Sunglasses are that necessity item for most people. When the sun comes out our eyes can feel the strain. Retailers have great success selling sunglasses because of this reason. Another thing about sunglasses is they are easy to lose or break so customers are always coming back to buy another pair.

Fashion trends with sunglasses:

Many times people will purchase sunglasses to be in style. Fashions change often this is why you see so many different styles of sunglasses. At this time the ones that seem to be in fashion are the bigger plastic frames with the antique look, also the 80’s styles seem to be coming back the wayfarer styles and even the new shutter shades are in style.
–Including Top Retailers who are new to the Show

The Off-Price Specialist Show was pleased to wrap up its 27th Fashion Week Show with highly successful results reported by exhibitors and buyers alike. The buyers, including an influx of new buyers from new industry sectors came to the Off-Price Show to fill immediate inventory needs and find great value on quality apparel. 1,000 buyers showed up in the first hour of the show on opening day – the highest number that show registration had experienced in a long time. Many of the exhibitors were said to have had either their best first day ever or their best show ever.

“We attribute the success of the February Show to two factors,” said new Show Director Julie Ichiba, “ the immediate needs of the retailers who under-bought after a poor holiday season, and the buyers, both new and old, who truly understand the opportunities that exist in our marketplace.”

The 451 exhibitors covering 1,010 booths experienced tremendous buying activity in the first two days of the show.

“Business seems to be opening up and retailers are out to buy,” said Allison Smith of CitiTrends. “The vendors seemed to be very happy.”

“We had our best first day ever,” reported Kay McQuade of New Hampshire based White Mountain Dry Goods. “We’re liquidating Desente Golf wear. We not only had our regular customers, we had new customers looking at our new inventory. We literally had no breaks throughout the day.”

While Rick Bosch of New York-based Alliance Wholesale cites that buyers have “put their holiday blues behind them,” he also acknowledges the buyers’ changing attitudes on how to present off-price goods. “Whereas closeouts used to be loss leaders in the stores, they are now being used for margin building. They (the buyers) are not necessarily looking for the sales items, they want to make money.”

Buyer Jeff Haughn of We Care Fashion in Clearwater, Florida agrees. “The lines were very good and we found new resources. A good 60% of the merchandise we carry is Off-Price. It has become more and more important to us.”

So does L. Roberts, owner of McBecklands ladies boutique in Gig Harbor, Washington. “I enjoy this particular market. I found a selection of quality merchandise at true off-price. The theory of Off-Price at one time was sales and promotional goods – bargain basement merchandise. Now with the quality of off-price goods, you can retail and sustain a higher margin. At this show, you have vendors who stand behind their product.”

Jeff Cohen of JefCo in Spartanburg, SC, who’s company has been exhibiting at the Off-Price Show since the beginning, indicated that the February ’08 show was “the best we ever had. The show created great activity for us. We’re doing more department store business and a broader variety of retailers, which helps.”

In addition to more department stores, there was a strong presence of international buyers at the February ’08 Off-Price Show. Buyers representing stores as far away as Ethiopia and New Zealand came looking for established American brands, while European countries including Switzerland and Croatia had buyers shopping for better values based on the American dollar.

We make it easy finding wholesale sunglass suppliers we have a full section on wholesale sunglasses listed at Wholesale U. We realize you can do an internet search in the major search engines like Google or Yahoo but we make it easy. We have a category for Sunglasses on our site. This is the easy way to find major wholesale companies offering wholesale discount sunglasses.

Is there any good news in $4.00 per gallon gasoline, higher food prices and rising unemployment among free-spending teens?

Yes! Bargain Stores, Second-Hand Clothing Outlets, Off-Price Discount Stores and even … gasp … sewing and make-your-own Bling advice, targeted to teens, are now considered v. cool.

Tween-Teen belt-tightening is unmistakable: Retailers who target teens – like American Eagle, Tween Brands, Inc. and its Limited Too — have seen up to four consecutive months of sales declines (says UBS-International Council of Shopping Centers). Fewer teens remain in the part-time workforce over the past 14 months, squeezing out C-note Coach wristlet handbags and $80 jeans from Abercrombie & Fitch and pre-distressed surfer hoodies with brand new Brand Hollister price tags. Even Teen Food Staples – pizza, potato chips – cost more of youths’ dwindling discretionary dollars.

