Energy and Enthusiasm Reign at Chicago Collective Men’s Show
CHICAGO — Many men’s specialty stores are coming off of the best year in their history thanks to a post-pandemic jump in sales. And while they’re not experiencing the same unparalleled upsurge in 2023 as they did in 2021 and 2022, the majority are still seeing upticks in business — albeit at more-conservative levels — and they’re fine with that.
Tailored clothing still leads the way for many stores as guys hit their local merchants to update their wardrobes for events and the hybrid work environment. But updated sportswear continues to be strong as well for more-casual occasions.
With that as the backdrop, it was no surprise that the energy and attitude at the Chicago Collective show was decidedly upbeat. The floor, which was jam-packed with an overflow group of both vendors and retailers, felt like a throwback to old times. There were lots of hugs and backslapping in the aisles at the Chicago Merchandise Mart as manufacturers and their customers caught up on the latest fashion trends and industry gossip.
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Bruce Schedler, vice president of the Chicago Collective, used every square inch of available space for the fair, which has evolved into the must-attend men’s show for independents and larger stores from across the country. Attendance was up more than 30 percent over last year and the retailers were “the right buyers,” he said. “There’s a real throwback vibe. People tell me they look forward to being here.”
In February, they’ll be able to spend more time at the show — which is at capacity with more than 400 vendors and a long waiting list — since the event will be expanded to four days from three. “Our intent is to go to 1 [o’clock] on the last day so retailers have at least three full days to shop,” he said.
One of the largest contingents of exhibitors this time was from Italy, which brought 62 brands through the Italian Trade Agency. Like the show itself, the organization also has a waiting list of brands hoping to secure a spot in the show, according to Paola Guida, deputy trade commissioner for the ITA. “I want more space,” she said, adding that more than 80 Italian companies would like to exhibit. “This show is overwhelming,” she said. “It’s more crowded than ever and that’s a sign that it’s the only trade show in the men’s sector. It’s a destination now — it does a super job between business and friendship, socializing and partnerships. Everyone has fun and does business.”
This will be Guida’s last show as she is transitioning out of the U.S. and will now represent the ITA in Bangkok. At the ITA’s Monday night cocktail party, Schedler and the attendees paid her a fond farewell and thanked her for her long-standing support of the show and her promotion of Italy’s fashion artisans.
Guida was not the only one who characterized the show as essential — that was the sentiment of many retailers as well.
Ken Giddon, president of New York-based Rothmans, said: “This show is amazing. The team has put together a menswear show you can’t miss. It’s the most user friendly, the hotels are close and you don’t have to walk 17 miles to find everything. It’s nice to see the industry fired up and there’s a lot of creativity and new lines here.”
He said he was at the show primarily for sportswear and singled out Rails, Faherty, Johnnie-O, Les Deux, Jack Victor and Borgo as standouts along with Johnston & Murphy’s JM collection of footwear.
Next month, his son Will, who works at the company, will be opening a new department at the Union Square flagship called Rothmans Next, targeted to a younger customer. “There will be breakthrough lines not featured in the main store,” he said. “It’ll be more of a laboratory so we’re also working on that here.”
Giddon said his overall business continues to be good, which is a pleasant surprise. “Most stores are coming off a record year and we’re coming back to more-sustainable levels, but we haven’t seen the downturn we had anticipated,” he said. “We had a good strong [spring] season and didn’t go off-price.”
He said much of the business continues to be event-driven for weddings and parties and “not a lot of guys are saying they need suits for work,” but sport coats continue to be a leader as a wardrobe refresher.
David Rubenstein, of Rubenstein’s in New Orleans, said his business is benefiting from the return of tourism in his home town as well as locals who are not holding back on spending. “There’s so much money in the upper market,” he said, adding that suits and sport coats are among the most popular categories. Custom suits are also gaining fans, especially young people who are enjoying the opportunity to create their own distinct looks.
In Chicago, he was checking out the European brands as well as pieces featuring unusual fabrics and finishes to attract shoppers searching for something new. And unless there’s a significant, unexpected event, Rubenstein is expecting business to continue to be robust this fall and holiday. “I see things staying good for a while,” he said.
