Executive Apparel Blog

Something I found Interesting on Lifehacker. . .

2011-09-16T11:58:00.001-04:00

How to Properly Clean Your "Hand Wash Only" Clothes

This should work for our washable blazers and Cotton pants!

Perhaps the only thing more annoying than the the "dry clean only" label on your clothes is the "hand wash only" label. How exactly should you wash those delicates? Are you supposed to use soap? How much? Hand washing delicates is actually pretty straightforward, once you have the instructions:

Use a clean sink or other large basin filled with lukewarm water.
Put in a few drops of mild detergent such as Woolite (Textere Silk also recommends Ivory Liquid soap or baby shampoo).
Gently swirl the clothing in the sink or knead it (like you're kneading bread) for a minute or two just enough that they get soaped up.
For silks you could add a few drops of hair conditioner to the final rinse to add extra silkiness.
Rinse thoroughly then gently squeeze out the water.
Lay flat to dry.

Here's a (somewhat bizarre) video demonstrating how to hand wash clothes, just in case you want some more visual information.

Of course, if the clothing doesn't say "hand wash only" specifically, but is delicate, you can safely wash it in the gentle cycle, as Woolite says:

Use the gentle cycle when washing better garments. It's often as gentle and effective as hand washing while the agitation of a regular washing cycle may be damaging. What goes in the gentle Cycle? Your favorite washable silk blouse, cotton knit (unconstructed) dress, spandex bike shorts - all the clothes you don't want to take a chance on. What doesn't go in the gentle cycle? Ordinary detergents, which may work great on grass-stained jeans but may be too harsh on your finer clothes.

Old is new again. . .

2011-09-08T11:32:00.001-04:00

You've got your fashion in my art!
September 8, 2011 4:39 AM Subscribe

These are collections of art inspired outfits for women (I, II, III, IV, V, VI).

A Renaissance Merchants Life in Clothing

2011-07-25T12:58:00.001-04:00

http://resobscura.blogspot.com/2011/07/renaissance-merchants-life-in-clothing.html

All you ever wanted to know!

2011-07-22T16:46:00.001-04:00

Interesting Article

2011-07-22T16:44:00.001-04:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/campus-overload/post/should-undergrads-suit-up-for-class/2011/07/22/gIQAxzHoTI_blog.html

Machine Washable Blazers

2011-03-16T22:47:00.000-04:00

EXECUTIVE APPAREL, INC. ANNOUNCES AN UPGRADE OF ITS ULTRALUX POLYESTER LINE AND WILL INCLUDE WASHABLILITY TO ITS LIST OF FEATURES.

MEG DUNN, CREATIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE COMPANY, SAYS, “THIS LINE IS AVAILABLE IN BLAZERS, VESTS, MEN’S AND LADIES’ PANTS, AND SKIRTS IN SIX RICH COLORS AND IN A WIDE RANGE OF SIZES FROM YOUTH TO BIG AND TALL. THESE VERSITILE GARMENTS ARE ALSO NATURALLY STAIN AND WRINKLE RESISTANT.”

“THE WASHABILITY FACTOR MEANS THAT THESE GARMENTS NOT ONLY MEET ALL OF THE DEMANDS OF DAILY WEAR, BUT THEY ALSO SAVE THE END USER DOLLARS IN GARMENT CARE EXPENSE. WE, HERE AT EXECUTIVE APPAREL, ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.” SAYS MS. DUNN.

THE COMPANY CONFIRMS THAT ITS BLAZERS HAVE BEEN PROFESSIONALLY TESTED AND STAND UP TO NORMAL WASHING WHEN CARE INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOLLOWED.

MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.EXECUTIVEAPPAREL.COM OR CONTACT DAVID DICKSTEIN AT 800-227-3932

Self Esteem vs. Self Respect

2010-03-30T12:22:00.001-04:00

I read an interesting blog by a fellow named Theodore Dalrymple. http://incharacter.org/features/theodore-dalrymple-on-self-esteem-vs-self-respect/

He had kind of a brutal attitude toward his patients who complained of “self-esteem” problems. Many fine counter intuitive points were made in has discussion of the values we should place on low vs. high self esteem.