Opportunity knocks for off-price and bargain apparel traders!!! Now it’s cool to be frugal, including:

• • Get ready for another Grunge Fest? Maybe not. Economists state the current spending slump is the worst since the early 1990s … and it slumps all the way through the family, as budget-conscious parents cut unlimited text-message services, allowances and frivolous shopping.The previous big 1990s slump birthed the Grunge Look – torn clothing, flannel shirts, ripped stockings and that Je ne sais quoi touch of Gothica. Even with a sinking economy (teen hiring dropped 13% in the early 1990s vs. a 5% hiring slump this past year), no one thinks fashion will go Grunge during this cycle. Keep stocking that economical Bling: DIY beads, rhinestones; Metallic-thread shoulder wraps and scarves; Oversized handbags that double as beach totes and book bags; Off-price jewelry and accessories.

• Buffalo Exchange, a chain of second-hand clothing stores based in Tucson Arizona that operates throughout the west and central California, says business is surging. Because teens can trade in jeans and apparel at Buffalo, shoppers are still buying top brands like Banana Republic and Juicy Couture. The brand-name threads are simply “recycled” and cost a fraction of regular price at Buffalo X.

• Off-pricing and low-pricing still works. Another tween favorite, Aeropostale, sells jeans to teens for 30% less than look-alikes at Abercrombie & Fitch … and is thriving during this downturn. Teens are re-branding their shopping hangouts from higher-priced Hollister to lower-priced Target; and they’re shifting from pricey Pacific Sunwear of CA demo stores to thriftier knock-offs at H&M and Steve & Barry’s.

• Even if the prices aren’t bargain basement, a “thrift-store ambience” keeps frugal Teens loyal. Or, so say trend experts who look at Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie brands, which are staying afloat in the economic storm when they only look like thrift stores.
• For anyone who thought free-spending Teens would never, ever cut up credit cards, pinch dollars till George yelps or turn to sewing machines, get this: the teen-targeted spin-off of women’s Elle Magazine (called Ellegirl.com) launched videos titled, “Self-Made Girl.” It’s all about making clothes, crafting accessories like a prom clutch bag, and altering what’s already in the closet to look more stylish or fit better.

–Including Top Retailers who are new to the Show

The Off-Price Specialist Show was pleased to wrap up its 27th Fashion Week Show with highly successful results reported by exhibitors and buyers alike. The buyers, including an influx of new buyers from new industry sectors came to the Off-Price Show to fill immediate inventory needs and find great value on quality apparel. 1,000 buyers showed up in the first hour of the show on opening day – the highest number that show registration had experienced in a long time. Many of the exhibitors were said to have had either their best first day ever or their best show ever.

“We attribute the success of the February Show to two factors,” said new Show Director Julie Ichiba, “ the immediate needs of the retailers who under-bought after a poor holiday season, and the buyers, both new and old, who truly understand the opportunities that exist in our marketplace.”

The 451 exhibitors covering 1,010 booths experienced tremendous buying activity in the first two days of the show.

“Business seems to be opening up and retailers are out to buy,” said Allison Smith of CitiTrends. “The vendors seemed to be very happy.”

“We had our best first day ever,” reported Kay McQuade of New Hampshire based White Mountain Dry Goods. “We’re liquidating Desente Golf wear. We not only had our regular customers, we had new customers looking at our new inventory. We literally had no breaks throughout the day.”

While Rick Bosch of New York-based Alliance Wholesale cites that buyers have “put their holiday blues behind them,” he also acknowledges the buyers’ changing attitudes on how to present off-price goods. “Whereas closeouts used to be loss leaders in the stores, they are now being used for margin building. They (the buyers) are not necessarily looking for the sales items, they want to make money.”

Buyer Jeff Haughn of We Care Fashion in Clearwater, Florida agrees. “The lines were very good and we found new resources. A good 60% of the merchandise we carry is Off-Price. It has become more and more important to us.”

So does L. Roberts, owner of McBecklands ladies boutique in Gig Harbor, Washington. “I enjoy this particular market. I found a selection of quality merchandise at true off-price. The theory of Off-Price at one time was sales and promotional goods – bargain basement merchandise. Now with the quality of off-price goods, you can retail and sustain a higher margin. At this show, you have vendors who stand behind their product.”

