New Collabs

• Dairy Boy by Hanes, at Target only: Dairy Boy gets to test its product at Target, expose a larger audience to their brand, and Target will enjoy the rabid fandom of and the Dairy Boy brand as well as the almost 1.8 million followers on Instagram between Paige Paul and DB. On November 14, Dairy Boy x Hanes arrives at over 1,200 Target stores and Target.com. It’s Dairy Boy’s first national wholesale deal. Most pieces are under $25 for a brand that currently has pajamas for $98 on the Dairy Boy website. Paige Paul was creative director for this campaign and stars in the imagery. All part of Target’s holiday campaign, including a Times Square billboard. On 11/14 you can shop the collection here. (P.S. I’ve seen reports from a few recent collabs arriving early on Target floors. Maybe a visit a day or two before and you might get lucky.)

• LoveShackFancy x Hunter Boots: A new collab from the two repeat collaborators. I’ve added to the LoveShackFancy collab tracker that I’ve been updating since this summer. These styles are more winter focused for après ski. Think furry moon boots for kids and women.

• Pink x Stoney Clover Lane: Pink, often considered Victoria’s Secret’s little sister brand, has a collab with the personalized pouch patch and accessories brand Stoney Clover Lane. SCL has also recently collabed with Gen Z favorite sweatshirt brand Parke. While I was on the Pink site searching for the collab I also noticed that Ugg is available to buy here. Interesting that Ugg wholesales to Pink but smart for both brands.

• Halfdays x Guest in Residence: Gigi Hadid’s ski collab launched this week with Halfdays. Many of the styles are already low stock or out of stock (this is my reminder that we don’t know how much inventory there actually was…) but the collection is filled with interesting Fair Isle prints and a few sizes of the pink ski bibs are left.

• Western boot brand Partlow collabed with Le Bon Shoppe on cashmere-blend socks, on preorder. A collab between two brands on an affinity SKU timed well for boot season.

New Launches

• &Daughter’s new “Forever Sweater” campaign spotlights the knitwear basics including the polos, crews, cardigans and chore jackets, made at family-run mills in Scotland and Ireland. The film was shot on 35mm and shows women doing stunts in their sweaters. The Torin Polo is a colorful new style and I can speak to the Ada cardigan. I bought it last winter and love. I do clean it with this comb** or this sweater de-piller (both make a great stocking stuffers or a gift.)

• Posse’s new resort delivery: All set for holiday parties, special pieces at prices that feel very approachable. Velvet for holiday and linen for winter travel. I wrote about pouches on Tuesday and this velvet version is an easy and well priced option for this holiday season. I added all of them to the Pouch Party in ShopMy here. If you are kicking yourself for missing out on Kallmeyer’s gorgeous gold jacket, don’t let the Posse version slip by too.

• New delivery from Donni: You likely saw the suede bags from Donni recently in your Instagram feed as they gifted them at a recent spring preview (catch up with ’s coverage) the small size in navy is still in stock and the medium in camel. If you are looking for a heavier weight of the cotton pop pants try the cotton velveteen cargos and I love the Donni cotton sweaters. They hold up so well and the weight is great to wear year round. I typically size down one in the Donni sweaters, especially if you are petite.

• Leset items on my wish list: Leset’s new delivery is also on the site and I have my eyes on these joggers. I’d wear on the weekend to kids sports as an alternative to jeans. And these pants sound like a heavier alternative to the beloved Kyoto pants. The Chloe pants are in a heavier “denim like” canvas material. And if my t-shirt drawer wasn’t out of control already (with plenty of Leset Margo t-shirts) I would order the white and grey versions in long and short sleeve of the new Julien knit. I think you need long and short sleeve in the Julien to layer together.

• I just bought the Flame Trap Pumps from Jamie Haller this summer so I don’t need another red kitten heel from JH, but boy am I tempted! These tomato suede Trap Pumps are so good. They need to be someone’s holiday shoe. Please send pics if you wear.

Forecasting

Half-zip or quarter-zip. Whatever you call it, we knew it was coming after we saw this walk down the Chanel subway runway and last year’s viral men’s trend.

