“Tailored Clothing Stars in ’07″

Long overshadowed by denim and sportswear, tailored clothing became the hot market in men’s wear last year, outpacing the largest apparel segments. Dollar volume sales for tailored clothing, which includes suits, suit separates and sport coats, jumped 7 percent in 2007 to $5 billion, according to new data from The NPD Group. The segment narrowly edged out tops, which posted a 6 percent gain last year to $22.1 billion. Suit separates fueled the demand, posting an impressive 35 percent gain year-over year. “Once again the ability to create a personalized fit experience by being able to buy the right size jacket and pant have made suit separates the way to shop for tailored clothing,” noted Marshal Cohen, NPD’s lead analyst. “Between the dressing-up trend and the ability to buy suits ‘off the rack’ — no alterations necessary — this huge growth category has gotten even bigger among the younger crowd, who are now reaching for style as a great image maker.” Read the full report here. (DNR)