Jeff Cohen of JefCo in Spartanburg, SC, who’s company has been exhibiting at the Off-Price Show since the beginning, indicated that the February ’08 show was “the best we ever had. The show created great activity for us. We’re doing more department store business and a broader variety of retailers, which helps.”

In addition to more department stores, there was a strong presence of international buyers at the February ’08 Off-Price Show. Buyers representing stores as far away as Ethiopia and New Zealand came looking for established American brands, while European countries including Switzerland and Croatia had buyers shopping for better values based on the American dollar.

Mother’s Day 2008 is two weeks away: day of last-minute flowers, candy and Mom Bling jewelry.

Dollar Stores and merchandise resellers already took shipment of their Mother’s Day gift inventory. Online search advertisers – Keyworded Mother’s Day; Mom’s Day; Jewelry for Mom; Flowers for Mom – are just launching their mid-May holiday Mom-marketing campaigns.

Here are some online and in-store merchandising/display tips:

Cross-Reference Mom Stuff. It is good enuf for specialty retailers, like Jo-Ann Fabrics; Cook Books headlined in Barnes & Noble or Borders emailings; and local Scrapbooking and Crafts groups featured on Meet-Up, Gather and other social link-up sites. Then, it is good enuf for Dollar Stores and general merchandise retailers to copy, too.

• Put themed Mother’s Day displays, banners and signs over categories of merchandise: Crafts and Handicraft Items; Scrapbooks and Miniatures; Glue Guns and Glitters; Remaindered Cook Books; Specialty Cookware (cake decorating utensils; piping bags; nonpareils and silver “Jimmies”); Party Favors, Paperware, Festive Holiday Cupcake Liners and Cake Molds.

• Post See Also :: Mom Also Likes cross-reference signage and web links to: Beach Totes, Flip Flops, Sun Parasols and Beach Reading Paperback Books. To Grapevine Wreaths, Wicker Baskets and Artificial Flower aisles. And to In-Home Spa Products such as Body Wash, Bubble Bath, Scrubs, Moisturizers, Nature Sprays, Manicure Sets, Nail Polishes, Nail Transfers or Charms, Candles and Incense, and Personal Care Products.

Leave a Breadcrumb Trail to Mom Gifts. Whether you are looking to pull online clicks to a web site or eyeballs to a brick-and-mortar display, make a trail to the Mom Merchandise easy to follow.

· Use the same icon, colors, posters and headlines for Mother’s Day Gift Suggestions … whatever the category or aisle. (See above.)

· Then “silo” on the web site, or stock on the shelves, all Mom-targeted gift items. Count on serendipity: Searchers and shoppers may have an idea of what they want to buy for Mom; but seeing other suggested gift items nearby may help them refine their gift. It also helps cross-sell and up-sell higher revenue sales … like personalized, homemade gift baskets.

Make Mom a Headliner. All the Mother’s Day-themed greeting cards, helium party balloons, singing eCards, party banners, gift wrapping and flowers (fresh and fake) rotate to the front of the inventory, or top of the web landing page. And help out The Indecisive Shopper: If you sell Gift Cards, offer Mother’s Day themed or wrapped Gift Cards to give Mom freedom of choice.
–Including Top Retailers who are new to the Show

The Off-Price Specialist Show was pleased to wrap up its 27th Fashion Week Show with highly successful results reported by exhibitors and buyers alike. The buyers, including an influx of new buyers from new industry sectors came to the Off-Price Show to fill immediate inventory needs and find great value on quality apparel. 1,000 buyers showed up in the first hour of the show on opening day – the highest number that show registration had experienced in a long time. Many of the exhibitors were said to have had either their best first day ever or their best show ever.

“We attribute the success of the February Show to two factors,” said new Show Director Julie Ichiba, “ the immediate needs of the retailers who under-bought after a poor holiday season, and the buyers, both new and old, who truly understand the opportunities that exist in our marketplace.”

The 451 exhibitors covering 1,010 booths experienced tremendous buying activity in the first two days of the show.

“Business seems to be opening up and retailers are out to buy,” said Allison Smith of CitiTrends. “The vendors seemed to be very happy.”

“We had our best first day ever,” reported Kay McQuade of New Hampshire based White Mountain Dry Goods. “We’re liquidating Desente Golf wear. We not only had our regular customers, we had new customers looking at our new inventory. We literally had no breaks throughout the day.”