Let’s play Good — Better — Best pricing:

• Best: Vestiaire has the Chanel Pre Fall version.

• Best: &Daughter ribbed Rowan merino wool in three colors looks so yummy.

• Better: I tried the Wyatt from La Ligne on and love it. If there was room in my sweater drawer I’d hit purchase.

• Better: Jenni Kayne’s Cashmere ribbed* is under $500 for a full cashmere option. I bought this Jenni Kayne quarter-zip (Good via resale) in 2020 and I still wear it and love it. I’m also laughing at this description on Poshmark “Jenni Kanye Black Boucle Half Zip Sweater Quiet Luxury Neutral Normcore Small”.

• Good: Alex Mill’s $198 for cotton cashmere in red, navy, heather blue and cornsilk is at an accessible price point for this item. Note it is only 5 percent cashmere but I like that it is paired with cotton and not polyester for that retail.

• Good: But also at $198 is the Aritzia 100 percent cashmere version, it comes in six solids and a stripe.

New Store Openings & Pop-Ups

• Jamie Haller is opening a studio shop in Echo Park, LA. Opens November 18 in a small house in the neighborhood where she started the business shipping orders from her garage. It’ll carry experimental concept pieces and shoes, plus curated home goods and art. I visited her boutique at The Post Montecito this summer and I’m just so glad she is opening more retail outposts. I’ll keep begging for more.

• Leset is opening on Sunset Plaza in L.A. today (Thursday). I hear there is parking. And according to British GQ the brand is for both men and women (thanks to Harry Styles and Jeremy Allen White for Lesetting the trend for men wearing the Leset t-shirts).

Who’s Shopping the Vette Shops

I spotted a new Vette shop from : Roops101. Patel was the Fashion Director at Saks Fifth Avenue for ten years prior to leaving in February. She has excellent taste and a great eye for talent. Her background makes her a superb fit for opening her own boutique or creating content around fashion and style, all this makes sense for why she would be tapped to open an online boutique. Vette is doing a great job of identifying talent for the boutiques where they manage the back-end. But I still have some lingering questions regarding traffic to the individual Vette sites and I also have ’s newest DM feature on my mind. Let’s dig into all of this.

New to Vette? It’s Condé Nast’s creator-commerce platform. Vette is where creators curate the shop, Vette manages the checkout plus the back-end and creative support, and the brands drop-ship the merchandise. My full deep dives are here (insights from the first three Vette shops that launched) and here (details on the commission and why influencers would launch a Vette shop).

Read more

In this send: Free People’s Q4 revenue is a lower percentage of the total year than other brands. How does this play out for the retailer and what does gift-giving season look like without heavy promotions? Plus: Brock Collection, Aurora James, NikeSkims Waffle Racer, Swan Sack, Savette on sale, Singles Day, Ralph Lauren, Coach, Husbands, and what can David Schwimmer’s Dream Sweater do for Quince?

Fresh Receipts

• Brock is back at Moda Operandi and Aurora James recently wore at the CFDA.

  The brand was beloved for their special pieces, evening wear, and filled the gap for women looking for delicate and feminine prints and details. From Mark Rofsky, Moda Operandi’s VP of Buying for Ready to Wear:

  “We were the first to see the re-launch and immediately upon seeing the collection we negotiated securing it as an exclusive for Moda. We know we have an established client for the brand, and we see they continue to search for it on the site, even with Brock Collection no longer in existence. Brock is at a more contemporary price positioning, allowing a wider client base to buy into the brand. Knowing our client and what worked so well in the past, we also worked with the brand on additional product developments for this first drop.

  The performance doubled our expectations for launch week, landing in our top 5 brand performances for last week! We are working quickly on a restock to continue the momentum. We have SS27 drop, also exclusive to Moda, launching in January, and we will also exclusively start to Trunkshow the brand thereafter.”

  

• New Parker Thatch handbags including this fun Zebra tote with cobalt straps.

• Margaux released their party shoe edit. Jewel tones, satins, and velvets. The Vesper has a 1.5 inch wedge heel in satin, the Colette is a pointy toe slingback pump with a 2.5 inch heel, the Billie Derby is a square toe lace-up flat in a velvet, the Fonteyn reimagines the popular ballet flat in velvet, and the Alba is a pointy toe flat in suede and satin.

