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Tights, From Robin Hood to Selena Gomez

you — Fri, 04 May 2012 19:14:35 +0000

A Voice from the Market

Tights were once only the realm of little girls dressed in pink frilly tutus getting ready for their ballet recitals are now the hottest item on any fashionistas wish list. Worn under office skirts, with shorts and out on the town to the clubs, tights are turning heads from form fitting Spanx to graphically designed tights which mimic thigh highs with brightly colored suspenders. With modern textiles, tights are now sheerer than ever while retaining their durability, a great advantage tights have over regular nylon hose.

The origin of tights is much more manly than one might suspect. Hundreds of years ago in Europe, well before any fashion model hit the runway, woolen hose (leggings) were worn by noble men for horseback riding or by peasants for working in the fields. Medieval knights took up wearing silken hose beneath their tunics. So while women toiled under the weight of heavy skirts, men were showing off their shapely calves and thighs. Renaissance-era costumes for the theater and ballet gave birth to the tight fitting leggings men wore on stage. Women, being wise on what a man wants, quickly took to wearing tights. Of course, fashion followed with ever shortening skirts. Men swooning from the sight of a feminine ankle quickly changed to wolf like panting at the glimpse of thigh above the knee of a lady. From silken hose that hinted and accented the curves of a woman’s leg to knee high socks whose practicality for keeping dirt off a young woman’s legs also allured men to take a second glance – women have purchased, and keep buying hose and tights to keep men spellbound.

Now we come to latest tights to grace the city streets Hot recording star Rihanna created a Twitter frenzy in April 2012 by taking a picture of herself wearing Pretty Polly Pretty Braced Suspender Tights. These are not your ordinary tights. They look like sexy thigh highs that are held up by red hot suspenders, these Pretty Polly tights are far more durable than any panty hose and since the suspenders are simply a design on the tight, they will never fail you and fall down.

Last fall plenty of celebrities painted the town in tights. Worn under dresses or even with shorts, tights are a warmer than hose. Kourtney Kardashian, Selena Gomez, Jessie J and Fergie all wore tights under their stylish fashion shorts this past fall. There is no arguing that tights will continue to be a fashion must.

Fashion tights are created by some of the most in vogue designers in the fashion business. Pretty Polly Pink has been in the business of dressing women’s legs since 1919 in the United Kingdom. Their tights come in British patriotic Union Jack design or even the American flag; tights that look like anklets with a sheer hose above; a variety of “thigh high” tights with various faux suspenders or faux garters or without. Henry Holland is “the” designer when it comes to fashion tights and Mr. Holland works for Pretty Polly Pink. Fiore is a Polish hosiery company that has operated in Poland since 1986. It was formed by the merger of “G&K” and “Madame Chic” who had themselves been manufacturing hosiery in Poland since 1983. Fiore tights, one of the most search for hosiery on the internet, are known for their beautiful floral or leaf designs. Another British hosiery company that cannot be left out when talking about tights is Jonathon Aston. Founded in Leicester in 1965 in the heart of the UK textile industry. Jonathon Aston was known for their 60′s fashion tights worn by such celebrities as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton. They remain a hit on international runways. Their stylish tights now go from leopard prints, to ribbed alternating gray to black, to floral and even slouching casual tights, Jonathan Ashton is preferred by many fashionistas. Even Spanx, which made its way to fame via Oprah’s nod, carries a line of tights (footies intact). While Spanx tights run the more traditional designs from flat to fishnet to diamond patterned, they also have a line of maternity tights designed to keep even the pregnant fashionista looking great.

With all these choices, there is no excuse for any woman not to have at least a few pairs of tights in her wardrobe. Thank goodness men did not keep tights to themselves!

GENCO Marketplace Wins Exclusive Contract to Liquidate Returns for The Home Depot

you — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:17:39 +0000

PRESS RELEASE

GENCO ATC, North America’s second largest logistics provider, today announced that its liquidation subsidiary, GENCO Marketplace, has won an exclusive contract to liquidate store returns from The Home Depot stores. Products are available in truckload and pallet quantities to other liquidators and secondary market resellers.

The liquidation program is part of The Home Depot’s aggressive corporate sustainability program. The retailer hopes to maximize recovery value on this inventory and maximize reuse of products that might otherwise have gone into the waste stream.

The Home Depot liquidation lots include just about every category of product available at stores, sorted into multiple product groups.

