Dresses star in dim economy. (women’s fashions)

WWD October 22, 1991 NEW YORK — Within the slumping retail environment, dress departments are showing pockets of strength.

Store executives say social-occasion dressing, day-into-evening dresses, black dresses, knits, trapeze silhouettes and large sizes are yielding better than average selling rates.

It’s items with versatility, embellishments such as beads or sequins, dresses with jackets, as well as short, tight sexy numbers that are perking up the category.

Some retailers say they’re in a “dress cycle,” meaning that dresses are hot, following years of being in the doldrums. After avoiding dresses in the Eighties, consumers have developed an appetite for them, and manufacturers are coming through with more fashion. This has led to single or double-digit gains in certain dress areas, though not all. Some stores reported slowness in career, day and junior dress areas.

Terry Lundgren, president and chief executive officer, Neiman Marcus, said spring and fall sales have been good due to new fabrics, new colors. He also said there’s a perception of value with dresses, especially when compared to three-piece sportswear outfits, which are often more costly.

Joan Kaner, senior vice president and fashion director at Neiman’s, said evening dresses are checking out the fastest. “We’re selling a lot of short and young dresses, often with beading or sequins and a lot of black and metalics.” Top labels include After Five by Julie Duroche, Black Tie by Oleg Cassini and A.J. Bari. go to website easrer dresses

Marshall Hilsberg, chairman and ceo of Lord & Taylor, was less bullish. He said dresses are running at about the same pace as the store overall, with the highlights being two-piece dresses, one-piece knit dresses and evening dresses, while career looks are weak.

“There are pockets of the dress business that are good, but in total, sportswear is outperforming dresses, and jackets are fueling the sportswear growth,” Hilsberg said.

In dresses, “The mood is to escape to a glamorous evening, to some special occasion, perhaps a wedding, a bar mitzvah or a party,” said LaVelle Olexa, L&T’s senior vice president of fashion merchandising. It’s this mood that’s sparking interest in dresses at L&T, most notably from Andrea Jovine, St. John, After Five, Cattiva, ABS and A.J. Bari, according to Olexa.

Bergdorf Goodman did well with a Bill Blass green taffeta dress, priced at $1,900, with six of eight sold in a two-week period. In the same period, 62 Kathryn Dianos wool plaid dresses, priced at $560, were sold, including 50 from a catalog and 12 off the sales floor. Carlos Rodriguez’ black pleated dress, priced at $2,475, sold 7 of 8.

At Galeries Lafayette, which opened here last month, dresses with short full skirts, swing styles or sheer, ballerina looks, as well as tailored coat dressing are leading trends. Among the best sellers have been Claudie Pierlot’s simple day-into-evening wool dresses, priced at $172. About 42 units sold in less than a week.

Other key lines at Galeries are Plein Sud dresses with flippy, “skating” bottoms; wool stretch jerseys by Bo Y Moneka; sexy, off-the-sholder looks by Roland Nivelais, and dresses with lace-up backs by Chantal Thomass.

Lynn Manulis, president of Martha, Inc., said women want something “very optimistic, colorful, glamorous and alluring and that all adds up to a buying a beautiful dress.” Since July, Martha’s has sold 121 of Joanna Mastroianni’s black matte jersey dress with cap sleeves, open V-back and stand collar, priced at $780. “I never sold 121 of anything,” said Manulis. “It has incredible fit and is flattering to every figure size 4 to 14.” For holiday, she said color, ornamentation, a more feminine and fuller skirt, and an off-the-shoulder look will be important. Combinations of fabrics and cuts, and dresses with jackets will be the news, she said. easrerdresses.info easrer dresses

Other best-selling dresses: Bill Blass’ black wool jersey dress with mock wrap skirt and wool bias trim, priced at $1,960, sold 32 pieces since July. The Coviello-Erickson black wool velveen knit dress with Austrian crystals, priced $900, sold 36 pieces.

Dress sales at Mary Jane Denzor, a White Plains, N.Y. designer boutique are ahead $100,000 over the past two months, led by Vicky Tiel, Valentino Nights and Joanna Mastrioanni. But her hottest selling dress is a draped gray jersey piece by Candice Fraiberger, priced at $1,600. Denzor sold 18 pieces in the past month. Bright colors and cool fabrics, such as chiffon, are expected to be big for resort.

“In economic times like these, if people have limited dollars they are going to spend it for a special occasion,” said Barbara Fostor, dress buyer, Tootsies, Houston. “After-five looks are the strongest. Women can make do with accessories to change daytime clothes.” In about a three-week period since Sept. 18, Tootsies sold 15 strapless bustiers with long satin skirts by Julie Duroche for After Five, priced at $495. Six midnight navy Fabrice ballgowns with a beaded bodice, priced at $1,350, and 16 Nicole Miller argyle dresses, priced at $360, were also sold.

Crawford Brock, general manager of Stanley Korshak, Dallas, cited strength in short cocktail dresses and designer dresses by Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani and Claude Montana.

Scarboroughs, a three-unit department store in Austin, Tex., has been emphasizing bright day-time dresses, but expects evening looks to take the lead this month and in November. The store has ordered a lot of beaded dresses with hemlines that fall at the calf or ankle.

At J.C. Penney Co., “We are experiencing double-digit increases in special occasion, misses’ career and special sizes, while junior career is up about 8 percent,” said Marilee Cumming, divisional vice president and director of merchandising for women’s apparel.

Top sellers have been Karen Stevens challis print below-the-knee dresses retailing from $79 to $89, Jeffrey & Dara knit tops with challis skirts for $120, and $79 jacket dresses by Just In Time.

Sears Roebuck & Co. reported strong dress sales, in part due to a greater emphasis on brands over private labels. Lee Hogan Cass, national fashion merchandise director, said, “We are looking for an excellent holiday season that will be up somewhere between the high single-digits and the low double-digits,” she said.

Susan Macaulay, divisional merchandise manager for dresses, Dayton Hudson Corp., Minneapolis, said, “Social dresses are driving the business, running 34 percent ahead.” But daytime and moderate dress sales are flat year-to-date, she said. “Customers are just looking for something new and the newness is in the social dresses,” she said, citing color, sequins and velvets with embellishments.

At Jacobson Stores, Inc., Jackson, Mich., customers are buying dressy evening wear rather than day dresses or suits. “In tough times, people go to special-occasion dressing and look forward to it,” said James B. Fowler, executive vice president. And that’s giving the store 6 percent gains in dresses for the year-to-date — a satisfactory showing given today’s economy.