While Rick Bosch of New York-based Alliance Wholesale cites that buyers have “put their holiday blues behind them,” he also acknowledges the buyers’ changing attitudes on how to present off-price goods. “Whereas closeouts used to be loss leaders in the stores, they are now being used for margin building. They (the buyers) are not necessarily looking for the sales items, they want to make money.”

Buyer Jeff Haughn of We Care Fashion in Clearwater, Florida agrees. “The lines were very good and we found new resources. A good 60% of the merchandise we carry is Off-Price. It has become more and more important to us.”

So does L. Roberts, owner of McBecklands ladies boutique in Gig Harbor, Washington. “I enjoy this particular market. I found a selection of quality merchandise at true off-price. The theory of Off-Price at one time was sales and promotional goods – bargain basement merchandise. Now with the quality of off-price goods, you can retail and sustain a higher margin. At this show, you have vendors who stand behind their product.”

Jeff Cohen of JefCo in Spartanburg, SC, who’s company has been exhibiting at the Off-Price Show since the beginning, indicated that the February ’08 show was “the best we ever had. The show created great activity for us. We’re doing more department store business and a broader variety of retailers, which helps.”

In addition to more department stores, there was a strong presence of international buyers at the February ’08 Off-Price Show. Buyers representing stores as far away as Ethiopia and New Zealand came looking for established American brands, while European countries including Switzerland and Croatia had buyers shopping for better values based on the American dollar.

So, a few months ago, I promised Shawn Saba from US Style, Inc. that we would consider letting him write a guest post here and sharing his knowledge with all our readers. I never got around to posting it and he called me today saying I’d better put this up before he and Sam came down to San Diego and kick my butt back to Connecticut. Just kidding…I think I can take them anyways so their threats were falling on deaf ears But seriously, ApparelUS.com is one of the leading online resources for great deals on wholesale fashion and we welcome the knowledge of experts like Shawn any day. Shawn, I should have gotten this up back in Feb. but thanks for your work.

Shawn writes:

Every four years we add one extra day in the month of February in order to
re-synchronize our calendar with the seasons. This year, 2008, is a leap
year, which makes it the perfect opportunity to re-synchronize your clothing
collection with current fashion sense. Because fashions are sometimes as
fickle as the changing weather patterns, it‚s important to update your
clothing inventory periodically. There‚s no better or more economical way to
do that than by shopping wholesale online.
–Including Top Retailers who are new to the Show

The Off-Price Specialist Show was pleased to wrap up its 27th Fashion Week Show with highly successful results reported by exhibitors and buyers alike. The buyers, including an influx of new buyers from new industry sectors came to the Off-Price Show to fill immediate inventory needs and find great value on quality apparel. 1,000 buyers showed up in the first hour of the show on opening day – the highest number that show registration had experienced in a long time. Many of the exhibitors were said to have had either their best first day ever or their best show ever.

“We attribute the success of the February Show to two factors,” said new Show Director Julie Ichiba, “ the immediate needs of the retailers who under-bought after a poor holiday season, and the buyers, both new and old, who truly understand the opportunities that exist in our marketplace.”

The 451 exhibitors covering 1,010 booths experienced tremendous buying activity in the first two days of the show.

“Business seems to be opening up and retailers are out to buy,” said Allison Smith of CitiTrends. “The vendors seemed to be very happy.”

“We had our best first day ever,” reported Kay McQuade of New Hampshire based White Mountain Dry Goods. “We’re liquidating Desente Golf wear. We not only had our regular customers, we had new customers looking at our new inventory. We literally had no breaks throughout the day.”

While Rick Bosch of New York-based Alliance Wholesale cites that buyers have “put their holiday blues behind them,” he also acknowledges the buyers’ changing attitudes on how to present off-price goods. “Whereas closeouts used to be loss leaders in the stores, they are now being used for margin building. They (the buyers) are not necessarily looking for the sales items, they want to make money.”

Buyer Jeff Haughn of We Care Fashion in Clearwater, Florida agrees. “The lines were very good and we found new resources. A good 60% of the merchandise we carry is Off-Price. It has become more and more important to us.”

So does L. Roberts, owner of McBecklands ladies boutique in Gig Harbor, Washington. “I enjoy this particular market. I found a selection of quality merchandise at true off-price. The theory of Off-Price at one time was sales and promotional goods – bargain basement merchandise. Now with the quality of off-price goods, you can retail and sustain a higher margin. At this show, you have vendors who stand behind their product.”