• Home Products – small appliances and other items for the home

• Plumbing and Electrical – bathroom items and electrical supplies

• Hardware – power tools, hand tools, and seasonal power equipment

• Lighting – indoor and outdoor lighting

• Appliances – big box products

Most lots will include a mix of different manufacturers’ products. However, some lots will be “return-to-vendor” inventory made up of high-quality product from a single manufacturer.

All lots include a manifest that registered buyers can view online prior to purchase.

“Home improvement products are very difficult to find in the secondary market,” said Tom McElroy, vice president of marketing and eCommerce at GENCO Marketplace. “These products are perfect for builders and contractors, as well as businesses who resell to ‘do-it-yourselfers’ looking for discounted home improvement products.”

Buyers who would like more information on GENCO Marketplace’s home improvement lots can contact Alan Mongelluzzo at (412) 820-3963, alan.mongelluzzo@gencoatc.com or Nick DiPaola at 412-820-3992, Nick.Dipaola@gencoatc.com.

About GENCO Marketplace

GENCO Marketplace is America’s largest wholesale liquidator of retail returns and surplus inventories. The company’s resale channels include direct sales by the truckload to high-volume buyers, internet auctions of pallet quantities on the company’s B2B website, www.GENCOMarketplace.com and sales of individual items on www.NoBetterDeal.com, the company’s bargain shopping site for consumers.

About GENCO ATC

GENCO ATC is North America’s 2nd largest and a Global Top 25 third-party logistics provider, the leading logistics provider to the consumer electronics industry and recognized leader in reverse logistics. GENCO ATC manages 130 operations and 38 million square feet of warehouse space throughout North America. GENCO ATC’s diverse range of customers include many Fortune 500 companies in the high tech, consumer goods, retail, healthcare and automotive markets and the federal government. GENCO ATC’s complete range of solutions, include inbound logistics; warehousing & distribution; fulfillment; packaging and kitting; transportation management; systems integration; returns processing & disposition; test, repair, refurbishment; product liquidation and recycling. For more information, visit www.genco.com.

Contact: Don Rendulic, GENCO ATC, 412-820-3922

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Charm Bracelets: Ooh, Sparkley!

you — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:46:54 +0000

A hot trend, according to perhaps the largest search engine on the globe, is that of charmed bracelets. Wholesale jewelers have long known to keep the latest styles of these fashionable beads in stock. Women love them because they can create a bracelet, necklace, earring or other adornment that is uniquely their own. Men love them because they can buy something that has a wide price range and still look like Prince Charming even with a gift so small. The actual charm on the charm bracelets can be made from a variety of materials with gold, sterling silver and Murano glass being the most common materials used in modern charms. Birth stones, enamel, wood, diamonds and other gems are incorporated to add even more sophistication. Designs can be as simple as a smooth round bead of a singular color to more elaborate miniature statues.

Charms have long adorned our human bodies. Long ago these decorations were used as magical wards protecting us from evil or in hopes of bringing us love and more. Our ancient ancestors carved rocks, shells and molded clay into little amulets to be dangled from one’s hair or about the wrist attached to hemp or some other string. The oldest findings of beads used for adornment come from Blombos Cave in South Africa. The 41 shells have perforations and wear marks such as would be done by being used in a bracelet or necklace. These shell beads could be as much as 75,000 years old. Many charms have been found in caves and other areas where stone age and later ancestors lived. Amulets made to benefit fertility and hunting were quite commonly found made into bangles and necklaces.

After humans relied less on magic to understand the world around them, charms still were worn on belts to display one’s family crest or symbol. Or under one’s clothing so a person could show another that they belong to some secret society – early Christians used this method as a safe way to share their faith. For a time in the post Renaissance period, charm bracelets went out of style only to make a strong resurgence with in the early 20^th century. Queen Victoria brought back the charm, not only as a means of identifying one’s family but also as an object of beauty and personal adornment. Her charms not only contained her family insignia but also contained lockets and beautiful glass beads. Each generation since then seems to have claimed charm bracelets as their own idea . Although for a time charm bead production decreased after the 1970s. This did not mean that you did not see girls and women wearing charmed bracelets. Vintage throwbacks were all the rage during the late 1980s and early 1990s. From preppies to punks, you could see girls of all ages wearing charms during this era…. they were just Grandma’s charms redone to their own purpose.

