maurices

Research Paper & Comparative Style & Market Analysis:

1. Choose the company you are freelancing for by doing research to determine their product specifications in style, quality and cost. You may use any company from budget to designer levels – ie. Xhilaration at Target to Lauren by Ralph Lauren. Consider choosing a company that you know you will be interviewing with in the near future – or at least a company that produces similar goods or one that offers knitwear along with woven sportswear or dresses. You may want to check Style Careers websites or other job websites to look at what they desire in their sweater designers. There are always lots of sweater design jobs- so why not get started NOW on securing your future.

2. Research the actual garments in the store so you can try them on and get a feel for the yarn they use and the types of finishes they require. If you can – purchase one or two sweaters of different types so you can measure them and get stitch counts—then you can return them! Yes – you can use the internet – but that does not enable you to try things on or touch them – so please go shopping! Obviously check goodwill or savers and look at labels too. Include photos of the garments you found in the store.

3. Compose a brief paper (5-7 pgs) detailing your perception of this company’s merchandising strategies and how sweaters are used in their overall line. (BE SPECIFIC for FULL CREDIT)
• Discuss costing structures and limitations as well as types of yarns, stitches and fits are used. (Market level, price range, discounts or sales- talk to people in store- this may be shown as a table or chart)
• Discuss what the percentage of sweater knits is to other types of garments in the whole collection or ‘set’ of the department, catalog, or boutique inventory.
• Research and discuss manufacturing limitations and how your line offers quality, style within those restrictions.
• Discuss marketing, trend and color strategies for their current line and how your line agrees with them or compliments them in some way.
• Discuss your sales strategy for your styles and how each one fits into the mix.
• Discuss fit issues and how current trends may or may not affect it and how you are sure of your choices about spec and fit decisions. What are your references for your final decisions?
This is a practice sales pitch – so plan it well and it might get you a job. This will also be how your present your line to the class – so it will be worth practicing and really understanding what you are talking about. Please include several print outs of their current sweater offerings and magazine or store advertisements with your paper.
• Final POM for entire garment with line drawings AND digital photographs of final garment. Don’t forget to take photos of fit problems or corrections as they happen.

• Spec Pack–FIT HISTORY & CORRECTIONS: FINALIZED SAMPLE MEASUREMENTS OF FINISHED GARMENT SHOWING PROBLEM AREAS AND CORRECT COMMUNICATION DETAILS TO FIX THE PROBLEM MUST BE INCLUDED IN YOUR SPEC PACK. FIT PHOTOS REQUIRED.

• Show all finished pieces steamed and blocked before assembly.

• Fit Analysis based on website or catalog sizing chart and fit standards. What size would you consider your garment for this label? How does that fit in with what you know about fit guidelines for this vendor and this target market.
• Bill of Materials: Analysis- how does your yarn choice fit in with their typical offerings.
• Construction Specification Sheet which focuses on piece development, shaping, finishing, and seaming details for developed sweater. Analysis: how does your construction limitations differ or comply with this company and the present vendors they use for production.

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