I hope your season is coming along well. We have in this issue the letter composed by Greg Goodwin of Friar Tux which was sent out to be used as a press release or letter to administrators and a couple of comments on it. Bob Barry has again submitted a great employee evaluation tool for us to use. Convention information and the sad news of the loss of Alan Gaylor founder of Al’s Formal Wear based in Houston Texas. Read on and please send all comments and suggestions to editor@formaltimes.com


The IFA and members of it's board of directors would like to make the following letter available to all specialists for use in their market areas as it relates to high school proms and the importance of these events. Feel free to alter it to fit your part of the country and distribute as you see fit. We thank Greg Goodwin of Friar Tux for his time and effort in putting it together.


FORMALWEAR INDUSTRY NEWS

For immediate release
April 4, 2008

To: Principals, Activity Directors

Contact: International Formalwear Association
309-721-5450




KEEPING PROM A FORMAL OCCASION

There is a rising concern within the formalwear industry that some school administrators may misunderstand the tradition of High School Prom attire. There is a growing concern of young girls dressing inappropriately for Prom, revealing too much for their age. The concern has somehow sparked the discouragement or even a ban on Tuxedos some Southern California high schools. This controversy has invited many young men to think it’s okay to dress down, way down for Prom in order to express themselves.

A Father of a high school girl told us of his nightmare story of his 17 year old daughter who proudly picked out her beautiful, colorful and quite traditional formal dress only to be greeted by her date arriving in blue jeans and long sleeve shirt with tails exposed. With camera in hand the opportunity to capture this life memory was shattered. His daughter ran to her room in tears, thus ruining what was to her dream Prom night. In this case the casual attire of today’s society has inappropriately infiltrated into one of America’s great traditions.

“Prom is an event that calls for formal attire such as a tuxedo for men and nothing else” according to Eric Miller, Counselor at Ribet Academy in Los Angeles. “Times have changed in general with the way people dress. But if there is one thing that should be a staple for decades to come, it would be prom and how everyone looks forward to getting dressed up. It’s part of their graduation into adulthood”, added Miller.

Today’s Tuxedos are contemporary and compliment girl’s dresses. Color plays a huge role in Prom allowing the students to match their dresses with their dates Tuxedos- it’s interactive, fun and allows for great personal expression while keeping the elegant tradition of prom intact.

One of the biggest myths always seems to be the cost of renting a Tuxedo. A student doesn’t have to look very far to find discount packages on Prom Formalwear. Traditionally across the nation, formal wear companies offer savings to prom goers at their busiest time of the year. This is the opposite of many industries where prices climb when the demand gets higher. This year we found the average tuxedo package to start at about $75, far less than the price of a Prom dress.

“We can’t loose sight of tradition” says Greg Goodwin, President of Friar Tux Shop, Southern California’s most established formalwear retailer. “Today’s tuxedos offer gentlemen a tremendous opportunity to express themselves in ways of color, styles and originality all while maintaining the integrity and respect for the occasion and their school.” For the last 5 years Friar Tux has been offering Free Tuxedos for Proms to high schools throughout Southern California. Each school in turn has the opportunity to award the free Prom Tuxedo as they see fit. Without any restrictions the school administrators can select the students who are most deserving. “We enjoy hearing the stories of how this little gesture meant so much to students, their Prom and the schools.” Says Goodwin.

Prom in the United States has been around since 1811. The name “prom” dates back to the late nineteenth century promenade ball. ”Not only is prom a tradition but it should be looked at as an accomplishment. Part of the reward of the 4 years that young people have put in” Said Chris Takeshita, Assistant Principal of San Gabriel High in San Gabriel California. “It is something that people talk about, even 30 years later with their friends and family. To break from tradition would only tarnish what has been built upon since the early 1800’s.

Proms are inspired by debutante balls, which are events that formally debut teenagers from prestigious families in the United Kingdom, where “Prom” is actually an entire season of classical concerts, held between July and September. In the early 1900s, Prom was just a simple tea dance for high school seniors. Proms as we know them thrived in the 1950s due to a post-war boom.

We owe it to our students, culture and our society to protect the tradition of such a wonderful life experience and all the photographs and memories that are associated with Prom.