What struck me like a block over the head was when he used an example that sort of explained the downside of the whole casual dress thing. . .

As an aside, during our Seder my nephew who sells commercial phone systems said to me “I never dress up for a sales call anymore!” He said it with a degree of smugness that I found surprising and more than a little difficult to accept given the kind of work we do here at Executive Apparel.

I disagreed that dressing down was a positive thing but I couldn’t quite respond with an adequate answer to this fifth (less then Biblical) question. Mr. Dalrymple put somewhat of a a spin on the issue that sort of made sense and even comforted me a bit: He says,

For many years I believed that how a man dressed was unimportant; it was the man within that counted, not the man without. My belief excused me for being myself rather scruffily dressed, which was very easy and convenient for me in terms of effort required. But I now think that I was mistaken, for it does not follow from the fact that outward appearance is not all-important that it is of no importance at all.

The small matter of cleaning one's shoes, for example, is not one of vanity alone, though of course it can be carried on to the point of vanity and even obsession and fetish. It is, rather, a discipline and a small sign that one is prepared to go to some trouble for the good opinion and satisfaction of others. It is a recognition that one lives in a social world. That is why total informality of dress is a sign of advancing egotism.

Self-respect requires fortitude, one of the cardinal virtues; self-esteem encourages emotional incontinence that, while not actually itself a cardinal sin, is certainly a vice, and a very unattractive one. Self-respect and self-esteem are as different as depth and shallowness.

When this ego driven world we are surrounded by acquires a bit more self-respect and a little less self-esteem, perhaps we will again start making the required effort to start behaving like we actually care how we look. I think that would be a great start.

If not answering the question completely, at least I have an good starting point for a discussion when the Seder conversation comes up next year.

Newest Catalog Arrives!

2010-03-02T14:54:00.001-05:00

For the last few weeks we have been gathering our forces to create sales tools that we know will be useful for our distributors.

Why? We are trying to get the entire Executive Apparel story out there. In order to reach that goal, we have developed a powerful combination of a new websites and a new career clothing catalog. Now we have the ability to tell the story with greater precision.

What is that story? Simply that Executive Apparel is really three separate companies dedicated to the success of our distributors:
Yes, we provide great in-stock service for our day to day distributors who need the kind of coverage and competitive pricing we offer with our fully packed inventories and customer service. (Now our distributors can order online, over the phone or over the fax, any time of day.)

But two, we offer unusual creative services like customizing and, in fact, creating complete custom programs from presentation, through sampling, through final production and delivery. This service is available to all of our distributor entities. You find the deals and EA can make it happen.

And three, we offer outstanding outstanding opportunities with our complete packages, dedicated to smart manufacturers, who use our sourcing capacity to produce high quality clothing at below market pricing.

Get to know the Executive Apparel Brands:

UltraLux, EasyWear, 5545, and Gourmet all have very specific markets in mind. Talk to us and we will guide you as to which product is best for your special customer.

We will stay in touch as we go through this rebirth. Let us know how we're doing!

Donald Singer

Old Markets and Tailored Clothing

2010-02-15T17:15:00.001-05:00

I’ve said many times in various posts around the internet and in magazines over the years that our distributor base must be open to new ideas and markets. We know that the “Executive” look doesn’t go everywhere, but where it does go, our distributors have been successful in providing a service that is badly needed as an adjunct to their existing programs. They just need a source that is sound, reliable and informed.

Sized clothing offers different challenges then alpha sized clothing like T-shirts and sweat shirts. We can all agree to that. But don’t be surprised when I say that a select few of our distributors sell our sized clothing every day using our tried and true sizing methods. The are just adding to their bottom lines. The rules are simple, just call us.

