Welcome to the middle of July already! This issue highlights 3 exhibitors at EXPO26 in Nashville, now less than 8 weeks away. We hope to continually offer you information on new and existing manufacturers to keep you enlightened and help you be aware of the many options for your spring buy. Announcement is made of the IFA award recipients. Congratulations to all these outstanding members of our industry! Also, check out the information regarding regional satellite shows below! Any comments or suggestions please contact us at rebeccamc522@aol.com

LARR BRIO

Have you ever thought about how you would define formal wear? There is someone out there who would like to change that perception. Larry Coates has a vision for where he feels formal wear should be in the 21st century. His 30 years experience in men’s fashion has lead to the formation of Larr Brio--a supplier looking to redefine traditional formal wear.

Mr. Coates’ niche in the business has always been fashion. In the mid-1970’s he opened a store in Philadelphia, selling high-end menswear and introduced European fitted custom clothing to the area. He then expanded into manufacturing, opening a factory in Philadelphia. He worked with Lord West/Tuxacco supplying accessories for more than 20 years. As a contractor, Mr. Coates worked with many of our suppliers including Fabian Couture, After Six and Mel Howard. Needless to say, his exposure to traditional formalwear is vast. This experience leads him to feel a major change is in the wind.

Larr Brio is designed with the 20 to 30 year old customer in mind. This type of style and cutting edge fashion has never been marketed to our industry previously. A patent has even been given to his hip, innovative designs making Larr Brio a designer name for the future. The trendy, modern approach to formalwear features a jean cut pant designed to be worn with his signature belt. The belt has interchangeable buckles to accent companion colors. A traditional tuxedo shirt followed by a shawl collar jacket and long tie complete his concept of fashion style and formality. Mr. Coates states "Larr Brio is a company that wants to help the specialists compete,increase their margins on rentals and give them a friend in manufacturing.”

                          

Be sure to stop by the Larr Brio booth at EXPO26 in Nashville and let Larry Coates show you his vision.

Larry Coates
www.larrbrio.com
205 Royal Avenue
Wyncote, PA 19095
Tel: 610-529-4023
Email: larry@larrbrio.com

                                                  

When you think of peanut butter you normally are not reminded of children’s special occasion wear. Ginger Fung of Peanut Butter Collection would like you to do just that. Her daughter came up with the name 4 years ago when launching her new line. Ginger, who was born and raised in Hong Kong, worked in costume design before heading off to London to earn her degree in fashion design. Her growing company offers formalwear for children in sizes 6 months to 16. She has just recently added husky sizes in her most popular styles.

Ginger enjoys what she does for a living and having met her on many occasions shows her commitment and enthusiasm for her work is catching. Attention to detail and customer service are her main selling points. They usually ship within 24 to 48 hours and have no minimum order. Her top sellers are the Bond 2 button notch tuxedo and the Leo 3 button suit. Each outfit comes nicely packaged in their own clear zippered garment bag. The vests are all full back which adds perceived value for the customer. The ever-increasing array of color choices seems endless and many can be purchased with choice of bow or long tie. She even carries ivory shirts. How many times has this request been made in the past and you could not deliver in the below rental size range?

                                                   
Peanut Butter Collection is more than just boys’ tuxedos, they offer an extensive line of flower girl, baptismal, and pageant dresses. Shoes are another line they have expanded covering both the girls and boys in an array of colors and styles. The attention these little tuxedos draw is always substantial. Our changing world has created the need for many couples to include children too young for rental sizes in their parties.

Check out the Peanut Butter Collection on the web and be sure and get a wholesaler password for easy ordering. Better yet stop by Ginger’s booth in Nashville and let her show you all the options……

                         
                      Ginger’s handsome son Gabriel

Peanut Butter Collection
Ginger Fung
2222 Foothill Blvd #E362
La Canada, CA 91011
tel: 323-908-3815 fax:818.848.9289
Email: sales@peanutbuttercollection.com

    In showcasing another exhibitor at EXPO26 in Nashville we introduce you to Chuck Field of H. Field & Sons Inc. He is a member of the IFA board of directors. He is a genuinely nice guy with a great sense of humor. His dedication to his family and what he does for a living is evident in the answers he gave me to a few quick questions about his business.

Tell me about the origins of the company
My father Joe, Uncle Harry and my grandfather started the company 75 years ago, during the depression with 30 dollars and we are still alive and kicking. We began by selling used and overrun boxes and later became a full line corrugated box manufacturer. In the 1980s my brother Lew (now president) and I joined the company and developed many niche markets.

Product descriptions
Like many other people in our industry we sell custom and stock corrugated boxes and market to all sorts of industries. We are unique and that we pioneered most of the box styles used over many decades in the Men's Apparel business. We invented the Hanger Pack Carton and Bar Set. We have been imitated but the original is still the best. We have a line of flat boxes to accommodate 1-4 suits or tuxes. We also produce Point of Purchase corrugated displays and very innovative 3 dimensional colorful marketing mailers.

Something you offer we may not be aware of
Since we produce Tux Boxes for formalwear wholesalers and clothing manufacturers all over the country, we can save the customer a lot of money even after incurring shipping costs. We can sell small quantities to anyone in the industry and they will pay large quantity pricing. You can even have your company's name printed on the box regardless of the quantity purchased.

What portion of your business is the formalwear industry?
Maybe 15%, but the apparel industry makes up about 30%.