For more information contact the International Formalwear Association at:
(309)721-5450

Comments from members in response to the letter:

The one thing that wasn’t mentioned is the fact that many schools and business have come to realize that when a young man or woman gets dressed up they feel more mature and act more mature. Less getting into trouble. Why do you think night clubs have dress codes?
I have been a retailer and know the pain of losing business because of the casual influence on our young men and women. I recall a time when I had a young man come to me and told me he was applying for a job at a bank. He didn’t know what to wear for the job interview. I fixed him up with a nice suit, shirt and tie that were appropriate. He came back a few days later and told me he got the job. Then a few weeks later after working at this bank he came to me and said that everyone at this bank are dressed very casually and should he do that also. I told him that if you do a test to see how the customers look at you when you’re working in dress up clothes or casual polo shirt and cotton pants. He returned to buy additional dress clothes because he found that when dress up the customer approached him and asked him questions about banking and what they should do. In other words they took him serious and were confident that he was qualified.
Bob Baker
The Competition / About Town Men’s Jewelry
e-mail Man@abouttown.biz
voice: 805-644-7770 fax: 805/644-5556

Great letter!
Bob Barry
John Barry and Associates

EMPLOYEE EVALUATION PROGRAM

By Bob Barry

Employees should be continuously evaluated informally but should be formally evaluated at the following points:

• After day #1
• After day #5
• After day #30
• And every six months thereafter

They should be evaluated on areas that they have control of. For a store manager these areas would include:

• Rental and Retail Sales
• Labor Control
• Customer Service
• Housekeeping
• Displays

You should write up your evaluations and the employee should get a copy.  The written evaluation should be placed in a notebook.  Progress on areas in need of improvement should be monitored closely.

I hope your season is coming along well. We have in this issue the letter composed by Greg Goodwin of Friar Tux which was sent out to be used as a press release or letter to administrators and a couple of comments on it. Bob Barry has again submitted a great employee evaluation tool for us to use. Convention information and the sad news of the loss of Alan Gaylor founder of Al’s Formal Wear based in Houston Texas. Read on and please send all comments and suggestions to editor@formaltimes.com


The IFA and members of it's board of directors would like to make the following letter available to all specialists for use in their market areas as it relates to high school proms and the importance of these events. Feel free to alter it to fit your part of the country and distribute as you see fit. We thank Greg Goodwin of Friar Tux for his time and effort in putting it together.


FORMALWEAR INDUSTRY NEWS

For immediate release
April 4, 2008

To: Principals, Activity Directors

Contact: International Formalwear Association
309-721-5450




KEEPING PROM A FORMAL OCCASION

There is a rising concern within the formalwear industry that some school administrators may misunderstand the tradition of High School Prom attire. There is a growing concern of young girls dressing inappropriately for Prom, revealing too much for their age. The concern has somehow sparked the discouragement or even a ban on Tuxedos some Southern California high schools. This controversy has invited many young men to think it’s okay to dress down, way down for Prom in order to express themselves.

A Father of a high school girl told us of his nightmare story of his 17 year old daughter who proudly picked out her beautiful, colorful and quite traditional formal dress only to be greeted by her date arriving in blue jeans and long sleeve shirt with tails exposed. With camera in hand the opportunity to capture this life memory was shattered. His daughter ran to her room in tears, thus ruining what was to her dream Prom night. In this case the casual attire of today’s society has inappropriately infiltrated into one of America’s great traditions.

“Prom is an event that calls for formal attire such as a tuxedo for men and nothing else” according to Eric Miller, Counselor at Ribet Academy in Los Angeles. “Times have changed in general with the way people dress. But if there is one thing that should be a staple for decades to come, it would be prom and how everyone looks forward to getting dressed up. It’s part of their graduation into adulthood”, added Miller.

Today’s Tuxedos are contemporary and compliment girl’s dresses. Color plays a huge role in Prom allowing the students to match their dresses with their dates Tuxedos- it’s interactive, fun and allows for great personal expression while keeping the elegant tradition of prom intact.

One of the biggest myths always seems to be the cost of renting a Tuxedo. A student doesn’t have to look very far to find discount packages on Prom Formalwear. Traditionally across the nation, formal wear companies offer savings to prom goers at their busiest time of the year. This is the opposite of many industries where prices climb when the demand gets higher. This year we found the average tuxedo package to start at about $75, far less than the price of a Prom dress.