• NikeSkims is launching the Waffle Racer today. Considering how quickly the Jacquemus x Nike Moon Shoe sold, I expect this to be sold out the second the bots grab them at launch.

• Wow! Nour Hammour’s leather midi dress. And we are circling back to leather skirts, Nili Lotan’s is fantastic.

• Not to pit brands against each other, but here is a This or That. Phoebe Philo loafer with a little detail or Tory Burch loafer with a little detail?

• Emme Parsons hit 10 years of business (congrats!) and the holiday collection is out now. Check out these kitten heel sparklers with basically a brooch attached, the same style kitten heel but in a leopard calf hair, the high-stretch tall boot, and a western low-heel bootie that would look great with denim.

• While at Hero Shop I tried on the High Sport corduroy pants, and I’m afraid to say, they are pretty fantastic. They are absolutely way too long on me but this style you can actually hem. They are wide leg and so comfortable. An excellent choice for a cooler fall/winter pant.

Forecasting: A silly little pouch explosion

It was really in late spring and over the summer, during Q2, that we saw the drawstring pouch taking off. Prada’s Wish Pouch led the pack — in both nylon ($875) and silk duchesse ($1,320). But the shoe-dust-bag-as-a-handbag has been making the rounds. See also: Loewe, Isabel Marant, La Double J’s version is even named “dustbag”, Etro bandana print at Evereve, and Ganni. I often think of these bags as the casual version of Loewe’s Flamenco too, especially in the canvas material. (Also, have you seen this. Lol. A++ song choice too.)

So over the weekend when I spotted Catbird marketing their new Swan Sack (also available in Ghost Rose and black) it was like a little light bulb 💡 went off in my fashion spiral 🌀. Here is a jewelry brand basically doing branded merch around a pouch. They could have just done a small jewelry pouch but here they wanted to crossover into the handbag territory. We will also see lots of fancy personalized dust bags/lingerie bags in gift guides this season. (I’m not mad at it, I get the trend. And I’m sure I’ll be guilty of it too.) Maybe also just use these for gift wrapping too.

Lizzie Fortunato also has beaded versions of this pouch, another accessories brand mostly known for their jewelry. But they have plenty of great handbags for dress-up. Their mother of pearl version here.

The Porto leather version also helped usher in this trend of cinch handbags.

Feeling Gift-y

You can find all gift guides this season here including: Gifts for the Jewelry Obsessed (that aren’t jewelry), Everyday Luxuries, Personalized Gifts, and plan your Holiday PJs now.

• Inspired by my deep dive into Free People’s Q4 (see below), here is a little teen focused Free People gift round up:

  • The cozy pajama pants I was told everyone needs. Super soft.

  • Other popular PJs: the On Repeat pants, the oversized pj shirt, a henley you can always layer with, and top it all off with the coat style of the season to wear over the pajamas or anything else.

  • Free People has upped their shoe game and has exclusive colors of the Birkenstock Wrapped Amsterdam Clog. This is my favorite indoor to outdoor shoe. I keep a similar pair in my front closet for when I need to run outside. You might as well throw in some socks too.

  • A $30 triangle scarf that would fit in the “Good” section of the Good — Better — Best pricing matrix for triangle scarves. Or a $38 bandana print.

  • A suede crossbody slouchy handbag for just under $100.

  • 100% cashmere sweater that looks as cozy as a vintage sweatshirt.

  • The teens love a value set, and this travel pouch has a bunch of great products in it including Salt & Stone body wash and Manicurist Active Glow.

  • Free People and FP movement are separate brands now, but I’m still including this fleece from FP movement because last year I gave it to my daughter and it helped me win Hanukkah gifting.

• It is gift guide season and there is always heated debate around the content. I absolutely love how laid out the case. Also, people love the content which is why creators and the media return to the format year after year.

• published her gift guide and warning, it is drool worthy! She took such an original approach and I love all the items, the way she laid out the grids, and the personalities for each. But I bet a lot of readers will admit to having multiple personalities and wanting everything. Read (and open all the links) here.