The EA Website

Brioni, Suitmaker to Presidents, Adapts to Crisis

2009-12-17T13:26:00.003-05:00

Design Based on Trends, Not What's Trendy...Why Brands Must Be Willing to Redefine Themselves to Remain Relevant

2009-11-20T10:45:00.002-05:00

Fifteen years ago when Ziba Design managers interviewed trends experts for a new research department, we were always struck by a commonality among the many candidates: siloed thinking. A trends specialist, for example, knew that wood was "in" that year in the auto industry and faithfully showed wood detail on all the products in her portfolio. Like her, most of the trends experts we met with had knowledge of what was trendy in a given industry, but didn't connect the dots across industries and cultures.

Design thinking translates rigorous trend research into meaningful experiences that lead markets and foster brand loyalty instead of merely following the cult of now. Blue may be the new green, but how is that relevant to an industry, a brand and the evolving desires of its customers? Times and trends can change so quickly that a campaign, product or service can be rendered irrelevant by the time it gets to market.

Consumer-experience strategy should be informed by a deep understanding of the values, attitudes and behavior of the target consumer, as well as the nature of the brand's values, essence and character -- the DNA. Trends research provides the context for the design process and ensures that the experience is right for the consumer and the brand at a given point in time. Effective research takes a global perspective to pinpoint patterns when and where they emerge and track how they migrate across the globe. It also takes a cross-industry view. From this vantage point, megatrends, as well as market, consumer and design trends, all combine to inform the consumer-experience strategy. Finally, effective trend research demands cross-discipline input. Trend hunters, social scientists, designers, marketers, artists and engineers alike interpret information differently, and their perspectives, taken together, allow deeper insight.

Trends for the coming years
Our own research highlights a few trends that we think will be relevant for the next few years. For one thing, in 2009, we have noticed a shift in the tone of thriftiness to one of resourcefulness. This trend is about more than just saving money. The financial meltdown of 2008 is now viewed as a constructive opportunity, a chance to make things better. We see it as fomenting a new kind of autonomy.

People want to become smarter and more resourceful about their choices -- a marked departure from meaningless consumerism. For example, many consumers are trading the convenience of "fast fashion" from stores such as H&M for the lower-cost and recycled aspect of vintage-store clothing.

Do-it-yourself companies are also experiencing a boom. The online hand-made marketplace Etsy.com watched sales grow from $26 million in 2007 to $88 million in 2008. And the National Gardening Association estimates there will be 40% more homegrown vegetables now than in 2007.

Social-media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have fostered global citizens. In 2008, political networking exploded and people began to engage their peers in the networked world. There was a new sense of connectedness to global peers that had similar values and interests. With the Obama election, individuals, especially the millennials, experienced the influence they could assert through social networking.

Redefine to stay relevant
Some trends are time-specific. Others remain relevant but change over time. The significant question becomes, how should a brand respond to these shifts in trends? Trends research provides the context for the design process and ensures that the experience created is right for the consumer and the brand at a given point in time. Brands must be willing to redefine themselves to remain relevant.

What makes it easier is that not all trends are radically new. People have always been looking for new forms of family and friendship, new tribes. Just how they do that changes. That is why we constantly monitor a consumer trend we called "we," the search for new and deeper connections.

Umpqua Bank, a regional Oregon bank founded to provide loggers and farmers a banking alternative, faced this challenge. In 2003, they wanted to redefine their banking experience. We understood Umpqua's brand DNA as a community bank and applied our knowledge of what people needed from communities. At the time, the concept of "we" stood for slow and intimate group experiences, as in the slow-food movement. Ziba defined the Umpqua opportunity as a "slow banking" experience that was inspirational and nurturing. This was translated into a hotel/retail metaphor that emphasized comfort and personal service.

The result was unprecedented: an Umpqua record in deposits in the first week. Since then, Umpqua's new stores average 2.25 times higher deposits, two times average deposit balances, two times average loan balances and significantly higher cross sells with these customers.

