Post: #1

I'm not sure if USA clothing retailers would ever admit this like the Spanish Inditex/Zara, but it was refreshing to read.

Quote:Expansion, however, poses a threat to Zara’s process by putting stores far from the factories and logistics center in Europe. Echevarría said the company very carefully selects the cities where it opens new stores. Remember the slide presentation showing only 45 stores in the United States compared with hundreds in other countries? There are reasons for that. Foreign brands have a long history of failing miserably here.

“The United States is a graveyard of European retailers,” says José Luis Nueno, a professor of marketing at I.E.S.E. Business School in Madrid. “Everyone who has gone there has struggled. Laura Ashley has shut down and even Benetton is declining. The U.S. is really complex because it’s about putting stores in shopping malls in the middle of nowhere. Fashionistas live on the East and West coasts. Then everyone else dresses in the Gap and Walmart and T. J. Maxx. If you really wanted to cover the U.S., you would have to open 300 stores, and they would have to focus all their energy to make it work.”

There’s also the delicate matter of sizing.

“Would you expand (pun intended? op.ed.) in the United States?” Fraiman asks. “Zara to me is a European store for European style; it’s very fashion forward. And what is the problem in America? They don’t fit in the clothes. So why do it? Having to make larger sizes makes production so much more complex.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/magazi...ral&src=me

Post: #2

Post: #3

Post: #4

Zara in Australia is shitty and overpriced. Nothing on the ones in Europe.

Only a matter of time before they sell out and open a Plus Sized Zara - for the 'curvy' woman

Post: #5

Although, when I was in Australia, my opinion was that the obesity epidemic was well on its way there - perhaps not as much as in USA, but still having disturbing proportions, and definitely more than in Europe. What do you think?

Post: #6

(11-12-2012 06:13 AM)Handsome Creepy Eel Wrote:  Although, when I was in Australia, my opinion was that the obesity epidemic was well on its way there - perhaps not as much as in USA, but still having disturbing proportions, and definitely more than in Europe. What do you think?

I've always said that Australia was just an America-in-training. We're probably 5-10 years right behind you guys.

Post: #7

(11-12-2012 06:24 AM)Tengen Wrote:  

(11-12-2012 06:13 AM)Handsome Creepy Eel Wrote:  Although, when I was in Australia, my opinion was that the obesity epidemic was well on its way there - perhaps not as much as in USA, but still having disturbing proportions, and definitely more than in Europe. What do you think?

I've always said that Australia was just an America-in-training. We're probably 5-10 years right behind you guys.

Absolutely. Australia is now officially one of the fattest nations in the developed world.

http://www.modi.monash.edu.au/obesity-fa...australia/

Post: #8

I did a lot of clothes shopping while I wad in the US recently due to the advantageous exchange rate.

I noticed how Burberry and Zegna had size tags that said "EU: M US: L".
Is this new labelling? Never seen it so overtly before.

Post: #9

(11-12-2012 10:41 AM)Vicious Wrote:  I did a lot of clothes shopping while I wad in the US recently due to the advantageous exchange rate.

I noticed how Burberry and Zegna had size tags that said "EU: M US: L".
Is this new labelling? Never seen it so overtly before.

Did you type that wrong? If a garment is M in Europe and L in the US, that implies that the Europeans are fatter and the Americans smaller.

There are also more men who lift here.

What annoys me is how hard it is to find shirts with a trim waist. My waist is fairly average, about 33", yet even slim fit shirts are baggy at the waist. It's like every clothesmaker is trying to fit 90% of the market, which includes lots of fatties.

Post: #10

I guess Zara have standards to uphold. Don't want out of shape people reducing their brand value. But it's difficult to imagine how any fashion retailer can get really large (ha), globally, without catering to the plus sized demographic.

I can relate to this article because I'm a skinny dude who, to be honest, really should be lifting more weights or something. Zara is one of very few retailers in North America I can find something that fits well. Mexx is another, and sometimes H+M, but that just emphasises the point since these are all European companies.

Post: #11

(11-12-2012 11:32 AM)basilransom Wrote:  Did you type that wrong? If a garment is M in Europe and L in the US, that implies that the Europeans are fatter and the Americans smaller.

There are also more men who lift here.

What annoys me is how hard it is to find shirts with a trim waist. My waist is fairly average, about 33", yet even slim fit shirts are baggy at the waist. It's like every clothesmaker is trying to fit 90% of the market, which includes lots of fatties.

Yeah exactly, it makes me rage to no end. I would say my waist is slightly larger than yours but still it's impossible to find shirts that fit properly. Same with jackets. Everything you buy in America has room for a pot belly in it.