Sales Alert

• Savette: I recently did a Label Check on the brand and I’m a huge fan of her handbag designs from structured to slouchy. The brand currently has an end of season sale that is worth checking out. I’ve owned mine for a year and still carry it all the time.

• Alo: Singles Day is November 11th (11/11 is a massive shopping day in China and bigger than Black Friday — it celebrates people who aren’t paired up) and Alo is holding a 30 percent off event but you have to be a member to shop it. They are using this as an acquisition strategy.

• Poshmark: Currently Poshmark is running a $0.99 shipping promotion for a limited time only. If you are looking for little handbags here are a few I found: vintage beaded bag, Loewe striped pouch, a black beaded clutch, and who remembers Le Sac handbags? The crochet bags. I keep wondering if they will be making a comeback.

Free People’s Anti-Holiday Focus

Winning Q4 is important, but is it really that important? American Eagle does 32 percent of its annual sales between November and January and Abercrombie isn’t too far behind with nearly 32 percent. Free People is much less reliant on Q4 and has a more balanced business year round. And that number hasn’t moved much over the past four years. Even their sister brand, Anthropologie, also owned by Urban Outfitters, Inc., runs at around 30 percent.

I looked at quarterly earnings from the past few years, and Free People (one of the hottest Gen Z brands consistently over the years) really shies away from promotions beyond end of season markdowns. Behind the paywall let’s dig deeper into the brand and what Q4 looks like for them and compare their Q4 to other retailers.

Read more

Subscribe now

I’m opening a version of Label Check: Ossou up to everyone because you keep asking me about this brand.

In this send: A look at the brand Ossou — who is behind it and why you are seeing it everywhere. Which items to check out. Plus: Fforme, Erede, Hero Shop, , ShopMy, Jane Herman, the best seller — the Noon jean, baby barrel, Style Out, citron, and the trunk show I’d attend later this week. Enjoy!

I first went looking for Ossou during September channel checks, and it kept being sold out. I saw it on the designer floor at Bloomingdale’s and in Nordstrom’s expanded Edit section at The Grove. I went to try it on at Hero Shop, and my size was gone. I finally tracked down a pair to try on IRL at McMullen, right as their new delivery came in when was hosting at her new Maiden Lane store recently.

And it’s not just me. On , almost 250 creators have shared the Noon jean and more than 200 have shared the Drift (as of this week). That list includes , , , and denim expert , who all shared the Noon. These influencers try on a lot of products, and when they keep landing on the same jean, that tells you something.

So here’s everything you’d want to know about the brand we all seem to be talking about.

Who is behind Ossou?

Ossou comes from the team behind Fforme. Joey Laurenti is CEO of both brands. Nina Khosla, who grew up in Silicon Valley and studied at Stanford, founded Fforme in 2021 and is now co-creative director of Ossou. She shares the role with Talia Shuvalov, who grew up in Sydney in a fashion family, trained at Alexander McQueen and Parsons, and went on to lead creative direction across ready-to-wear, denim, accessories and jewelry at Alexander Wang. In 2023 she co-founded the fine jewelry brand Erede. (I think the Erede diamond pieces are epic. They feel vintage and new at the same time.)

The idea came from shopping, I mean don’t all the best ideas come from experiencing retail and finding the gaps? Nina and Joey travel a lot together (Fforme is produced in Italy), and they kept noticing the same gap: for a designer customer, denim usually meant one pair of jeans from each brand. Fforme’s jeans sold well at around $1,000. Ossou is the full denim wardrobe (plus more) at a more approachable price. Joey told me he’d been turning the idea over for about a decade before the right pieces came together. The design is all in-house. They don’t employ a denim consultant or expert to handle this business.

When did Ossou launch?
June 2025, online first. Wholesale followed in October 2025, and the brand is now in about 75 stores worldwide. It sits alongside other designers. At McMullen I saw it mixed in with Phoebe Philo, Proenza Schouler, and Heirlome. At Bloomingdale’s 59th Street it was adjacent to Dries Van Noten. At Nordstrom it sits alongside other The Edit brands like Jamie Haller, Lisa Yang, High Sport, and Kallmeyer. Of course placement on the floor is always changing and moving around but this helps get an indication of positioning.