The new 'we'
But times changed. In 2006, Umpqua asked us to re-envision the banking experience. The concept of "we" had evolved to stand for a new kind of participation in the larger community. Umpqua 2.0 needed to re-interpret the power of social networking for a community bank. The insight: through connection, community prosperity was as important as personal prosperity.

To accommodate the new "we," a community table enabled groups to meet; an interactive mosaic fed by Flickr showcased the community; and conference rooms were offered as a service as was a dedicated table promoting local businesses.

Brands with less opportunity to change the retail space can demonstrate their savvy around this concept in the digital space. More recently, Coca-Cola Co. built community around its "Open Happiness" campaign. Tapping into its DNA of enjoyment and ubiquity, Coke involved its community in selecting three representatives who will travel the world and create content around the theme of happiness, content in part recommended by Coke customers.

Looking ahead, we expect the concept of "we" to shift from a focus on the larger community to deeper relationships with the trusted few. Design thinking can interpret this shift and ensure the creation of a meaningful experience for consumers.

10% Off Blouses all of November!

2009-11-17T10:21:00.002-05:00

Air Tahiti's Balenciaga Uniform Controversy

2009-11-16T10:09:00.002-05:00

http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/30/update-air-tahitis-balenciaga-uniform-controversy/

Clothing with a brain: 'Smart fabrics' that monitor health'

2009-11-09T10:40:00.001-05:00

Exec Appar http://www.physorg.com/news147928092.html

Northeast High uniform policy protested

2009-11-06T09:12:00.001-05:00

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20091105_Northeast_High_uniform_policy_protested.html

What comprises “Tailored” clothing?

2009-11-05T12:11:00.004-05:00

Over Seventy-five years and three generations of experience give the folks at Executive Apparel the ability to offer the hospitality industry the quality, service and value they need for their tailored clothing needs.

What comprises “Tailored” clothing?

These are specialized garments that are manufactured to conform to specific body shapes using special interior trims and sewing techniques to help accentuate shapes and curves.

In plain language, we’re talking about blazers, suits and other similar garments such as vests or dresses. “Most people don’t think carefully enough about the special advantages of a uniquely inspired front desk, reception, restaurant or tailored housekeeping uniform, says Donald Singer, President and CEO at Executive Apparel. “It’s usually somewhat of an afterthought. I think this could be a mistake. After all, in today’s relaxed environment, isn’t it still the well dressed employee who really stands out to the customer?”

“Often, uniform buyers just take what their current uniform supplier offers and leave it at that.”, says Singer, “In my experience, the proper use of a tailored uniform program offers exceptional opportunities to market a property’s distinctiveness and sense of style. In addition, well-designed tailored products can offer many years of useful service with the proper care.”

What makes Executive Apparel the best for tailored clothing?

Since its inception in 1934, EA has been continuously manufacturing blazers, vests, pant, blouse and skirt separates designed for daily wear. Today’s Executive Apparel offers in-stock delivery on a huge variety of popular styles, fabrics and colors.

In addition Executive Apparel’s Executive Custom division offers its customers the ability to create unique styles, when specific demands call for something not available in normal stock programs. Their vast selection of patterns, fabrics and assembly options make this “Custom” capacity one of the top reasons customers go to EA for both their specialty and their in-stock uniforms.

This unique dedication to service and quality, along with outstanding delivery reliability that surpasses the competition makes Executive Apparel a good choice for today’s forward thinking hotel or motel management.

Executive Apparel tailored clothing and accessories are available nationally through a select group of preferred distributors. Call Executive Apparel or visit them at their website: www.executiveapparel.com to get a full color catalog and the name of your nearest Executive Apparel supplier.

The Two Faces of Facebook

2009-11-02T09:41:00.000-05:00

The Two Faces of Facebook

Steve Rubel on Digital Communications

By Steve Rubel
Published: October 29, 2009

I spend a lot of time gazing into a crystal ball that I know is going to be cloudy half the time. Lately I have been pondering Facebook's future.