Jeff Cohen of JefCo in Spartanburg, SC, who’s company has been exhibiting at the Off-Price Show since the beginning, indicated that the February ’08 show was “the best we ever had. The show created great activity for us. We’re doing more department store business and a broader variety of retailers, which helps.”

In addition to more department stores, there was a strong presence of international buyers at the February ’08 Off-Price Show. Buyers representing stores as far away as Ethiopia and New Zealand came looking for established American brands, while European countries including Switzerland and Croatia had buyers shopping for better values based on the American dollar.

Wholesale clothing shopping online allows you to shop for and buy the
hottest new fashion designs at a fraction of their retail price. Shopping at
online wholesalers cuts out the middlemen, which allows you can spend as
little as possible. The less you pay wholesale, the more you profit in the
end. Another great thing about wholesale clothing shopping is that the
fashions are constantly being updated, so you can always choose from the
most contemporary styles.

When you purchase wholesale clothing, you can afford to completely redo your
clothing collection to fit with the modern fashion landscape. Many of the
newest fashion trends can be found at Apparelus.com, the best source for
wholesale clothing and accessories on the Internet. They offer their
customers a wide range of top-quality clothing and accessories at steeply
discounted prices. With exclusive contracts from many of the hottest
designers and manufacturers in the market, Apparelus.com always has the best
wholesale prices.

Apparelus.com has thousands of different clothing pieces you can choose
from. Their departments include tops, pants, dresses, skirts, jackets and
more. They even have hundreds of accessories like shoes, handbags,
sunglasses, belts and jewelry. No matter what style of clothing or
accessories you‚re after, you‚ll probably find it for pennies on the dollar
in their extensive collection. You‚ll be amazed to see that the unit prices
for most of their clothing items are just several dollars when they could
easily be sold for 5 times more. So, visit Apparelus.com to take advantage
of this once in a leap year opportunity to do yourself a big favor and give
your clothing collection a total overhaul. Your bottom line will thank you.

It is no secret that rising gold prices made for a difficult jewelry holiday season. We listed in this blog in December how to keyword cope with gold prices that surged from $550 USD per ounce to $850 in three months. Tips included featuring prices in jewelry ads to move lower-priced, in-inventory), and looking to high-demand jewelry holidays (Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day) to promote Buy Now Before the Price Increases ad messages for gold jewelry items.

$850 per ounce gold was the Good News. Now, near the end of 1stQuarter 2008, with the subprime mortgage lending crisis and decline of the U.S. dollar against currencies from Euro to Yen, gold tops $1,000 per ounce. The Trends Research Institute marked acceleration in overall wholesale costs to 7.4 percent in Jan 2008 (biggest jump since 1981) and the dollar’s slide against the euro and 6 other currencies to its lowest level since 1973 … ironically, the year Richard Nixon disconnected U.S. currency from the gold standard. This trends research institute predicted gold prices rising to $2,000 per ounce, a prediction made in Nov 2007!

So, what’s a jewelry wholesaler or retailer to do? Climb under the covers? Do weekly fire sales? Or gringe about the good ole days? Maybe not …

Hi-Ho Silver. In February, on reading December’s WholesaleU keywording tips to cope with rising gold prices, a BBJ Bangkok commenter said: “Yes, it was a holiday season that saw wholesale jewelry orders saddled with more silver orders.” And “wholesale gold jewelry will be out of the limelight for some time, (so) buyers might shift to silver jewelry.” BBJ Bangkok qualified the “saddled” as a positive, at least in Asian producer markets. Wholesale silver jewelry at the production end works on higher volume to hit the same margins as the gold trade, or employment boon for developing Asian countries who produce wholesale jewelry.

Trendy Bail-Out. Some fashion sources are predicting a trend for cocktail rings and costume jewelry that is heavy on non-precious metal components: Heavy seed pearl (faux pearl or semi-precious stone) overlays … shaped as flowers; mini enamel or cloisonné charms soldered into designs. For bargain-seekers – under $50 – who demand precious metal in their jewelry, gold- and silver-overlays are squeezing into price points.