That all changed by the late 1990s when American tourists in Italy fell in love with the Italian charm bracelet. Unlike round beads, Italian charm bracelets lay flat on the wrist and interlocked. Their modular design allowed users to create and recreate new looks to wear. Most often the Italian charm bracelet is made of stainless steel while the charm itself has a stainless steel back and gold front with a variety of gemstones added to create the unique charm.

Modern charm bracelet wearers have an even wider array of choices than did previous fashion accessory lovers. The dangling charm is back in – not to say that the Italian charm bracelet is unpopular. Charms showing your recent adventures (a golden gondola enhanced with a ruby deck), your childhood (a silver teddy bear with diamond eyes), your religious faith (a sterling silver charm with an amber cross design), your whimsical nature (a silver and Murano glass bead with a fantasy floral pattern), and your love of your dog (a golden dog house) can be combined to show the world exactly who you are. The spacers worn between each charm make their own statement, depending on what material the wear chooses to use. Charms are now no longer just for your body. There are cell phone charms, key chain charms, and wallet charms for gentlemen. Matching charms that can be used for earrings, necklaces and anklets can easily be purchased to coordinate with the rest of your collection. Now with new social networks such as Pinterest, women can share their favorite charm designs with greater ease and enjoyment.

Preppers: The End of Civilization is Trendy

you — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:22:12 +0000

So the Mayan Calendar is going to end this year, the world’s glaciers are melting rapidly into the ocean, freak earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes keep ravaging America…what are you going to do about it?

Well for two plus million Americans it means becoming a Prepper. The term sounds very much like old 80s term Preppy … making one think of characters from a John Hughes movie. Now grow that Preppy up, give them a good job with a mortgage and a family then destroy it all by foreclosing on their home and shipping their job overseas. Wah la – instead of AK-47 toting Monkey Wrench gang survivalists, you have the Prepper.

The Prepper has seen his or her share of turmoil. She remembers when the Twin Towers fell. He remembers the pink slip from his job, spending months looking for an equivalent job then accepting one at a much lower pay. She is determined to keep her children from using Food Stamps (again). He is tired of taking from Peter to pay Paul. She wants a more traditional lifestyle with connections to that Golden America deep in the collective past. They just want some stability and realize that the only way to achieve that is through self determined survival.

Rather than running off to the woods, many of these modern “neo-survivalist” strives to carve out a self substance living mostly in the suburbs. They are starting to have jobs again, but the blows of the past decade have made them scared. They are determined to never feel that way again. And one never knows if the threat of pandemic viruses, economic collapses etc could actually happen.

So what is a Prepper-to-be to do? First come to terms with what you are trying to achieve. Preppers are a diverse bunch but many have some basic goals in mind. Here are a few in case you want to join the “Prepared”:

Learn about self-defense. You need to be able to protect yourself and your family in times of crisis. Martial arts, pepper spray and yes, even the time honored survivalist AK 47 can be included to defend you and yours from all those unlucky fools who did not prepare.

Grow your own food. The backyard is not just for football tossing any more.

Buy Land. Living in the suburbs for now is alright, but when things go awry its not a bad idea to have a place you can go.

Learn about alternative energy and alternative living spaces. Solar energy is not just for hippies any more. Neither are homes made from hay, or bottles or adobe.

Water, water, water. Times of sustained crisis mean you need a water source. First for your suburban home then for your survival home. States are beginning to take notice and claiming rainwater as their own! Protect your water supply!

Store Food and Supplies. This is not hoarding as only practical items are kept. You can use them as their expiration date nears and replace them.

Become self sustaining. Your job may disappear again tomorrow what can you do to provide an income or the needs of your family? You may start dreaming about your Grand-dad’s hunting gear or fishing pole.

Network and Read. There are hundreds of websites and many others (over 2 million Americans) out there interested in surviving hard times. Popular websites such as Amazon have many books out there to teach you how to live on very little. Not to forget that Reader’s Digest 1970s classic: Back To Basics where you can learn how to make a log cabin from trees; how to raise bees; and how to grow, cook and can your own food grown on a small plot of land.