Facebook is clearly on a roll and is knocking on Google's door as the biggest site on the web. Will it continue to dominate or see its lead slip? Here are two potential outcomes.

Photo: JC Bourcart

Steve Rubel is a marketing strategist and blogger. He is senior VP-director of insights at Edelman Digital.

The Google Scenario: In the more rosy picture, Facebook remains the disrupter. It transforms how we use the web.

Just as search changed our expectations that everything we want to know is accessible if we Google it, Facebook is the inverse. If information is important, it will find us through our friends and their friends and so on. We don't have to Google it.

"Trends from friends" is as transformative as search. The more we use Facebook and the more we create and connect there, the smarter it gets in realizing what we need and when. We don't have to ask.

The opportunity cost of switching to an alternative is simply too great. This is why millions remain with the same IM network they first tried years ago.

Facebook, like Google, groks data. And they know how to study and use it to make the experience and value grow with every status update, photo, connection and interaction. Once they get serious about search -- and consumers see the value in using it for finding curated information -- Facebook's value and power could grow.

The AOL Scenario: It's hard to believe but 10 years ago AOL was once dominant. It was a hit with advertisers.

Publishers paid for position and built grand palaces. It was the place to be. It was also a walled garden. Sound familliar? This begs the question: Could Facebook follow the same path? Possibly.

Through continuous innovation Facebook is trying not to become AOL. That's the smart play. However, each successive update has irked consumers. The revamped news feed, which rolled out last week, is just the latest.

So far we keep coming back; but you have to wonder if a social network has nine lives. It's possible fickle consumers will eventually migrate elsewhere.

Where might they turn? Just as with AOL they'll go everywhere. The entire web is becoming social. Facebook Connect is a play to make this happen on their terms. However this is where Google, Yahoo and other stalwarts could shine. They already control millions of IM and email address books and have lots of data.

So which mask will Facebook don -- Google's or AOL's? My bet right now is Google's.

Too Cool For School

2009-10-30T11:18:00.001-04:00

The 10 worst dropout schools in the USA. What's going on California? Perhaps school uniforms would help.

http://www.good.is/post/too-cool-for-school-successful-futures-the-10-worst-dropout-cities/

Are service jobs making up the difference? You decide!

2009-10-23T15:35:00.002-04:00

Along with the Steel and Apparel Industries which we happily turned over to the Asian Peninsula during the heydays of the 20th Century, we have also passed on huge amounts of profits that our country was generating through small and large manufacturers in the US. Walmart shoppers all over the world rejoiced in knowing that they were getting the most rock bottom prices the world had to offer, but the US government tax coffers are going to get smaller with the wealth of our 21st Century nation.

Are service jobs making up the difference? You decide. My hunch is that the payback has not been quite great as was predicted given our ability to take advantage of the lower paid and increasingly better educated service contractors around the world. Let's hope our leaders see the light before the newest "big box" stores face the same fate as the the old corner drug store. Otherwise, the only one left standing in your neighborhood will be your local Walmart.

-Donald Singer

It's a cold and beautiful day!

2009-10-20T13:12:00.004-04:00

It's another incredibly busy day here at Executive Apparel, and we're pleased to hear the bustling sounds throughout the building. The phones are ringing off the hook, but we can't complain. It's good to be in business during these times.

Every Tuesday our weekly Eblast is sent out in the morning, so if you're not already on our eblast-mailing list and would like to be added, just shoot an email over to our creative department head Meg at meg@executivemarketing.com and she'll hook you up.

The new "Career Collection" catalog

2009-10-19T16:32:00.002-04:00

The new "Career Collection" catalogs for Easywear and Ultralux is almost complete!!!

Download your own sellsheets directly from our website

2009-10-14T10:33:00.000-04:00

Did you know that now you can download pdf sellsheets for all of our products directly from our website?

http://www.executiveapparel.com/public_catalog/public_catalog.html

Online Catalog now available to the public!