Bling Accessories. Remember when DIY (Do It Yourself) became all the rage for home renovators? The increase in home self-renovations came with runaway prices in the real estate bubble. If you can’t sell, or can’t afford to buy at bubble-inflated prices, then you feather the existing nest. While waiting out the run up in gold (it may be a while), you might market other Bling to complete trendy looks, including accessories like designer and licensed scarves; handbags that triple as totes, beach bags and carry-alls; rhinestone and jeweled sweater wraps and glittery belts.

This Spring fashionistas from all over will be following the rainbow by looking to the crayon box for inspiration. This season’s runways were awash in bright, bold colors, a stark contrast from last season’s macabre obsession with all things dark and Gothic. This season, expect to see fashion mavens donning such cheery hues as deep hibiscus red, vermilion orange, sunflower yellow, tropical green, cobalt blue and vibrant violet.

Another blossoming trend this season is wearing large, graphic floral prints with everything from roses and pansies to retro-style daisies and everything in between. For those who are not feeling the large bold florals, mid-size and more delicate summery patterns are also a hit, as are any soft and delicate feminine accents like sheer ribbons and bows.

Retro styles from the 1970s have also come back full throttle, and this can be seen in everything from bold, geometric patterns to off-the-shoulder tops, bell bottoms, and even groovy platforms and leisure suits. Finding these and other styles can get pricey when shopping through most retailers, but that does not have to be the case.

Most of the trends showcased on last month’s runways can be found at ApparelShowroom.com, your premier source for wholesale women’s and junior miss apparel. They specialize in off price and high quality red tag clothing offering the lowest prices for the best quality on the market. Because their company is located in fashionable Los Angeles, Ca, they are constantly adding new merchandise to their inventory from hundreds of neighboring manufacturers and importers, and it’s always deeply discounted to ensure the greatest profits.

Apparel Showroom has a wide array of wholesale women’s clothing, including tops, dresses, skirts, pants, active wear, and even accessories. My favorite section is the page featuring discount wholesale dresses. This page showcases a wide selection of sultry styles, including some of the retro patterns mentioned before. Whether you’re looking for cool and casual or a style fit for a night on the town, Apparel Showroom will be sure to satisfy. They have a large assortment of the ever popular halter dress, svelte dresses with spaghetti straps, and even off-the-shoulder fashions. Check out Apparel Showroom today to spring into the sexy styles of the season. You won’t regret it.

As you may or may not be aware, Valentine’s Day is a mere calendar month away from today. It’s time to roll out the champagne, laced hearts and velvety chocolate! If you have little ones at home this may mean going out in search of Hannah Montana or High School Musical Valentine’s cards and those candy hearts with corny messages of amor sprawled across them. Or, if you’re like me and other Martha Stewart aficionados, you know that this is a very opportune time to get crafty!

Making your own Valentine’s cards and gifts is a breeze to do. Plus it’s a great creative outlet and has the added benefit of good ‘ole fashioned r & r. Not to mention that you’ll save some green in the process. (Score!) If you have the time (and patience) to make your own creations, my best advice is to purchase wholesale craft supplies from an authorized dealer. Popular Valentine’s materials include fabrics embossed with floral patterns, elegant embellished laces, crimson silks or velvets in various shades of red, and anything that shimmers. Nothing says “I love you” like a whole lot of sparkle! Sequins also work well, and you can never go wrong with pink. Silk flowers—roses and baby breath in particular—are also crowd pleasers. You can easily find wholesalers who will sell these products to you, even if you are purchasing for private use.

You don’t have to be a creative genius to come up with ideas for homemade gifts. I once made my hubby a Valentine’s teddy bear with a little box containing coupons I made for him with tickets for things like “1 free hour-long massage”, “1 candlelit dinner made with love and featuring the food of your choice”, “1 day of hogging the remote for the whole day” and other things that are lovely and free. The best part? These one-time use coupons never expired. My hubby still has a few of them left, and that was nearly six years ago. All it took was a plain, plush bear, some lace & fabric, a little bit of hot glue and a whole lot of imagination. That was the cheapest Valentine’s Day ever, and it had the greatest impact of all of them.

If you’re a little lacking in the art department, fret not. You can still find some great deals for wholesale Valentine’s Day gifts without having to spend the time and energy on artsy, time-consuming projects. Check out TopTenWholesale.com today for a list of wholesalers near you.

Fashion industry trade shows are the best destinations for buyers and retailers to source apparel and accessories in all categories and price ranges, with total immersion in upcoming trends and one-on-one access to the broadest reach of media, advertisers and online marketers in the trade.

