financial result to the tune of 1.4m, the company said.
Van de Velde said that results of its Spanish firm Eurocorset would be consolidated in full at the end of
the year, and that its new sports lingerie line Marie Jo Intense has been introduced selectively and so its
contribution to turnover will be limited in the second half of the year.
The company's stake in Top Form was raised from 16.37% to 23.31% in the course of August 2008, with the total
cost of the transaction HKD42.1m, a statement added.
2/13
Slimpressions® Featured on
The Balancing Act
Slimpressions, an everyday shapewear line designed to smooth and compress a woman’s arms, back, and midriff, was featured on The Balancing Act, a daily half-hour television series on Lifetime Television dedicated to addressing issues facing today’s professional woman. Slimpressions Co-Founders, Amy Pedersen and Jennifer Daniels, were guests on the show Tuesday, August 26.
Pedersen and Daniels spoke about their inspiration for developing Slimpressions and their dream to launch their own women-owned company. They also demonstrated the features of the Slimpressions shapewear line and its benefits for women of all shapes and sizes.
“We’ve been doing our own ‘before and after’ arm jiggling demonstrations at trade shows for months now, but sharing these jiggles on camera to hundreds of thousands of viewers was a whole new experience,” said Amy Pedersen.
This segment of The Balancing Act was hosted by Danielle Knox, whose on–camera credits include anchoring and reporting in Miami, Florida for WFOR’s morning newscast, UPN 33 Morning News and News at 10, WTVJ, and WB39/WDZL, as well as WVIT-TV in Hartford, Connecticut and KTVE-TV in Monroe, Louisiana. Knox is also an entrepreneur and CEO of her own business, Play Pretty Beauty, a natural-based organic bath and body care company. Knox blends a classic presence and a world of television and entrepreneurial success throughout her career that will hopefully brighten the production in the eyes of an estimated 400,000 plus daily viewers watching the show on Lifetime Television.
About The Balancing Act
The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television is an original, compelling, informative, daily half-hour television series that empowers women seeking personal and professional growth while managing a career, family and home. The Balancing Act’s early morning talk show includes content about family, home, health, career, style & beauty, cuisine & beverage, finance entertainment, travel and special features.
www.thebalancingact.com.
About Five Star Entertainment
Five Star Entertainment is an Emmy Award-winning multi-media television and motion picture company with corporate headquarters and studios located in Boca Raton, Fl. Five Star Entertainment produces national and worldwide syndicated television shows and series that meet network quality standards and procedure. Five Star Entertainment shows are aired in as many as 53 countries worldwide.
www.vstar.com.
About Slimpressions
Slimpressions is owned and operated by Branches Unlimited, LLC, a women-owned enterprise based in Marietta, GA. Co-founded by sisters-in-law Amy Pedersen and Jennifer Daniels, the company designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes a range of everyday shapewear garments to slim a woman's arms, back and midriff. Made in America, Slimpressions is sold on the internet and in fine women’s clothing and lingerie shops throughout the U.S. and Canada.
www.slimpressions.com.
7/12
Matalan Accused of
Squeezing Suppliers
The UK-based Forum of Private Business (FPB) has
accused clothing retailer Matalan of squeezing its suppliers by imposing a 2% reduction on payments from
September.
Matalan entered into forum's 'Hall of Shame' today on August 19, with the FPB saying that plans to save money
for retail parks, international franchises, store refurbishments and advertising were "at the expense of
its suppliers".
Matalan confirmed in a statement that it had written to its suppliers asking for a 2% contribution, saying it
was towards investment in growing its business.
According to the FPB, Matalan's buying director John Lyttle has promised suppliers that the benefit from the
expansion would generate increased business for them too.
However, FPB chief executive Phil Orford said: "This is not the first time that Matalan has passed on costs to
its suppliers and it represents a payment problem that is endemic across a number of industry sectors.
"The fact that this latest charge is being justified to fund initiatives like
marketing and international expansion adds insult to injury for many smaller firms,
which are struggling to control essential costs as the economic downturn continues."
Matalan said in a statement: "This move sits alongside a supplier based consolidation
program, and will help fund our expansion plans, the benefits of which we hope
to share with our consolidated supplier base.
"This has not been introduced retrospectively and will be effective as of September 1.
"Matalan's settlement terms with its suppliers remain unchanged."
