Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with clothing and business

Help me learn about the clothing consignment business.

mintchip — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:18:57 -0800

Help me learn about the clothing consignment business. If someone is interested in opening a clothing consignment shop, what would they need to know? For example, is this a lucrative business? How would you know what kind of items to accept and how to price them? How would you hire employees? How would you protect against theft? Are there a general guidelines for how much retail should cost (rent wise)? How would one determine whether such a business is viable in a specific area? How do you attract consigners? What sorts of resources (books, web sites, etc.) would help someone learn about this type of business? What else do I need to know? Et cetera!

Raise the clothing bar, but lower the temperature

Cool Papa Bell — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:45:44 -0800

Cool-temperature work clothing? I want to wear business casual clothing, but it's all so goddamn hot, especially with an undershirt. What's your secret for wearing business dress shirts and trousers and staying cool?

Where to get custom made suit in Bay Area?

Nickel — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:47:43 -0800

Recommend a tailor in the Bay Area to create a custom made suit. I am a 25 year old female about to finish grad school and enter The Real World. I would like to have one good quality power suit for interviews but department store shopping is frustrating and fruitless. I can't find anything that flatters my body type, is a complementary color, and is good quality. I've decided to scrimp and save and use my tax refund to buy a custom made suit that I can use for years. So...where do I go?

Can you recommend any tailors in the Bay Area (Oakland/Berkeley preferred, but I'm willing to travel for quality) with experience in female business suits?

Men's suits in Vancouver Canada?

thewalrus — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:11:30 -0800

What is the best place to buy ready-to-wear or slightly altered men's business suits in Vancouver BC? Bonus points if the place sells both ready to wear and provides custom tailoring services at reasonable prices.

Working with an Independent (Clothing) Sales Rep vs. Cold Calling shops

braveterry — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:41:12 -0800

My wife has designed and produced several items of clothing for girls which are available online. She's interested in getting her items placed and sold through specialty shops and boutiques. She is trying to determine the best way to go about this without breaking the bank. (For example, the expense of a booth at a trade show is outside of our budget). She's thinking about working with an independent sales representative and/or cold calling shops directly.

What are the pros and cons of using an independent sales rep vs. DIY? She's especially interested in any financial considerations of either approach.

Any advice on how to find an independent sales rep?

Any tips on cold calling on a shop owners?

Can you recommend any resources that may be helpful to her (for example, she's heard of a line sheet but needs to understand how to prepare one and how to use it effectively; is the line sheet for the sales rep to use or for the shop owner)?

Dressing for success

Bardolph — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:24:04 -0800

Help me learn to dress my husband! Tips/tricks/resources on developing a good eye for men's business attire? Over a few decades as a girl, I've acquired tons of specialized knowledge about how to dress women in general and myself in particular-- I know, for instance, that pencil skirts make me look thick-waisted, that certain prints look elegant while others scream "Wal-mart!", etc., etc. Having recently acquired a male second half (who's begged me to look after his wardrobe), I'm looking for ways to gather the same sort of information about men's clothing, and business attire in particular.

Areas of special concern are:

Body shape/tailoring. Suits all look the same to me-- kind of absurd and stubby-legged-- so I'd love to find out which lines/proportions will make suits look "right", and what specific adjustments to the garment can help make the most of my husband's adorable, but not 100% modelesque, body proportions. I'm looking to go beyond the basics here: something like this , with a discussion of specific waist/shoulder/arm/leg proportions, would be ideal, not just the standard "heavier gentlemen should wear double-breasted suits" or whatever. Hubby is 6'2, 200lbs, broad shoulders, short legs, small pot-belly, if that helps at all.

Colors. I have a decent eye for matching women's clothing, but men's shirt/tie/suit combos seem to follow subtly different norms. Exactly what shirt colors can one wear with navy, for instance? Is the shirt meant to be the accent color, or the tie? Are there any general rules to help one figure this out?

Ties. Once we move past the novelty-Simpsons-tie range, these all seem to be some variation of geometric print/stripe, more or less bright-colored, 100% silk. Whence, then, all the jokes about "that hideous tie"? What exactly distinguishes a cool, expensive-looking tie from a $10 Sears special?

None of the research avenues I've tried so far-- Google, salespeople, menswear catalogues, What Not To Wear, this, this-- has yielded much in the way of specific, comprehensive and ~scientific info on these issues. Would love any combination of direct advice/resource referrals to help me understand what looks good on real men!

What should I look for in a product photographer?

braveterry — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:01:33 -0800

What should I look for in a product photographer? What kinds of questions should I ask when contacting them for quotes? I'm looking for a product photographer to take pictures of clothing items. (T-shirts and fashion tops.) I've identified several in my area. Right now I don't need any special sets built or any staging setup for the products. I'm fine with product-only shots at this time. I tried taking the photos myself using the techniques and equipment outlined in this book eBay Photos That Sell: Taking Great Product Shots for eBay and Beyond, and I decided that I don't want to spend the time required to get good enough to get quality shots on my own.

Shopping the sales -- how does it work, when does it happen, where do I go??

croutonsupafreak — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 07:06:18 -0800

Over the next few months, I need to buy a lot of new clothes to bulk up my professional (woman's) wardrobe. I want everything I buy to fit well. Slacks, skirts, blazers need to be lined. I will not buy anything without trying it on first, so web and catalog shopping is out. I don't have the budget to buy this all at full price. What kinds of strategies can I employ to get the best deals possible? Are there specific stores I should be shopping in? Are there sales I should watch for? Are there specific dates, weekends or times of year when I can get the best deals? How can I find out about and obtain about great coupons and upcoming sales? Those are the questions, here's a little background.

I am normally a cheapo shopper, and I'm pretty clueless about nice business wear.

My boss and the most respected senior women in my work place tend to wear suits about half the time, and nice skirts or slacks with sweaters or blazers the rest of the time. I've also become that my boss notices what people where when -- "Didn't she wear that earlier this week?" etc.

So I want a classy and robust wardrobe.

I hope to gradually acquire:
* 2 summer work skirts
* 2 summer work dresses
* 2 winter work dresses
* 2 fitted pullovers (1 v-neck, one crew neck)
* 2 cardigans
* 1 black turtleneck (fitted, black, thin)
* 2 pairs winter work pants (tropical wool, lined, not black)
* 1 classic pant suit in a light color
* 3 wool blazers (varied neutral colors)
* 1 light summer blazer
* nude stretchy camisole
* 2 belts -- dark brown and a lighter color
* more socks and pantyhose
* Light colored summer office shoes (pumps)
* 1 pair of knee boots
* 1 pair of ankle boots.

I can't afford it all at once, and I want to get the most bang for my buck while still going after high quality stuff. Hence my obsession with sales and deals.

How should I approach this?

Storing a sport jacket

beammeup4 — Mon, 01 May 2006 20:32:10 -0800

How do you properly fold a sport jacket to store in a suitcase for 3 months? So I'm leaving my first year of college on Wednesday and are starting to pack up all the junk I've accumulated over the year.

I have a sport jacket hanging in my closet right now that may not make it back home, therefore it will be placed with a lot of my other belongings in storage.

How do I properly fold and store a sport jacket in a suitcase so that it doesn't wrinkle and looks nice and neat when I pull it out of my suitcase if I need to present myself in front of an employer or high-status PhD in August?