Entering the final stretch of holiday gift sales — transacted by wholesalers, buyers and sellers by late last summer — it is time to plan for big trade shows in the next two months. These regional and national shows set the mood for urban safari cruise wear, khaki and wheat and neutral tones, the next leisure wear trends and the hottest priced off-price fashion lots.

We’ve even listed a mid-winter Snow Sports Show, a January 08 fashion show that follows up on New York Fashion Week of October 07, and an industry site where you can find smaller, or more specialized, or closer-to-home-base fashion trade shows. Start networking!

New York

Shows overlapping in the Big Apple from January 2 through January 18 include the NY Women’s Apparel Show, Fashion Avenue Market Expo, The Accessories Show and Moda Manhattan. From February 1 through 8, NYC hosts Just Kidstuff and the New York International Gift Fair. From January 6 to 8, New York presents the Designers & Agents Fashion Trade Show focusing on contemporary and young designer women’s sportswear, shoes, accessories and lifestyle clothing. (D & A heads to Los Angeles on January 11.)

Midwest

Chicago Shoe Expo is scheduled January 3 and 4; the Michigan Shoe Market is staged in Livonia from January 6 to 7. Los Angeles Designers & Agents Fashion Trade Show focusing on contemporary and young designer women’s sportswear, shoes, accessories and lifestyle clothing sets up in L.A. from January 11 through 13.

Las Vegas

Between February 10 and 14, Las Vegas hosts an overlapping series of trade shows, starting with Off Price Specialist Show opening February 10 (Men’s and Women’s apparel and accessories), extending to The Kids Show, ASAP Global Sourcing Show and Women’s Wear in Nevada beginning February 11.

Sponsored by the SnowSports Industry Association of America, and open only to the trade, the SIA SnowSports Trade Show opens in Las Vegas from January 29 to February 1. Billed as the largest snow sports trade event, this show presents nearly 1000 brands to a network of 20,000 industry professionals focused on the snow sports industry and the “family business” of snow.

Find a Fashion Trade Show Near You and Network

If you’re closer to trade shows in Munich or Berlin, if you find Billings, Montana more convenient, or if a specialty event like “Start Your Own Clothing and Accessories Company” seminar (Atlanta on February 2, 2008) is of interest, check this fashion trade show calendar site:

Infomat: http://www.infomat.com/calendar/infsi0000164.html

Sort through fashion trade shows all over the world by month and by city.

As the high price of gold ripples through holiday jewelry sales, there is still some glitter to be mined in segmenting jewelry keywords, descriptions and ad copy.

First, the bad news: Precious metals prices on world markets started jumping in August, when an ounce of gold went from $680 to almost $850. Gold currently hovers around $800 an ounce. Although the precious metals stock tickers rise and fall in daily dances, the daily market swings don’t affect current jewelry inventory at the wholesale or retail store levels.

But that $200-per-ounce jump from just one quarter ago has increased price tags on the heavy gold chains and necklaces that are perennial gift list favorites this time of year, pricing some golden gifts out of Santa’s Stockings. Existing inventories of reliable wedding jewelry have been re-priced also, putting the squeeze on brides, grooms and wedding planners who are not likely to show up on “Bridezillas” or other unreality TV shows featuring multimillion dollar wedding bashes.

PEOPLE STILL BUY THE BLING

Higher priced gold has crossed some gold jewelry off holiday shopping lists, confirmed by a quick survey of major jewelry retailers and wholesalers from Manhattan’s Diamond District to Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. The good news is that some shoppers don’t care; others know gold prices may go even higher tomorrow, based on oil price and inflation jitters. Some jewelry shoppers refuse precious metals substitutes, even without knowing that replacement platinum ran up about the same $200 increase as gold since mid-August 2007.

Then, there’s the All That Glitters motive, which for some customers means it has got to be gold.

TARGETING AND SEGMENTING THE GOLD MARKET

KEYWORDS: luxury jewelry, luxury gold jewelry.
Targets of luxury goods — however marketers have defined the demographics of well-to-do, wealthy, carriage trade, upper crust or Top One-Half of One Percent Bracket — don’t stop buying gold jewelry at $800 per ounce. Status quo ante.

