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The military look in casual apparel remains fashionable, favoring the army/navy retailer with a keen eye for the trendy both locally and nationally. Camouflage has abated slightly in demand, yet it seems that it is also now no longer just a fad, but a fashion staple. Its ongoing appeal has as much to do with the rugged, durable and dollar-wise nature of military apparel as does the street cred that it provides to the wearer.
Aside from the standard military fare that the army/navy retailer sells for both fashion and function, many casual apparel items that depart somewhat from the military but are designed with a military flair are still more than appropriate for the army/navy retailer.
Hoodies are the goodies
"Without a doubt, the hoodie sweatshirt is a hot item right now," noted John Ottaviano of Rothco.
He further defined the trend as a return to favor of the zip-front, rather than the pullover style.
"It always seems to cycle back each way. It wasn't so long ago that the pullover was the more popular choice," he said.
Ottaviano noted that the "all-over" graphic hoodie was in vogue. These sweatshirts feature oversized, coast-to-coast artwork screened on the front, usually with an iconic or an "ironic" message conveyed.
"Although we don't think that this fad will last very long, the all-over hoodie is selling well for us," Ottaviano explained.
Iconic graphics are usually composed of a simple item such as a star or a symbol. The ironic hoodie (or t-shirt) graphic features something that seems unlikely to be identified with the tastes of the wearer, such as a John Deere tractor on the front of a shirt worn by a hip-hopper.
Larry Gemma of Mystic Army Navy in Mystic, Connecticut, reported that anything pink and military moves well for him.
He especially mentioned Rothco's raglan pink (sleeves with pink camo body) hoodie as a particularly good seller. Ottaviano confirmed that this item is a big seller in general for them.
Pre-washed and vintage style clothing is doing well with the urban shopper.
"Kids are not wearing button-down shirts, and they want shirts without collars. They want a soft feel on their shirt. As a result, our vintage tshirts with iconic or ironic prints sell well," noted Ottaviano.
He also said that the popularity of pink is also related to the support of breast cancer research.
What's not so hot, according to Ottaviano, is military clothing and camo for kids. Somewhat surprisingly, this is a fairly rapid about-face from what was a growing part of the army/navy store's business.
"A combination of war weariness and Wal-mart have caused the sale of kids camo to fall off the table," Ottaviano stated.
He believes that the camo/military appeal has been sated in the public's consciensciousness, and that the big box stores have commoditized and bottomed out the market.
Camo concern?
Both Ottaviano and Gemma have observed an increase in demand for US Marine Corps digital camo and the digital ACU camo, at the expense of desert and Woodland camo. Atlanco's Multicam digital pattern is also picking up a following.
But as a fashion item, camouflage may be beginning to fade into the sunset.
Fashionably saleable at Mystic Army Navy these days are women's underpants (okay, panties) with military slogans emblazoned across the back; Anchors Aweigh, Booty Camp, USMC Booty and camouflage pattern with Booty Camp imprint.
Gemma also is having success with Alpha Industries' N2B jacket for women, with faux fur collars. Rothco's Ultra Force vintage paratrooper pants, in pre-washed khaki and camo are a hit with the ladies at Mystic Pizza and beyond.
Gemma also noted a strong headwear business, driven as much by fashion as by function.
"Military ball caps from Northstar and Eagle Crest, helmets from Schreck Wholesale and both straw hats and Indiana Jones hats from Broner are all doing well for us," Gemma said.
Gemma also noted an international flavor to his customers' requests, including sales of Soviet Navy hats from The Russian Source and German headwear from Sturm.
Flying high
Cockpit USA is a manufacturer and distributor of trendy military apparel, primarily outerwear. They are official government suppliers of military outerwear, and their product line is highlighted by authenticity, historical cachet and American-made status, with an emphasis on fashion appeal and trend-setting ideas.
Jacky Clyman of Cockpit USA explained the company's approach to mixing military with fashion.
"The wool jackets and coats which we launched for Fall 2006 have sold well, from our Civil War-inspired "great coat" to the World War II Class A to jackets and hoodies made from World War II recycled military blankets," she said.
These items are among the most popular in the line, along with a new t-shirt imprinted with World War II Japanese poster art depicting a kamikaze pilot, red and black plaid wool hunter jackets and wool Class A jackets.
Clyman noted that her customer base emcompasses the highly desirable 25-40 age bracket and that rather than scoping out trends and reacting to them, the company prefers to initiate their own buzz.
Retailers who have had the greatest success with Cockpit USA's product lines have sold them as a collection, taking advantage of the unique brand image and character of the product lines, according to Clyman.
Alpha males and females
Alpha Industries, a company with a well-established reputation as a source of high end, government spec military outerwear, has expanded to other countries, other age groups and to the four-legged demographic in recent years.
Hy Slavin of Alpha noted that the company is now successfully marketing a line of apparel for pets.
But lest anyone think that the company is going to the dogs, Slavin explained that sales to the two-legged customer base are going just fine.
"For both men and women, our peacoats, B15s, MA-1, M65 and 45p jackets are in great demand," he said.
Alpha makes women-tailored versions of these jackets rather than just offering them in men's cuts, which is what makes the jackets a fashionable choice for the ladies. Their peacoats are made with a lighter material than the military spec peacoats, offering the casual wearer more freedom of movement and less shoulder-borne weight.
"Anything with fur, hoods and tapered for women sells," said Slavin.
Some of their most popular women's jackets are the Susie N2B model, the Denise N3B and the Lynn MA-1 style jacket.
Unlike Ottaviano and Rothco, Slavin continues to see a vibrant children's military style apparel market.
"For the kids, the MA-1 and anything with embroidered patches are working very well for us," he explained.
Slavin encouraged army/navy retailers to try new products that might appeal to a younger demographic, and to expand the store's base of product suppliers to keep things fresh.
author: BY MARK HAWVER