However, the FPB went onto say that while suppliers are facing an average rise in costs of 18.5% on their
products, they are realizing an average price increase from retailers of just 5.8% according to figures from
the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA).
"Some members are dealing with price increases of up to 100% on steel products, and anything between 8% and 50%
on other types of products," said Pam Plant, a director of the BHETA.
"On average, raw material costs have gone up 11%, energy costs are up 6.5%,
labor costs are up 4%, and logistics and distribution costs are up 5% across the
board - and retailers still continue to ask for additional support, up, on average, by 2.6%."
The FPB wrote to the UK government and Matalan in 2006 to protest against a 2% payment cut set by
Matalan, spurring suppliers to speak out too.
Sensual Mystique is looking for sales reps. Please
contact us
9/24
New Hearing
Aid
Seems an elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years.
He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%.
The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again."
To which the gentleman said, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!"
1/6
Jackson to Launch Pleasure
Principle
Pop star Janet Jackson has partnered with Australian
fashion designer Bruno Schiavi for a lingerie collection in the US called Pleasure Principle.
They plan to have product in stores as early as November 2008 across the US, with Australia, Japan and
Europe to follow.
"The collection has been carefully created with some of the finest laces from around the world. You will see a
lot of satin and lace combined and rich colors such as burgundy and beige, silver and peach as well as your
classic black and white. It makes you feel incredible and offers variety as diverse as the women who will
wear it," Jackson said.
"There's something for every woman, and that's very important to us," Jackson said at a press conference.
"I've always hated when lingerie is uncomfortable, so the fit and comfort was
key."
The brand name is inspired by one of Jackson's songs, released in 1987 called Pleasure Principle.
Schiavi said: "Janet and I wanted to create a collection that empowers women and that makes women
feel sexy, flirtatious and provocative. We wanted to make sure we captured the essence of all Janet's
favorite colors, laces and making sure that we stay true to who she is and what she loves."
The first collection of Pleasure Principle includes 14 designs across a combination of bra styles from
balconettes, demi cups to full coverage. Sizes will range from a 32A to 44G.
Buyers' Best Sellers
Attention
All Buyers, Boutique
and Online Store Owners
McPete Sez wants to know what is your hottest selling garment. What is selling out
because McPete Sez readers want to know. Please send an email to info@mcpetesez.com
and include your name, your store's name, city and state along with a phone number
and email, stating your best seller, and who the manufacturer is.
If you would rather keep your best selling item a secret..... please
just tell us who the manufacturer is.
If your email is chosen, you will be contacted and
your email will be posted in McPete Sez, along with your store
information.
"Ask Andy"
Andy Weinstock has been in the fabric and textile business all his life, but professionally since 1969. 
"I love what I do, selling fabrics around the globe. I've met lots of interesting, creative, dynamic
folks; some have become dear friends. I love to help new businesses find the things they need to become successful. It works for everyone."
You can ask Andy questions about Fabrics at
Andy@mcpetesez.com
The "Ask Andy" Column is an opinion Column and may
not necessarily reflect the views of
McPete Sez
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The McPete
Sez Mail Bag
From our Readers
To our Readers
For our Readers
Inquiries:
Some of our readers will have the answer.
Remember, our readers are in the same
Industry.
Retailers, Manufacturers and Sales Representatives
As a designer, producer, educator, and corset enthusiast dedicated for 18 years to bringing top quality tight-lacing custom corsetry and
fact-based corset education to market, I write to join my lamentations to those of your reader who complained in your last "McPete
Sez" issue about the inferior quality of costumes flooding the market. I congratulate her for including details. This will certainly alert store
lingerie buyers (I used to be one when ROMANTASY had a retail lingerie boutique rather than online custom corset business with personal
fittings in San Francisco) about specific defects to keep an eye on and discuss openly with sales reps when attending lingerie shows.
I only add my caution to buyers at such shows who may also see samples of what I call "wannabe" corsets of dubious quality, also now flooding
the wholesale marketplace, especially during the past two years. I'm not speaking about corsets by Vollers or Axfords, both English manufacturers
with long and superior reputations regarding quality of their wholesale corsets. For
readymade corsets, theirs seem to have the best possible fit using good-quality English fabrics, and selling at the most
reasonable prices.
Of course, I think ROMANTASY's single wholesale corset-cincher, the
/Simple Pleasures,/ is an even better buy.