“We can’t loose sight of tradition” says Greg Goodwin, President of Friar Tux Shop, Southern California’s most established formalwear retailer. “Today’s tuxedos offer gentlemen a tremendous opportunity to express themselves in ways of color, styles and originality all while maintaining the integrity and respect for the occasion and their school.” For the last 5 years Friar Tux has been offering Free Tuxedos for Proms to high schools throughout Southern California. Each school in turn has the opportunity to award the free Prom Tuxedo as they see fit. Without any restrictions the school administrators can select the students who are most deserving. “We enjoy hearing the stories of how this little gesture meant so much to students, their Prom and the schools.” Says Goodwin.

Prom in the United States has been around since 1811. The name “prom” dates back to the late nineteenth century promenade ball. ”Not only is prom a tradition but it should be looked at as an accomplishment. Part of the reward of the 4 years that young people have put in” Said Chris Takeshita, Assistant Principal of San Gabriel High in San Gabriel California. “It is something that people talk about, even 30 years later with their friends and family. To break from tradition would only tarnish what has been built upon since the early 1800’s.

Proms are inspired by debutante balls, which are events that formally debut teenagers from prestigious families in the United Kingdom, where “Prom” is actually an entire season of classical concerts, held between July and September. In the early 1900s, Prom was just a simple tea dance for high school seniors. Proms as we know them thrived in the 1950s due to a post-war boom.

We owe it to our students, culture and our society to protect the tradition of such a wonderful life experience and all the photographs and memories that are associated with Prom.

For more information contact the International Formalwear Association at:
(309)721-5450

Comments from members in response to the letter:

The one thing that wasn’t mentioned is the fact that many schools and business have come to realize that when a young man or woman gets dressed up they feel more mature and act more mature. Less getting into trouble. Why do you think night clubs have dress codes?
I have been a retailer and know the pain of losing business because of the casual influence on our young men and women. I recall a time when I had a young man come to me and told me he was applying for a job at a bank. He didn’t know what to wear for the job interview. I fixed him up with a nice suit, shirt and tie that were appropriate. He came back a few days later and told me he got the job. Then a few weeks later after working at this bank he came to me and said that everyone at this bank are dressed very casually and should he do that also. I told him that if you do a test to see how the customers look at you when you’re working in dress up clothes or casual polo shirt and cotton pants. He returned to buy additional dress clothes because he found that when dress up the customer approached him and asked him questions about banking and what they should do. In other words they took him serious and were confident that he was qualified.
Bob Baker
The Competition / About Town Men’s Jewelry
e-mail Man@abouttown.biz
voice: 805-644-7770 fax: 805/644-5556

Great letter!
Bob Barry
John Barry and Associates

EMPLOYEE EVALUATION PROGRAM

By Bob Barry

Employees should be continuously evaluated informally but should be formally evaluated at the following points:

• After day #1
• After day #5
• After day #30
• And every six months thereafter

They should be evaluated on areas that they have control of. For a store manager these areas would include:

• Rental and Retail Sales
• Labor Control
• Customer Service
• Housekeeping
• Displays

You should write up your evaluations and the employee should get a copy.  The written evaluation should be placed in a notebook.  Progress on areas in need of improvement should be monitored closely.

Are you planning on being in Vegas for Expo 27? The show promises to be an opportunity to meet new people and make lasting friends. When I think back over the years and times I was given the opportunity to attend, it is the friends I have made that will forever stand out in my mind. To be able to share ideas with someone else who shares your passion for this industry always makes for an instant common ground even when you live continents apart! To find what works across the country and around the world is one of the greatest assets of attending convention.  What works in Austrailia, Europe or South America may be our near future??? 

Are you planning on being in Vegas for Expo 27? The show promises to be an opportunity to meet new people and make lasting friends. When I think back over the years and times I was given the opportunity to attend, it is the friends I have made that will forever stand out in my mind. To be able to share ideas with someone else who shares your passion for this industry always makes for an instant common ground even when you live continents apart! To find what works across the country and around the world is one of the greatest assets of attending convention.  What works in Austrailia, Europe or South America may be our near future???