KEYWORDS: affordable wedding bands, wedding jewelry discounts, budget bands of gold.
Future brides and grooms do not cross gold off their shopping lists, but they do work on budget. Wedding band shoppers are doing more comparison shopping this season: buying smaller rings, searching on and offline for deals and even resorting to Big Box department stores and retailers who can shave prices with bulk, national purchasing power.

KEYWORDS: gold jewelry under $PRICE.
Smaller jewelry retailers are feeling the pinch from $800 per ounce gold, as shoppers in the middle range ($500 to $1,000) simply cross it off their lists after budgeting higher priced gasoline, heating oil and food costs. Some jewelry retailers encounter an impassable $1,000 ceiling among gold hunters who will buy in the $500 to $600 range. Jewelry marketers who still have inventory from pre-surge August price jumps might move it off the shelves at good margins by focusing on price in paid-ad and SEO listed titles.

KEYWORDS: Valentine gold jewelry, gold for Mother’s Day.
High water marks for jewelry sales tend toward the next holidays, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. While some customers are waiting out the price surge in gold, no one can predict if it will stabilize at the current $800 per ounce, much less drop back to the $650 range, due to global jitters over oil prices which started the price run. Priming the marketing pump in advance of the next jewelry-buying holidays — Buy now while gold is still $000 — might be a good strategy by reason of timing, seasonality and cutting through end-of-year holiday clutter.

1. Avoid blog naming trends. Thinking outside the box when naming your blog is not only encouraged, it’s often critical in creating a disposition distinct from other blog titles. A survey consisting of more than 33,000+ blogs taken by Elliot Back a few years ago discovered the most common words used in blog titles. I have listed Elliot’s findings of the top 10 names to avoid for your reference; blog, life, weblog, world, from, journal, news, thoughts, with, and daily. Although using these words isn’t exactly detrimental to your blog, it is by no means helpful. So the next time you’re thinking of a new blog title, utilize innovation over replication and ingenuity over monotony and you’ll be off to a good start.
2. Avoid the anonymous author route; no bio + no picture often = no credibility. People want to know about who is writing the content they’re reading and what better way to facilitate conversation with your reader than by an informal introduction. Readers also prefer to put a face to a name so don’t be shy when posting. BE picture friendly J
3. Avoid “long titles” or “humorous headlines” that out of context only add confusion to what may otherwise be “cream of the crop” content. A Title is the first impression of your blog aka the deciding factor to whether a reader chooses your site amongst the many other related findings.
4. Avoid writing a blog that you don’t want a future employer to read. Posting on the Web has revolutionized the publishing world so be sure to steer clear from rants and raves that may potentially cost you that dream job. Take precaution when overwhelmed by the need to put every thought on a platform for the world to see, as it may just come back to haunt you. When writing your next weblog, remember that savvy employers utilize the Web to profile perspective hires. Be wise when blogging and keep in mind that some things are simply better left unwritten.
5. Avoid all assumptions. Don’t assume your blogworms have read your past works. Add links to previously published pieces to paint a full picture of what you’re trying to portray and use navigating tools, such as “Read these First” to create a complete context for your readers. Also, don’t assume readers will flock to your blog just because you have something to say. Like all things that take on a life of its own blogs thrive when nurtured. They are organic by nature and as such require steady amendments to attract a steadfast consult.
6. Avoid vaguely titled links. Readers don’t appreciate being referred to links when they don’t know what to expect. Choose key descriptive words that give your reader the cognizance to make an informed decision on whether or not to click a designated link.
7. Avoid inconsistent publishing. By no means should you blog for the sake of blogging. The key is to strike a balance between long gaps in publishing that may cause you to lose faithful blogworms without using the web as a virtual wastebasket!
8. Avoid mixing multiple subject matters. A blog about wholesale apparel should not also give advice on dating do’s and don’ts. This style of blogging only serves to confuse your audience and inevitably decreases the probability of these users returning. Basically, readers are less likely to be loyal to a blog that is nonspecific in content and unfocused in material.
9. Avoid audience detachment. In other words, your blog should facilitate communication between you and your users. Responding to all comments effectively and efficiently is essential. Also, writing in a way that persuades readers to ask questions and post comments will inevitably create a conversation that flows lucid amongst writer and reader, and should be first and foremost.
10. Avoid “Lazy” blog writing. Publishing a blog takes time and dedication. Basically, the energy you put into blog writing often determines the level of commitment you receive from your readers. My rule of thumb is to write from the heart while keeping in mind the quality of content readers expect.