Where is Ossou made?
In Los Angeles, from Japanese denim.

How does Ossou fit?
Here are the four styles to know:

• The Noon: the core fit, high-rise and straight. It’s also the most shared, with almost 250 creators linking it on .

• The Drift: the cropped version of the Noon, shared by more than 200 creators. I’m 5’2” (aka petite), and the Drift hit exactly where it should, even with flats. I took my regular size and the fit was great. If you usually have to hem everything, start here.

Tip: Noon vs. Drift: same fit, but the Drift is cropped.

• The Rider: I’d call it a baby barrel. The leg has a slight arc so you aren’t going full horseshoe effect. If you’ve wanted to try a barrel-leg but find most too extreme this is your starter pair.

• The Jane: the bi-color jean you’ve seen all over your feed. It patches together indigo with brown shades, and it sells out fast. In my Style Out sends and when I attend actual Style Outs, I refer to styles like this as the “editorial” option. It will be picked up in the press and advertising. It gets your attention. What is interesting about their editorial style is it keeps selling out. Granted I don’t know how many pairs are produced so it could just be tighter inventory, but I also think here shoppers are looking for something interesting and different. Also, if you’re having trouble tracking down your size check out Moda Operandi where they have some available for pre-order.

How much does Ossou cost?
Most of the denim is $395 - $550 with the bulk at the $495 price point. Colored denim costs a little more than indigo because it’s yarn-dyed, which means it fades and wears in the way indigo does.

What makes Ossou different?
It’s in the details, and it’s easy to miss them if you aren’t inspecting up close or trying on in-person:

• The jeans are cut using trouser pattern-making and finished cleanly inside, so they still look neat when you cuff them.

• The shank button was designed with industrial designer David Caon. It’s two metals with a thumbprint detail, and it feels like jewelry. You almost don’t want to cover it with a belt. I’ve seen this detail in other denim like Khaite’s heritage styles and Rùadh’s denim.

• Asymmetrical bar tacks, raindrop rivets and mixed-metal zippers. Yes! Mixed-metal zippers are a thing.

• The name comes from the word for bone: the structure underneath everything.

Does Ossou only make denim?
NO! Although this is what I’ve seen shared the most. The brand approaches knitwear the way it approaches denim: as a material to build a whole wardrobe from, not just a sweater for when it’s cold. The knits are natural fibers, and they’re designed to do the job of a jacket or a base layer as much as a sweater. We’ve often seen knitwear brands add denim because they want the bottoms to style with the sweaters. La Ligne did this. Now we can see the opposite, knitwear that helps grow the denim brand. Three styles worth knowing — aka where to start if you want to explore the knitwear:

• The Jonas pullover is a fun double-layer look without the bulk. It ties together two colors, or a neutral and an interesting shade like citron.

• The Lana cardigan another double-layer style.

• The Halo top is a halter-neck and cowl-neck combo. I would consider this your interesting going out top. Not a basic or boring knit piece.

Citron has been showing up a lot in their collection this season. In outerwear too.

Does Ossou make outerwear?

• A citron velvet robe style coat where “the coat is the outfit”

• The Marrenne Coat is a trench that’s non-traditional but still classic. And another double layer look from the brand. This seems to be a way the brand keeps adding and showing value to the consumer.

• Ossou’s take on the barn jacket has a belt to cinch the waist and leather details.

• A denim jacket with a curved hem, all the better to show off the back side of the Ossou jeans.

• Leather and wovens are coming next…stay tuned.

Where can you buy Ossou:
Online at Ossou, Net-a-Porter, and Moda Operandi. In stores at Bloomingdale’s (and online), Nordstrom’s Edit, McMullen, Hero Shop, Elyse Walker, Jeffrey and Absolutely Fabrics in Toronto.

Try it on this week in NYC:
Erede, Fforme and Ossou are hosting a trunk show this Thursday and Friday, November 12 and 13, by appointment. RSVP to appointments@eredeofficial.com. Denim is a try-on category, so if you’ve been considering Ossou or curious about the brand and fit, this is your chance.