Now where do you get your supplies? Many wholesalers are willing to sell to regular consumers as long as you buy a minimum amount of products – often as low as $100. You can buy most of your supplies this way. There are many reputable camping and hunting gear companies to make needed purchases from. Even stores such as Academy or Wal-mart can be a source of basic survival supplies. There are also many online prepper stores, such as Chaos Prepper. However, some people are reluctant to buy some supplies, such as MRE’s (Meals Ready To Eat), after the FBI handed out flyers to stores that sell popular Prepper items. Shopkeepers are requested to keep a list of names of those purchasing these and other items, along with their ID info, just in case they turn out to be domestic terrorists. Many Preppers are creating their own MREs. And other more cautious Preppers are making their purchases in cash, with prepaid debit cards or using barter.

Even if the world as we know it does not end, all the Preppers out there will have feel better by having this form of “insurance” against the unwashed masses of the unprepared.

Pajama Clothing For The Really, Really Lazy

you — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:25:33 +0000

A Voice from the Market

In the last few years it has been becoming increasingly prevalent for young women to wear their pajamas as actual clothing. In particular in the mid-2000′s this fashion trend was some what controversial as many school and college girls were punished for dress code violations even though the clothing was not provocative. Well for the Spring of 2012 the trend of pajamas-as-clothes has grown up a bit and pajama inspired dresses, suits, and one-pieces which has become exceptionally popular. Coming in a variety of styles and fabrics, the versatile look has made appearances in the runway shows for Luca Luca, Richard Chai Love, and Betsey Johnson.

One-piece outfits gained popularity in 2006 as zip-ups with attached shorts became a popular fall item. These days it’s taken on a softer look. Many are designed to look individual pieces fitted together while others taken on the frilly old nightgown, turning it into long sleeves with pants one-piece. To increase the illusion of “pajama chic” many designers put similarly inspired jackets over the one-piece outfits, to create an illusion of loose pajama separates. Favoring simple solids with light prints, the jackets also often had a pop of color to an over all monochromatic outfit. Some one-pieces even come with a strange shorts-like item that you either slip over it or is already sewn into the pattern, the unusual shorts resembling a man’s boxer shorts!

In that same turn, pajama style suits were also big on the runway. Their cuffs were usually wide and loose, with bold prints covering the suit. The blouse beneath the suit was often one solid color from the pattern, breaking up the bold appearance of the suit. From large floral prints to Asian inspired patterns and artistic graphic designs, the current trend in suits favors the bold and brash. The often suggested accessories to sell along side this look is solid scarfs, matching belts, and flats to show off the swinging bell cuffs. Who’d have though bell bottoms would ever make a big come back? Perhaps they won’t ever return in their groovy jeans form but pajama-style suit pants with wide bell bottom cuffs probably won’t be going anywhere for a while.

Unfortunately this trend has yet to entirely move into the mainstream making it hard to find this look with most women’s clothing wholesalers. However, several wholesalers do carry one-piece zip-ups with attached shorts and a large matching belt. Units vary in price depending on the fabrics. It is expected that mainstream clothing makers will be adopting this trend from their couture friends, creating pocket-book friendly versions and lower prices for both the retailer and the consumer.

SOPA & PIPA Are Dead. Go Ask Your Kids What It Is.

you — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:19:29 +0000

SOPA is dead the news of the day says …and good riddance. Texas GOP representative Lamar Smith’s bill (originally co-sponsored by 31 representatives) was supposed to be designed to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods. However, the powers to stop this type of piracy were so broad that the internet as we know would have ceased to exist. Anyone linking or in any way promoting a website that engaged in these crimes would be under the gun to be pulled off the web. Wholesalers, retailers and the general public – if they haven’t already – need to understand what SOPA is.

This is how SOPA was designed to work:

The intellectual property-rights holder must first notify, in writing, related payment facilitators (such as Paypal) and ad networks (such as Google Adsense) of the identity of the website, who, in turn, must then forward that notice and suspend their services to the identified website, unless the so-called violating web site provides a counter notification explaining how it is not in violation. The “rights: holder could then sue for relief against the website owber, if they receive counter notification, or if the payment or advertising services fail to suspend service in the absence of a counter notification.

The final section covers penalties for streaming video (such as Youtube) and for selling counterfeit drugs, military materials or consumer goods. It would have increased penalties and expand copyright offenses to include unauthorized streaming of copyrighted content and other intellectual property offenses. Criminalization of unauthorized streaming of copyrighted content would have a maximum penalty of five years in prison for ten such infringements within six months.