What changes have you seen since your father started the business?
In my father's day ...he turns 90 on August 30th, businessmen all wore suits and hats. During that era, the American clothing manufacturer's heyday, about 60% of our business was clothing related. In his day, people valued returning phone calls and weren't able to hide behind voicemail. Although we strive to build our business on relationships, it’s a lot harder to get to know many of our customers on a very personal level. We know that relationship selling sets us apart from our competition.

Where is your industry headed in the coming years?
Not sure which direction, but in a different one for sure. With so much importing, there are fewer manufacturers out there to be our next biggest customer. We are always trying to develop new products. We expect to get additionally into contract-packaging and fulfillment. Since pricing is so key, importing could also be one of our inroads to new markets.

Do you have a website to view your products?
www.fieldbox.com

A little about you and your family and what makes you happiest in this big world.
I have been married to Linda for 27 years. She is a teacher. We have two daughters, and selling is in our blood. Becca, 24, is an Account Executive for the Arizona Republic in Scottsdale. Jen, recently turned 21, just returned from a study abroad program in Florence, Italy. This summer she is an intern for the Chicago Sun Times in the Sales Department. Being a dad has allowed me to continue acting like a kid--something I never want to forget how to do. I never take myself too seriously. I try to set goals that I can actually achieve. Finding time to laugh out loud and watch my kids grow up trying to reach their dreams makes me very happy in this way-too-fast-paced-iPhone-Blackberry-infested world. "Gotta go, I just got an email and my cell phone is ringing!”

H. Field & Sons, Inc.
2605 South Cedarbrook
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
847-434-0970
chuck@fieldbox.com

With the popularity of brown tuxedos comes a brown shoe. The scuffs put on a new pair are very unforgiving on some styles especially the boys. This Scuff cover in brown saved some of ours. Hope it can work for you.



Kiwi Brand Leather Scuff cover
Extra Scuff Coverage Brown
2.5 oz bottle approx $2.49
www.kiwicare.com

Industry News
The IFA Board of Directors would like to congratulate the 2007 Industry Award recipients. These winners demonstrate professional excellence in customer service, manufacturing and retail. We are proud to honor them at the upcoming EXPO in Nashville, for they are true leaders in our industry.

Retailer of the Year
Alan Gaylor
Al's Formal Wear
Houston, TX

Manufacturer of the Year
Formalwear International
Miami, FL

Customer Service Representative of the Year
Peter Aleman
Formalwear International
Miami, FL

2007 Black Tie Award
Wayne Griner
After Hours Formalwear/Men's Wearhouse
Norcross, GA/Houston, TX
All winners will be recognized during the Country Music Hall of Fame and Reception on Sunday, September 9.



Make plans now to meet in Nashville! Where else can you learn so much about the industry, see what’s new and have so much fun? EXPO26 at Nashville's Opryland Resort and Convention Center. Come and be a part of the largest collection of formalwear suppliers and specialists anywhere! Registration is now open! Visit the EXPO26 page for more information. We hope to see you there!

For those willing to miss all the fun at EXPO26, the IFA is again taking the show on the road with three regional shows this fall. Whether you use them as a first look at what’s new for Spring 08 or second look to place orders, take the time to stay informed and attend.

GLITS (Great Lakes Independent Tuxedo Specialists)
Sunday, August 19 and Monday, August 20
Embassy Suites Chicago--Lombard
Click Here for registration information

West Coast Formalwear Collective
Sunday, September 23 and Monday, September 24
Radisson Suites--Buena Park (formerly Embassy Suites)
Click Here for registration information

East Coast Formalwear Collective
Sunday, September 30 and Monday, October 1
Embassy Suites Secaucus--Meadowlands
Click Here for registration information

There are only 7 weeks left until EXPO26 in Nashville!
Is there a new product or service you’d like to promote before the show? Advertising options are available through the Formal Times Newsletter! Click Here or contact Formal Times for more information.

Hover here, then click toolbar to edit content

What’s on the credit and debit card receipts you give your customers? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, says it’s time for companies to check their receipts and make sure they’re complying with a law that’s been in effect for all businesses since December 1, 2006.

According to the federal Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA), the electronically printed credit and debit card receipts you give your customers must shorten—or truncate—the account information. You may include no more than the last five digits of the card number, and you must delete the card’s expiration date. For example, a receipt that truncates the credit card number and deletes the expiration date could look like this:

ACCT: ***********12345

EXP: ****

Why is it important for businesses to make sure they’re complying with this law? Credit card numbers on sales receipts are a “golden ticket” for fraudsters and identity thieves. Savvy businesses appreciate the importance of protecting their customers—and themselves—from credit card crime.

But there are other important reasons to make sure your slips are ship-shape. Noncompliance could open a company up to an FTC law enforcement action, including civil penalties and injunctive relief. In addition, the law allows consumers to sue businesses that don’t comply and to collect damages and attorney’s fees.

While Congress passed this provision in December 2003, it has been phased in gradually, requiring merchants with newer electronic card processing machines to comply by December 2004. Merchants with older machines were given until December 1, 2006. So now all companies that electronically print credit or debit card receipts must truncate the information on the copy they give their customers. That’s whey it’s important to make sure all your equipment complies with the law.

Several details of the law are worth noting: It applies only to electronically printed receipts, not to handwritten or imprinted ones. And it applies only to receipts you give your customer at point of sale, not to any transaction record you retain. Be aware, however, that when you keep your customers’ personal information—including account data—you have an obligation to keep it safe. Read Protecting Personal Information: A Guide for Business, available at ftc.gov/infosecurity, for tips on safeguarding sensitive data.

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

"Try to learn something about everything and everything about something."
- Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895)