Where to find more insights:
This is the free version. Paid subscribers already read the full merchant read on Ossou in Issue 73. What’s working, how it doesn’t cannibalize Fforme being at a lower price point, and what I’d watch as a merchant as the brand continues to grow. Every week, paid subscribers get a deeper dive with the numbers behind it and merchant takes from my 25 plus years of retail experience. That same issue had my take on the collab between Tecovas x Anine Bing and what brands actually pay for that Allure Best of Beauty badge.

Subscribe now

Have you tried Ossou yet? Which styles are your favorites? Tell me in the comments.

Leave a comment

Made just for you — always. See you Tuesday.

xx, Sarah Shapiro

Private Label Issue 76

❤️ If you enjoyed this newsletter please click the like button at the bottom of this post so others can discover it.

📧 Maybe even share with someone else who would enjoy.

Share

📱Find me on Instagram

💬 If you are on the Substack app or platform join the chat and I’m happy to respond to any questions in the chat or comments here.

Have a question, comment, tip, the inside scoop, or ever want to reach me directly — email me at sarah@privatelabel.ltd

Thanks for reading Private Label!

Private Label by Sarah Shapiro is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Quick note: some links here are affiliate links — I may earn a small commission if you shop through them, at no cost to you. It helps keep this newsletter going. Gifted items are marked with an *. All opinions are my own, and everything I share, I’d tell my best friend about and probably already have.

**Amazon affiliate link

Over the weekend my social media feed was filled with content around the Skims Accessories Advent calendar. Even though I’m not a big advent calendar consumer I’m very intrigued by the whole idea of them from a retail and merchandising POV. It has a few of my favorite retail angles:

• surprise and delight

• merchandising as marketing

• high margins (!!) — the cost to make the items it pretty low but can command a much higher price point/retail. This all drives profit

• acquiring new customers by driving trial

• loyalty for your most engaged shoppers

But somehow over the course of ten days Skims enraged a lot of customers. They sold out of a $148 advent calendar and watched people roast it on TikTok and Instagram. In the end they offered every single buyer a full refund or store credit. We’ve got a whole season worth of retail drama we can break down.

Read more

And are we loving the new L’Etiquette English edition?

In this send: How Savette’s Amy Zurek made a handbag you can spot across the room without a logo and how she honed her skills. Plus: the Met Gala’s jeans-and-t-shirt reset, two Bay Area-based brands with a 20 percent off sale, faux fur at Evereve, Princess Olympia’s night out with Moda Operandi, the Hanukkah countdown has begun, Jo Gordon scarves from my past, a leather jacket with enough pockets to replace your handbag, Birkenstock’s cozy clogs, and the coat trend with at least seven names.

Savette’s IYKYK Logo

A couple of years ago I became transfixed by Savette’s Symmetry clutches. The bags are beautiful, but what hooked me was the merchandising. It’s rare for a newer accessories brand to be recognizable with no logo on it. With Savette, the clasp and the shape give it away if you know what to look for. IYKYK. I’ve continued to watch the brand and while I first fell in love with the clutches it felt like this year the brand had an explosion of building out so many more shapes for daytime use. Earlier this week I spoke to founder and creative director Amy Zurek about Savette.

Read more

In this send: Ossou is the denim everyone seems to be trying and linking to. I tried on a few pairs, and reached out to the founders to get the inside scoop. Did you know it is from the people behind Fforme? Plus: Aviator Nation goes courtside, Kujten takes a trip to Brazil, denim board pants, Goop’s Red Lip Edit, striped pants on Mott Street, Leset spotted on Madison, Tecovas x Anine Bing, the Ossou jeans petites can wear, a citron velvet “coat is the outfit,” Martini Bear, Rhode breaks more Sephora records, and what that Allure Best of Beauty badge could cost a brand.

New Collabs

• Aviator Nation has continued their collabs with sports and universities. Aviator Nation x NBA collection with 6 teams and all made in the USA.

• Ouai and Heaven Mayhem collabed on a long necklace with a fragrance component. It is $125 and you fill it with the Ouai fragrance, or add whatever fragrance is your style/taste.