This bill would have effected more than just the big players like Google and Craigslist. Any website knowingly or unwittingly that contained links to outside websites – which may or may not have copy right infringing material – could be taken down. An ecommerce drop shipper could face charges for items their website displays. A website with a forum that anyone in the public and use to discuss topics could be done away with.

Are we not a country who believes in innocence until proven guilty? We treat corporations like people when it benefits Big Corpa to do so. Many smaller businesses operate websites that are used for ecommerce or contain outside user generated content. All of these businesses will be criminals …without the burden of proof being placed on the accuser.

PIPA is the Senate version of the bill. It was actually proposed months before SOPA was, however its language limits the websites that can be effected are those whose goal is only to support the intellectual property rights, anti-digital rights or counterfeit good violators. The goal being to stop websites such as ThePiratesBay from being viewed in the United States. However, PIPA could still be abused by large corporations choosing to hinder competition by smaller wholesalers and retailers. Wholesalers and retailers would need to provide detailed evidence that they do not infringe on any copyrighted material that the accuser may own. That burden of proof would be very difficult to manage for a small business with limited means to hire lawyers.

The difficulty if PIPA were to pass is quite similar to SOPA and includes language in its bill that would make it so domain name servers would be forced to stop a website from being seen by the public. All an accuser would need to do is make claim to the courts that they have made a diligent effort to contact a company they feel has infringed their copyright and that the accused company did not contact them back. Large media corporations – particularly the film and music industry – could hamstring innovation and start-ups of competing websites by making infringement claims with little basis.

These past several weeks have seen a rallying cry from a diverse range of internet users. Free speech advocates, e-commerce businesses with international contacts, large internet search and directory companies such as Google and Yahoo and others have come together to oppose both SOPA and PIPA. Many websites – including Wikipedia, Craigslist and others held an official day of protest on January 18th, 2012 blacking out their sites all together or at least their front pages. These and other efforts to reach out to the public have seemingly worked. US Congress was overwhelmed with the cry and hue from American citizens opposing these bills. But they are not actually dead yet. Merely shelved to be re-written and resurrected in the weeks to come when the public’s attention span has lapsed.

The American public – no matter their political stripe – has grown tired of the onslaught against their Freedom of Speech and other rights being watered down. We have seen the courts swing back to the side the general welfare of the public with the Federal Appeals Court ruling that video recording the police in a public place is a constitutional right for all U.S. citizens. American companies dependent on the internet can only hope that the courts will rule in the best interest of all … and not the lobbying groups of a few big moneyed industries.

We Really Love As Seen on TV Product Craziness

you — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:08:16 +0000

A Voice from the Market

In the fast paced and rather baffling world of the As Seen on TV infomercial, daily things such as stirring soup or making brownies suddenly becomes a tale of constant agonizing frustration, often expressed through black and white footage of a upset housewife giving up in despair while her family looks on in complete disappointment. Then wa-la! A fantastic new product swoops in and makes the film suddenly gain color by making what should’ve been a mundane activity easier than ever. RWG would like to present you with another four of the greatest and most ridiculous As Seen on TV products that consumers apparently can’t get enough of.

Tasty Top Cake Pops

In the commercial for this kitchen aid we see a mother who has baked her ungrateful children a delicious cake. The children shake their heads, scornful of the cake’s typical rectangular shape. Their mother looks down in shame… until she discovers the Tasty Top Cake Pop mold! Just pour in the cake batter into the bottom tray, put the other tray on top, put the sticks in the holes of the mold, and bake! In no time you have pleasingly round cake-bites that you may decorate in various fashions. The children are visibly pleased with the new snack, the voice-over declaring it the “perfect portion” for them. Yes, because we all know that food becomes many times better when served on a stick.

CitiKitty – Cat Toilet Trainer

Litter boxes are a slightly unpleasant nuisance that, with regular maintenance, are generally not too bad to deal with. It is however the hope of many cat owners that their feline companions learn to use a toilet so that they may simply flush it down for them rather than having to sift it out. The CitiKitty system claims to teach cats to use the toilet by at first having a litter box insert that you place over the toiler bowl water using the seat to keep it in place. The cat is forced to squat on the seat to use the litter. Once the cat seems to get used to that you change it out for a second insert that has a hole in the center, allowing the cat’s feces to actually go in the toilet. Once the cat is used to that you can remove the insert and the cat will use the toilet on its own. The only reviews we have found suggest the system works fairly well and if it is true then bravo to its creators.