2009-10-12T12:03:00.002-04:00

Our catalog is online to the public at last.
http://www.executiveapparel.com/public_catalo/public_catalog.html

Elite School Uniforms

2009-10-07T11:52:00.001-04:00

The New Elite School Uniform Catalogs are finally done!!!

October News!

2009-10-05T13:51:00.000-04:00

Letter from the President of Executive Apparel - Donald Singer

October is a swing month here at Executive Apparel when we move our attention from our valued school customers over to our long time uniform and promotional products customers. It is a great time to review the things that we have done in 2009, and to decide how we can better serve our customers in 2010. A lot of things have already changed over here:

Our annual line review orchestrated by our Creative Director Meaghan Dunn (thanks, Meg) , gave us a chance to see how our current patterns are fitting the workforce out there, and as a result we are definitely updating our fit this year - especially with our ladies' bottoms and blouses. Expect new lower waisted designs to replace our traditional fit across the board.

Our fabrics are improving too, especially in our UltraLux line where we were looking for a bit of a softer touch. Also, we are looking at adding new colors to the economy line. Do you have any favorites you would like to see? Whenever I see the autumn leaves beginning to fall in October, I always like to look at our color palette again.

Our design team is hard at work putting together new silhouettes for our January tradeshows. As always, we have some great new ideas for updating the look of the tailored business environment we see out there. We hope to connect with men and women who want the freedom and versatility of combining their work clothing in with their own personal wardrobe. Contact us and let us know what you see out there.

As the air turns a bit cooler, we urge our sales force (i.e. our distributors) to get to work cajoling their hospitality customers to forget about the past year (we know it's hard) and get going with a fresh, brand new uniform program for their employees. Poorly tailored uniforms won't tell the right story of hope, quality and great attitude and as a result it will always reflect poorly on their clientèle.

Let your hospitality customers take a look at their employees' uniforms, and if they don't meet the wear and tear standards they want, get them to change up! Executive Apparel is a good place to start looking.

For those of you selling to schools and colleges, our new Elite schoolwear catalog just came out and looks great. Call us today to get your copy!

Well, that's all right now. We will stay in touch regularly and often!

Question of the month: Do you prefer elasticized waistbands or tailored bands with no elastic??

Executive Apparel Blog

Something I found Interesting on Lifehacker. . .

How to Properly Clean Your "Hand Wash Only" Clothes

Old is new again. . .

You've got your fashion in my art! September 8, 2011 4:39 AM Subscribe

A Renaissance Merchants Life in Clothing

All you ever wanted to know!

Interesting Article

Machine Washable Blazers

Self Esteem vs. Self Respect

Newest Catalog Arrives!

Old Markets and Tailored Clothing

Brioni, Suitmaker to Presidents, Adapts to Crisis

Design Based on Trends, Not What's Trendy...Why Brands Must Be Willing to Redefine Themselves to Remain Relevant

10% Off Blouses all of November!

Air Tahiti's Balenciaga Uniform Controversy

Clothing with a brain: 'Smart fabrics' that monitor health'

Exec Appar http://www.physorg.com/news147928092.html

Northeast High uniform policy protested

What comprises “Tailored” clothing?

The Two Faces of Facebook

The Two Faces of Facebook

Steve Rubel on Digital Communications

Too Cool For School

Are service jobs making up the difference? You decide!

It's a cold and beautiful day!

The new "Career Collection" catalog

The new "Career Collection" catalogs for Easywear and Ultralux is almost complete!!!

Download your own sellsheets directly from our website

Online Catalog now available to the public!

Our catalog is online to the public at last.http://www.executiveapparel.com/public_catalo/public_catalog.html

Elite School Uniforms

October News!

You've got your fashion in my art!
September 8, 2011 4:39 AM Subscribe

Our catalog is online to the public at last.
http://www.executiveapparel.com/public_catalo/public_catalog.html