• I like it when brands with two different styles pair up. I think of Kujten as cashmere neutrals and bandana prints. Farm Rio is tropical brights. Kujten x Farm Rio puts Brazilian prints on cashmere.

• More knits, Amsterdam-based wool brand Clòimh (which means wool) launched a collab with Rixo. Fair Isle-heavy and easy knits to wear with Rixo’s popular coats.

• Later this week Parke x Stoney Clover Lane launches their next collab.

New Launches

• Comme Si launches knitwear! Even though they have excellent button-ups, I very much think of them for knitwear because of their socks.

• Lisa Yang, maker of some of the most elegant cashmere pieces (including this sweater and the cashmere barrel-leg pants), just launched a new collection that includes silk organza and cotton poplin for the first time.

• Made Some Sportswear, the board shorts and board pants you saw everywhere this summer, launched denim. I asked Madelyn Somers, the founder, about the launch and she told me the denim is 100 percent cotton and made in Turkey. It takes the signature surf pant silhouette and translates it into denim. New fabrications for the brand, like wool, leather and more denim, coming soon too.

• In 2024 Soeur launched a men’s capsule. They’ve returned with the collection annually. Frère, the men’s section, is back at select locations and online.

Sale Season & Feeling Gift-y

• If you are shopping the Sephora sale, perhaps take a peek at all the new Holiday Beauty launches I’ve been tracking. Sephora has the Hourglass Palette with the packaging designed by Lauren Rubinski (owner of Rubirosa in Paris and jewelry designer) and you can stock up on super moisturizing facial moisturizer* ahead of the temps dropping.

• There is also a 60 percent off sale at Organic Basics. I like and wear this oversized t-shirt*.

• Accessory brand Aureum Collective has also already launched their Black Friday Sale with 25 percent off everything.

• Goop’s Gift Guide is out, and while it might not pack the punch it first did, I did find something interesting. They are doing their own “curated” beauty kits. Very similar to how Sephora will package multiple brands together in gift/value sets (this example is $140 value for $45). There is the Red Lip Edit with a Fara Homidi lip pencil, Westman Atelier lipstick (I have and wear this exact color as a statement lip), and an Ilia gloss. There seems to be no bundling discount and there is already a waitlist. It might be that they are manually having to pull over the inventory so they don’t oversell from the eaches that they own. It’s like having two different product pages for the same items. Another example (also appearing already “sold-out”) is their all-stars skin edit at over $1,000 with a few Goop items in there too. Other Goop gift guide thoughts:

  • The Louis Abel necklace gave me a four’s-a-real-trend moment for comb necklaces. See J.Crew, Parker Thatch, and The Row.

  • Esha Soni x Furtuna Skin kit was interesting because I love the Esha Soni accessories and like seeing the brand used as an elevated GWP1.

  • Blinged out Oura ring covers (remember, Paltrow is an investor in Oura). And overall none of the wellness items feel so fringe anymore because of the whole industry explosion.

• And all my Gift Guides for Holiday 2026 can be found here.

• asked an excellent question:

My response: This is a great point! Why use the term Black Friday when it is almost a month before! My thoughts: 1) for SEO/search because people search for that and they might run another BF sale again during actual BF [People will search “Black Friday Sale” when they are looking for the best deals.] 2) shoppers understand and expect that to be the big sale 3) encourages bigger shopping hauls. Any other reasons why brands are calling early November sales “Black Friday” when Black Friday doesn’t happen until November 27th this year?

Leave a comment

Read my full Retail 101 on Q4/Holiday Shopping Season (for shoppers and retailers) here:

New Store Openings & Pop-Ups

• Another data point about the strength of the travel industry — By Malene Birger opens in the Copenhagen Airport. Oh, this jacket is nice! Totally my style.

• The T/shirt Shoppe opened on the Upper East Side in NYC, they have a location in New Jersey and Brooklyn. The only reason this store is on my radar is because multiple brands that have t-shirts you love to wear have mentioned that they do major business for their brands and move a lot of product and have a great eye for what their shopper likes. Worth checking out.