Aquaglobes

Frankly we are rather impressed with this item, having seen it in action before. Though the commercial, like all As Seen on TV ads, portrays watering plants as something akin to brain surgery, Aquaglobes are impressive at fulfilling the ad’s claims. You simply fill it with water, stick it into the soil of the plant, and in two weeks time refill it. The oxygen in dry soil sucks water out of the globe causing it to only rewater when necessary. They are also surprisingly attractive pieces made from blown glass with colorful swirled patterns around the stem and bulb.

Eggies

Cooking is a very difficult thing for the infomercial housewife. Why even the simple task of boiling an egg leaves her nearly crumbled on the floor in tears. Eggies, however, are here to restore order to a world of eggs gone rogue. Simply pour the egg into the mold, put on the top, and let it boil before removing the mold to reveal perfectly cooked eggs with no peeling required. Really the only thing this thing seems to to relieve you of is the peeling since it doesn’t assist with the cooking or telling you when the egg is done. But if removing the peeling process from cooking eggs is what saves Mrs. Jones from a stay in Bedlam then Eggies do a great humanitarian service.

Trade Shows: Business Opportunity or Excuse to Go To Vegas

you — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:21:38 +0000

Small business retailers can still definitely benefit from attending trade shows. It seems like everyone is doing everything online but that face to face interaction – from the expert B2B speakers to the wholesalers taking orders at the booths – can really help you grow your business.

First off, go to your local online tradeshow directory to see what shows are coming up. A good directory will have links to the trade show web pages. Find the ones that deal with your industry and look over their information. Often there will be great speakers – people who have been in your shoes, know the ups and downs and want to share their knowledge. Don’t be surprised if they are selling a book or seminar to a workshop as well, still the free information can be a great boon.

Events showcasing upcoming products are also a big draw. Who doesn’t want to know what will promoted as the hottest thing in your industry for the coming season or year? And of course, there are often lists of wholesalers, importers, dropshippers and others in the B2B trade who will have a booth at the trade show. Many of them will be people you already deal with – its always nice to put a face with a name … and maybe a better deal.

OK, so now you are excited. Its time to sit down, get out your notepad (be it electronic or paper) and plan. If you have other business partners, it might be best to include them in on this part. Think about what you want to get out of your time and expense of going to a trade show. What are your plans for your business in the next 6 months to year – how can this conference help? You may choose a specific trade show because of a speaker they have. Plan your time at the trade show around when the speaker is there. Write down at least 3 goals. Keep that list with you at the show as a reminder of what you want to achieve. It is easy to get distracted at a trade show!

Be realistic about how much money you have to spend while at the show. You already probably know your budget for your orders, but keep in mind the expense of travel in regards to trade shows. Many trade shows will offer great discounts for hotel and travel expenses of attendees who preregister online.

Sometimes trade shows help a business in unexpected ways. Your competition can also be your friend. Businesses cooperate to gain a deeper customer base – and the in-person interaction of the trade show is one way make these new friends. While getting to know these new friends, be sure to ask them what they were expecting to get from the show. If you can help each other achieve your aims, all the better for both of you.

And don’t forget to look at ALL those booths – not just the ones of the folks you know. Suppliers want your business. They will sometimes offer you a better deal than you could get over the phone or online. New products coming on the market are easier to find at a trade show. Your customers will appreciate your better understanding of what you sell from what you glean while perusing the booths.

Be sure to enjoy yourself. The people running these trade shows want you to be here. If you have any questions or requests for the future, let them know. You are really the star of the show.

Hurray Sweater Weather

you — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:17:36 +0000

It’s December and in the northern hemisphere the weather is getting pretty nippy. So what’s the in way to stay warm for the winter of 2011-2012? According to the top ranked fashion designers it’s the cardigan, a knitted sweater with either buttons, a belt, or a zipper in the front. While some people think of cardigans as a female fashion item they’re not only popular among men now but were in fact originally created for men. While not one of the very oldest of fashion items, the cardigan has an interesting history and range of styles all of its own. With brown wool with thick buttons and tan cotton yarn with a trendy belt, cardigans are what your fashionista consumers are looking for to keep warm.

Cardigans were originally created for British military to wear not only under their protective clothing for warmth but also as an alternative to a thin waistcoat at formal events. In fact the name “cardigan” comes from James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a noted British military officer. Due to this, in its earliest days cardigans were considered semi-formal wear for men in the winter months, most often worn by men serving in the military. However in the 1960′s cardigans were adopted into popular fashion, worn by ladies and men alike with the rising popularity of not only military wears but also clothing made with natural fibers such as wool.