Craig DeLongy of the seven-unit John Craig chain in Florida, was similarly upbeat. “Two years ago we were up 95 percent, last year we were up 45 percent and this year we’re up a couple of percentage points and we’re very happy with that.”
He said the suit business has been driving sales and he recently added some high-end brands such as Kiton to fulfill the demand. “But there’s no category we’re not doing well with,” he added. The only issue is that he’s slightly over-inventoried, but he’s expecting that to resolve later this year if sales continue on the same path.
At the show, he was searching for colorful wovens, knits and sport coats as well as new sneaker lines such as Rubiosa from Italy. “We’re going to narrow down our classification vendors to get back on track with inventory,” he said.
Keith Kinkade of Kinkade’s in Ridgeland, Mississippi, said his sales are running up some 18 percent for the year on top of last year, which was his best ever. Sales are being driven by polo shirts by his number-one vendor, Gen Teal, as well as Citizens of Humanity, 7 Diamonds, TaylorRed suits, Empire Clothing, David Donahue, Johnnie-O, FX Fusion, JC Richards ties and JM shoes.
Looking forward, he believes business will continue to be good. “The industry and economists think there are pockets of opportunity with people moving from malls to specialty stores,” he said. “So as long as we provide personal experiences and are welcoming to customers, we’ll do fine. If you become lackadaisical, your sales will shift, but as long as you enhance their experience, you have them for life.”
Hal Lansky, of Lansky’s in Memphis, said his business continues to be good and he’s just hoping “the other shoe doesn’t drop. We’ve been in business over 50 years and we thought we were going to go out of business in 2020, but 2021 and ‘22 were the best years we ever had. I never saw a swing like that.”
“We’re moving from where we were to where we want to be,” added Benjamin Belton of Benjamin’s in Morganton, North Carolina.
At Lansky’s, customers are buying shoes, Robert Graham shirts, suits and sport coats as they move beyond the activewear they wore during the pandemic. “It’s time to dress up and move on,” he said.
But the comfort and technical properties men got used to in their athleisure wardrobes continue to impact other categories.
“Comfort and technical details are infiltrating menswear and there’s no looking back,” said Andrew Berg, president of Robert Graham. He added that while there are some headwinds that could impact sales later this year, companies that are strategic and inspire to keep customers engaged will come out on top.
Belton said he’s seen a lot of pent-up demand for pieces that “integrate” activewear elements in sport coats and other categories. At the Chicago show, he was shopping for tailored clothing as well as sportswear as he sought to fill his store with merchandise that ticked those boxes.
“Customer sentiment is good and we think fall and holiday will be great.”
One vendor seeing the impact of integrating more active elements into traditional classifications is Peerless Clothing, the country’s leading tailored clothing maker. Many of the brands produced by the company offer technical attributes to appeal to today’s customer.
At the show, Peerless was seeing a lot of interest from specialty stores shopping for updated suits and sport coats from Hart Schaffner Marx, TaylorRed and other brands.
Peerless’s largest labels continue to be Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, along with Michael Kors brand, which sell mainly at department stores.
Overall, while business has leveled off a bit from its peak, sales remain strong. “Core basics are always important and fashion sport coats are phenomenal,” said Dan Orwig, president of Peerless, adding that soft shoulders, patterns, colors, double-breasteds and peak lapels were among the most popular choices for specialty stores.
Tailored clothing, including formalwear, has been a standout performer for Rush Wilson’s in Greenville, South Carolina. Rush Wilson, the second-generation owner of the company, was walking the show with his son Jay who is playing a more active role in the company.
“Our business is good, we’re very fortunate to be in a growing community,” Rush Wilson said. Thanks to men who lost or gained weight during the pandemic and an active social calendar, it has led to strong sales, particularly for tuxedos.
At the show, they were shopping for clothing at David Donahue, Samuelsohn and Jack Victor as well as neckwear from Robert Jensen and sport shirts from Alan Payne.
Looking ahead, he was optimistic that business will continue on the same path. Pointing to all the corporations that call Greenville home such as BMW and Michelin, he believes demand will remain high.
“We’ve been on fire and we think fall and holiday will continue to be good,” he said.
This story was reported by WWD and originally appeared on WWD.com. Read the full story on WWD.com.