Post: #12

(11-12-2012 12:07 PM)Hades Wrote:  Yeah exactly, it makes me rage to no end. I would say my waist is slightly larger than yours but still it's impossible to find shirts that fit properly. Same with jackets. Everything you buy in America has room for a pot belly in it.

I just wonder why... do the economics not work? Instead of trying to get 1% of 90% of the market (i.e. selling a shirt that fits fatties), try to get 10%+ of the market by catering to the thinnest 25%.

Also, most American men wear clothing a size too large. So even if there were skinny fit shirts that fit them well, American men would think they were too tight and reject them.

PS, anyone got tips on good deep v-necks? I looked around, Gap, American Apparel, Express and Urban Outfitters have them. I have one from Gap, it's pretty nice, but loose in the waist. The Express ones look pretty good, have a little stretch and spandex in them.

Post: #13

(11-12-2012 11:32 AM)basilransom Wrote:  

(11-12-2012 10:41 AM)Vicious Wrote:  I did a lot of clothes shopping while I wad in the US recently due to the advantageous exchange rate.

I noticed how Burberry and Zegna had size tags that said "EU: M US: L".
Is this new labelling? Never seen it so overtly before.

Did you type that wrong? If a garment is M in Europe and L in the US, that implies that the Europeans are fatter and the Americans smaller.

Uh yeah, the other way around.

Post: #14

It's actually refreshing to see a business think twice about expansion just for the sake of it. So many chains in any number of industries are anxious to put a store on every corner, and they end up struggling. More stores doesn't necessarily mean larger profits. Good for Zara. They're thinking strategically by paying attention to areas that have consumers that actually like the clothes, and higher-end designers often refuse to "go big" with their designs. They don't necessarily want to be all things for all people.

Post: #15

(11-12-2012 12:13 PM)basilransom Wrote:  

(11-12-2012 12:07 PM)Hades Wrote:  Yeah exactly, it makes me rage to no end. I would say my waist is slightly larger than yours but still it's impossible to find shirts that fit properly. Same with jackets. Everything you buy in America has room for a pot belly in it.

I just wonder why... do the economics not work? Instead of trying to get 1% of 90% of the market (i.e. selling a shirt that fits fatties), try to get 10%+ of the market by catering to the thinnest 25%.

Also, most American men wear clothing a size too large. So even if there were skinny fit shirts that fit them well, American men would think they were too tight and reject them.

PS, anyone got tips on good deep v-necks? I looked around, Gap, American Apparel, Express and Urban Outfitters have them. I have one from Gap, it's pretty nice, but loose in the waist. The Express ones look pretty good, have a little stretch and spandex in them.

American designers tend to cut everything bigger, and several years ago there was a trend towards baggier clothes. Men started going more for the untucked shirt, so you have to really look for a shirt that is fitted all the way down. In the last few years designers started leaning back towards more fitted cuts in suits, but it's hard to find the shirts off the rack. I have some Paul Fredrick shirts (Trim Fit), that hug the body pretty well.

Post: #16

@vicious and Basilransom- I think American men just tend to be bigger. I shopped heavy at a Zara in K*wait last year, and the large shirts were just too small. I was cut and pushing a 44R blazer from hitting the gym. I was in no way monsterous by any stretch of the imagination, but their Euro cuts were just too small.

I still bought to floral shirts, and my coworkers called me a fag from wearing granny clothes. Later they recanted from jealously, and admitted they couldn't have pulled off wearing them. Zara has some ugly shit, but on a rare occasion I can buy something there that goes in the rockstar closet.

Post: #17

(11-12-2012 12:13 PM)basilransom Wrote:  PS, anyone got tips on good deep v-necks? I looked around, Gap, American Apparel, Express and Urban Outfitters have them. I have one from Gap, it's pretty nice, but loose in the waist. The Express ones look pretty good, have a little stretch and spandex in them.

Several people recommended American Apparel v-necks to me, but I bought a few and they're too wide in the waist, which was the opposite of what I was told, they're slowly adopting the fatty cut, I suspect.

I don't have any Express v-necks, but I have a few of their button-ups and they're one of the rare brands that are generally cut for guys that are in shape. They'll even make a skinnier guy look slightly more muscular because of the cut.

Post: #18

(11-12-2012 02:27 PM)iop890 Wrote:  

(11-12-2012 12:13 PM)basilransom Wrote:  PS, anyone got tips on good deep v-necks? I looked around, Gap, American Apparel, Express and Urban Outfitters have them. I have one from Gap, it's pretty nice, but loose in the waist. The Express ones look pretty good, have a little stretch and spandex in them.