I'm complaining about almost illiterate email solicitations I receive
about two or three times per month and growing, obviously emanating from
certain non-English speaking countries, touting readymade wholesale
corsets. I'm always surprised at the obvious lack of research in this
shotgun approach: it's entirely wasted effort on their part because
aside from our standard-patterned /Simple Pleasures/ and
/Point-Counter-Point/ cinchers and one other by corsetiere Sue Nice,
our team of multiple and multiply-talented corsetieres have always specialized in made-to-measure corsetry and corsetry
ensembles.
I am however, more than surprised when I examine images nearly always appended to these new e-solicitations or marketing pieces, or visit the
websites mentioned. In all cases garments are produced in Thailand, Pakistan, and less frequently, in China. I'm certain about my
conclusions when I see the actual garments ordered by clueless lingerie buyers for sale in lingerie or specialty stores by equally clueless
salespeople, or sold by sister vendors at exhibits I attend.
Not to leave out department stores in my rant. For example, several years ago I saw pictured a lovely corset by designer Stella McCartney,
for sale at Nordstrom's, perhaps my favorite department store. I called for details, but the salesperson to whom I spoke was completely
flummoxed and had no idea if the boning was steel or rigiline, or what I meant when I used the term "busk". On another occasion upon arrival at
my Christmas relief job in the lingerie department of Neiman Marcus, I closely examined a new designer-label "corset" displayed proudly on a
manikin, with bones poking out of split seams, edges rolling over, fabric bunching at the waistline, and elastic side gussets obliterating
any possible figure-shaping ability of this--gulp-- $1300 "corset"!
To be specific about these ubiquitous so-called "corsets" and so your readers know what else to keep an eye on, I am routinely shocked by:
(1) inferior, loosely-woven and stretchy fabrics that will soon fray or shred,
(2) poor quality lining, if any,
(3) uneven stitch length and wobbly stitch lines creating uneven tension leading to stitches popping,
(4) wide bone casings permitting bones to turn and dig in during wear (ouch!),
(5) inartistic, non-matching vertical lengths of pattern pieces in front or back, also leading to
torquing.
Even worse, these "wannabes" nearly always create the ubiquitous "U-shape" at the waistline when worn. Thus, as the generally uneducated
and unwitting wearer laces down, the bottom edge presses down on her anterior femoral nerve and sooner rather than later will lead to
dangerous numbness in her hips and legs, not to mention the inevitable squishing out and lumping of flesh in the tummy and derriere below the
garment's bottom edge.
I might not be so livid about this alien invasion if I didn't know about the conclusive, fact-based, and medically-affirmed advisability of the
hourglass corset shape to place even pressure around the entire torso for comfort, safety, and hygiene (less skin wrinkling and trapping of
moisture).
And I'm saddened because I know the consumer is the only one to lose in the
end--errrr, or, "in the waistline"--since these inferior corsets technically can tolerate no or very little waistline reduction, yet will
certainly raise unrealistic expectations of substantial figure shaping, good fit, comfort, and durability that the product will surely not
deliver. Because sales are not accompanied by adequate or accurate verbal or written consumer information and full disclosure about the
limits of the garment, how it may compare to a real custom corset, or how to properly wear, fit, and care for the garment, sales of "wannabe"
corsets perpetuate non-factual, incorrect, and antiquated prejudices against real, custom-fit corsets.
More's the pity because custom corsets, or even high quality, well patterned readymade corsets chosen wisely for fit, will not pinch, dig
in, roll over, bunch up, torque, twist, rip, reveal bones, and shred with only a few
wearings.
by Ann Grogan, Proprietress, ROMANTASY Exquisite Corsetry
www.romantasy.com inquiry@romantasy.com
Response to the comment above:
I loved hearing from Anne she is so knowledgeable and good at her craft.
Thanks and Kind Regards,
Tushell
Corset Creations info@corsetcreations.com
*Disclaimer - The McPete Sez Mail Bag is a comment column,
and does not necessarily reflect the views of McPete Sez. Vulgar or
offensive language will not be posted.
If
you have the answer.....Give
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"Say it".
If you have a question......"Ask
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Do you have any show dates for
2002
Do you have any show dates or events that you would like posted for
2008? If so please e-mail them to me for posting
in our show section. Thank
You
End of Page 2
The McPete Sez
Lingerie Newsletter & Women's Wear Journal
 
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