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Cowboy Hats in Fashion Colors
Greetings!
Spring is loaded with opportunities for sales in fashion
jewelry and accessories. Hats sell at the fastest
pace of the year. There is a frenzy for elegant
jewelry because of prom, bridal, and pageant. Spring
fashion rolls out and causes new excitement. But
now we are looking at summer. Don't get
depressed. The fashion trends are giving us a fresh
round of great sales opportunities so let's take a look
at these fashion trends for summer.
Michael Gietl
Summer Trends in Fashion Jewelry
Color and "Big" are the In Things
The forecast for costume jewelry couldn't be brighter
for the fashion accessory industry. Color and big
chunky looks are the trends and these are the
perfect ingredients for strong costume jewelry sales.
The colors are almost "pick your own". The
forecasted colors are brights with a feminine touch --
teal instead of green, coral and rose instead of red,
and dusty blue or turquoise instead of blue. But
lately white or black and white have been receiving
raves and some summer apparel is coming out in the
traditional brights.
The hot designs are ropes and layered necklaces
that are still in, but the bold look rules. Chunky
jewelry with components from nature are already
appearing in fashion magazines and fine department
stores. Wood and shell are mixed with metals and
glass beads to create attractive designs. Even
bigger is gemstone incorporated into costume jewelry
designs. Turquoise, coral, unakite, carnelian, rose
quartz, and numerous other gemstones are showing
up in beautifully designed fashion jewelry. Here is a
great opportunity for retailers to profit in the summer
months. The wholesale price is in line with other
costume jewelry, but the public perceives gemstone
to be more valuable. These designs will be anything
but cheap in the fine department stores. So take
advantage of the desirable looks and reasonable
prices to increase your summer profits. To single out
this look, we have added a category, gemstone
fashion jewelry, to the gemstone selection.
Stunning New Looks in Sunglasses
This Accessory Sells Itself
Sunglasses have mushroomed over the last few years
as a fashion accessory. It used to be "fashion and
functionality", but with the ravishing designs coming
out in sunglasses, we almost forget the purpose they
serve. To make the point, only one customer in the
last year asked what the UV rating was. The reason
is the new designs look so stunning that all a retailer
needs to do is put them in the shop and they sell
themselves. The second great thing about them is
that the profit margin is incredible. Mark ups of 3 to
6 times have them still looking reasonable.
If we put the latest trend in sunglasses in one word, it
would be "big". Oversize is what is selling best this
year and plastic frames are outselling metal frames
for ladies. Tortoise and black are the leading colors,
but rose, pink, and other colors are doing very well.
Embedded rhinestones and studs give a new twist to
this years designs and matching frame and lens
colors are very popular. For men, nothing ever beats
the traditional aviators. So include sunglasses in
your accessory line to offset some of the other items
that may slump in the heat of the summer.
Summer Handbag Trends
Roomy is the Word in Handbags
Trends in handbags are providing some fabulous fresh
looks. Oversize totes and hobos in leather or
leatherette are very fashionable in traditional leather
colors or washed metallics. Lots of studs,
rhinestones, buckles, and straps keep these bags
from being anything but plain. Pockets on the front
are very stylish and shorter shoulder straps enable
the roomy handbags to fit nicely under
the arm. Celebrities are doing what they can to sell
the trend by popping up in magazines carrying the
latest in oversize bags. The excitement of this new
look should provide a big plus for summer sales.
Next Newsletter: New Developments in Themes
Bold looks and color have costume jewelry in a strong
upward trend and this gives us one more big plus for
business. The next newsletter will talk about the flip
side of trendy fashion jewelry and accessories. We
are going to explore new developments in themes
that seem to be immune from the ups and downs of
fashion trends.