Several people recommended American Apparel v-necks to me, but I bought a few and they're too wide in the waist, which was the opposite of what I was told, they're slowly adopting the fatty cut, I suspect.

I don't have any Express v-necks, but I have a few of their button-ups and they're one of the rare brands that are generally cut for guys that are in shape. They'll even make a skinnier guy look slightly more muscular because of the cut.

..I experienced the exact same thing, except I don't have any shirts from express, just v-necks. Their medium size is one of the few tshirts that fits my torso as well as my chest/shoulders without looking too tight (after a few washes the chest/shoulder area will stretch a little). Think they have 5% spandex, which is great for in-shape upper bodies. (32 waist, 44 chest). American Apparel polo shirts that I bought I quit wearing due to the fatty-cut (I've given up finding good-fitting polos, sticking to shallow v-necks).

Post: #19

[/quote]
I don't have any Express v-necks, but I have a few of their button-ups and they're one of the rare brands that are generally cut for guys that are in shape. They'll even make a skinnier guy look slightly more muscular because of the cut.
[/quote]

I strongly agree with you on Express. Other brands like Calvin Klein and Perry Ellis seem to be cut for fat guys, sometimes even if the clothes say "slim fit." I used to wear Express clothes almost exclusively until about five years ago. I stopped buying and wearing their clothes, because I thought they were becoming very dated, that they continued to make clothes from the 90's or the early 2000's. The best Express store I have ever seen was the one located in or around Brentwood, not too far from Beverly Hills. It is or was located in the same complex as Bloomingdale's. I'm not sure if it is still there. Another brand which actually fits an in shape guy better than Express is Takumi. It is a Japanese company which makes really nice stuff. Their clothes are not very easy to find, at least in the United States.

Post: #20

(11-12-2012 07:32 PM)Merenguero Wrote:  

Quote:I don't have any Express v-necks, but I have a few of their button-ups and they're one of the rare brands that are generally cut for guys that are in shape. They'll even make a skinnier guy look slightly more muscular because of the cut.

I strongly agree with you on Express. Other brands like Calvin Klein and Perry Ellis seem to be cut for fat guys, sometimes even if the clothes say "slim fit." I used to wear Express clothes almost exclusively until about five years ago. I stopped buying and wearing their clothes, because I thought they were becoming very dated, that they continued to make clothes from the 90's or the early 2000's. The best Express store I have ever seen was the one located in or around Brentwood, not too far from Beverly Hills. It is or was located in the same complex as Bloomingdale's. I'm not sure if it is still there. Another brand which actually fits an in shape guy better than Express is Takumi. It is a Japanese company which makes really nice stuff. Their clothes are not very easy to find, at least in the United States.

You're probably talking about their Westside Pavilion location, between Beverly Hills and Brentwood, in the southern edge of Westwood.

I've heard good things about Uniqlo, though they're more fashion-ish, while Express is more euro-douche.

Post: #21

I got a couple of plain white shirts from Express many years ago, and still have one of them. They were made of that cotton/spandex blend, so the shirts had just a little stretch in them. They fit great. They weren't form-fitting, but not baggy either. I don't know if they even carry the shirt anymore though.

Post: #22

Yeah! I got some good Express shirts in the US. Cotton-Spandex was great for bringing out that V-shape in the torso. Then I left them all in a Vegas hotel and lost them

Post: #23

Yeah! I got some good Express shirts in the US. Cotton-Spandex was great for bringing out that V-shape in the torso. Then I left them all in a Vegas hotel and lost them Some Mexican maid's son is likely walking around downtown LV looking balla as we speak.

Post: #24

I dont really wear t shirts too often, but these have been the best ones for fit that I have found.

H&M Best Basics.

I have the same issues as Basilransom where if I find a shirt that fits my chest and shoulders it balloons out at the waist. Pretty much everything I own has had a trip to my tailor. Club Monaco has had the odd button up that fit pretty good off the rack, but thats a Canadian company and the sizes seem to be on the small side.

I wish I could order more clothes from the USA because of the price, but I have had some issues in the past and I will no longer trust the S,M,L sizing from there. If the collar says 16.5 I feel a bit better, but the sizes are certainly larger there.

The Japanese sizing from Uniqlo just jumped up as well. Normally I am an XL but my latest order from there (Tokyo store) came in way too big in the shoulders. I am pissed, as it was a big haul of white linen shirts, which are IMO the best on the market for price and quality.

Post: #25

It's funny how there are big and tall stores serving morbidly obese and pituitary impaired people but there aren't slim and in shape stores - despite the fact that so many young men in America today are athletic or muscular.

Banana Republic's v-necks are pretty decent in terms of waist length compared to ones from American Apparel or the Gap.