These days, cardigans are the chicest thing on the runways of Paris, Milan, and New York in all of the biggest fashion lines. From Chanel to Stella McCartney to Dolce & Gabbanna, unisex cardigan sweaters are all the rage. The current big trend tends to be the buttoned variety, popularized by The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton as well as her younger socialite sister Pippa Middleton, a current fashion plate whom the paparazzi can’t seem to leave alone. It should also be noted that the wool of alpacas, rather than sheep, are becoming more popular due to the less itchy quality of the fiber. Not only that but alpaca yarn tends to naturally come in rich whites, browns, and blacks thus requiring no artificial dyes unless an unusual color is desired.

Cardigans vary in price from wholesaler to wholesaler, particularly based on style and quality of the product. Fortunately though almost all reputable fashion wholesalers carry them in varying cuts and colors as well as fiber, so you can feel free to shop around and find the perfect style and price for your particular consumer base. While alpaca is the current “in” fiber we here at Retailer’s Wholesale Guide advise against getting too excited about it due to the fact that sheep’s wool or artificial wool is much cheaper than alpaca due to ease of raising and spinning. If, however, you do wish to get into this new and unique fad it might be wise to contact alpaca farmers themselves who often spin and weave their creations. They may be more expensive on initial purchase but the high price you can set for them, a standard well made alpaca wool cardigan going for about $125 retail, you can make a good profit and expect enough profit to buy something nice for everyone for the holidays.

The Feds are Grabbing Domain Names

you — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:24:54 +0000

If you are in the licensed apparel and merchandise business you have reason to be pleased. At least you do if those NFL jerseys you sell are legitimate. If you sell knockoffs you best head for the hills Ma Barker because the feds are looking for you and will seize your domain name if they feel the need.

The Department of Justice and Customs Enforcement have already taken down 130 websites they say were selling fake jerseys and knock-off handbags. They included sites with names such as reeboksite.com, shopsbag.com, verycheapjerseys.com and officialpumashop.com.

This is the third such sweep since 2010. The first took out 82 sites offering illegal music and video downloads. The second came in February 2011 aimed at sports related content streams.Some of whom had no illegal content of their own but merely linked to other sources for the copyright infringing videos.

Now on the surface this make look like a triumph for those in business legally by punishing illegal competition. However, there are some fairly serious questions regarding the legality of the seizures. For example, the domain grabs are made by government agencies without anything even remotely resembling due process. No one is asked to prove their legality, no specific violations are documented, and no warnings given.

It is also easy to question the real effectiveness of the seizures when you consider that it is pretty easy to simply buy a new domain name and have your heinous copyright violating merchandise on the market again. Not to mention that over the course of these seizures no one has been prosecuted for any crime. If copyright violations are so dangerous why leave these criminals loose to menace free enterprise again?

Senator Ron Wyden(D-OR) is not a fan of the domain grabs and made his position clear in a letter to the Immigration and Custom Enforcement director John Morton. His letter said in part,”In contrast to ordinary copyright litigation, the domain name seizure process does not appear to give targeted websites an opportunity to defend themselves before sanctions are imposed. As you know, there is an active and contentious legal debate about when a website may be held liable for infringing activities by its users. I worry that domain name seizures could function as a means for end-running the normal legal process in order to target websites that may prevail in full court. The new enforcement approach used by Operation In Our Sites is alarmingly unprecedented in the breadth of its potential reach.”

One of the domain seized in the great pirated sport broadcasts mentioned above was a site called Rojadirecta.com. A site operated out of Spain and determined legal under Spanish law. SO some questions could be raised over US agencies feeling that they need not consider the legal precedents and concerns of other nations.

Back in May 2011, the Department of Homeland Security demanded that Mozilla, maker of the very popular Firefox web browser, to do away with an add on that would redirect users attempting to visit a seized domain to others hosted outside the US and thus more difficult to shut down. Mozilla refused and the issue is still pending.

While copyright enforcement is an important issue to copyright holders and they are certainly within their rights to bring suit and seek legal remedies, I have to question the expenditure of governmental monies and potential constitutional violations as being an appropriate price to pay to pursue what are low threat crimes and seemingly civil matters.