• Completedworks is opening a boutique on Chiltern Street in London. If you aren’t familiar with the brand, they have unique jewelry that mixes materials and shapes — everything seems slightly “off” in a really interesting way. Mismatched earrings, CZ organic shaped dangly earrings, and a necklace with the pearl and CZ combo.

• Bloomingdale’s opened a small format store just for men. Bloomies Men’s in Shrewsbury, NJ.

• Soeur opened two stores in Switzerland. Hoi Geneva.

• Leset has been spotted on the Upper East Side (this makes me sound like Gossip Girl, I’m not as snarky). 79th and Madison. Word on the street is it will be opening this spring. xoxo, Retail Girl

• Oner Active opens November 7th at 0 Bond Street in NYC. 4,700 square feet of activewear.

• Mark the Tailor just opened their first boutique less than a mile from the original Mark the Tailor location (one of the founder’s Grandfathers was a tailor in Boston). Along with their own clothing (including a collab with ) the location will also sell shoes by a variety of brands and home items. 250 Newbury Street.

A Collab Deep Dive: Tecovas x Anine Bing

When I heard that Tecovas and Anine Bing were doing a collab I had a few questions. I always have questions. For Anine Bing I was curious why a brand that already had a shoe collection needed to partner with Tecovas for Western boots. And for Tecovas, they have already proven they can launch their own ready-to-wear categories. What does Anine Bing bring the brand?

The collection: two boots, two belts, two cowboy hats. (A two-step, if you will.) It will be available to shop online at both brands as well as in limited boutiques: Tecovas in SoHo and Austin, and 16 of Anine Bing boutiques.

Anine Bing has the style and international reach. Boots were part of Anine Bing’s early launch and have always been part of the DNA which also includes t-shirts, sweatshirts, blazers and studded boots. Today the biggest categories for the brand are denim, t-shirts, sweatshirts and blazers. I spoke with Liam McKessar, the Chief Marketing Officer, and he talked to me about the limits of the brand: “We’re not at the size of a Kering or LVMH brand, and we’re certainly not resourced and staffed in the same way.” McKessar said the team considered where they had more authority and who else they could partner with to bring more. Since Western boots weren’t in the mix yet they chose to find the right partner in Tecovas. Next year is also Anine Bing’s 15th Anniversary. This partnership will hopefully help acquire more customers to go into the big anniversary with.

Behind the paywall: more details on the collaboration between Tecovas and Anine Bing plus my merchant POV. A Label Check on Ossou, the brand all the fashion insiders are shopping (for good reason). The brand launched in June 2025 and already has 75 wholesale accounts. The hero styles from the brand include: the Noon, the Drift, the Rider, and the Jane.

Read more

In this send: Alexa Buckley and Sarah Pierson from Margaux tell me all about their boot season — from the planning and execution to how they’ll decide what comes next. Plus: tassel belts and cummerbunds, Wonder Woman wrist cuffs, the Kitty Point in a new shade, a 100 percent wool Rollneck™, the tiniest Rothy’s, jeweled gifts for the jewelry obsessive, Manolo Blahnik invites you to try on Chan Luu, Indress, and Mariah Carey, defrosted by Gucci.

Fresh Receipts

There are so many new collabs! But I’ll be holding those for the Thursday Deep Dive. See you then. You are a subscriber, yes?

Subscribe now

• Kallmeyer exclusives arrived at Net-a-Porter and the pieces are so elegant and holiday-ready. I’m also always impressed with the price-value equation for the brand. The items worth taking a look at: an on-trend, vintage-inspired ornate jacket, tassel belts everywhere keep selling out — so don’t wait if you want this one, the “velvet jacket is the top” with more sizes coming soon, and this evening-ready top with the cummerbund basically attached. For a more demure look, wear a blazer over it.

• New from Don’t Let Disco, the Alma Cuff is designed to look like the open collar of a dress shirt. I think one on each wrist would give Wonder Woman vibes in the best way.

• Holiday arrived at TWP! The collection includes a cummerbund, if you want to try the trend, start here. (Remember, we’ve been tracking the cummerbund trend this season.)

• Jamie Haller — be still my heart. Great pieces for holiday travel, when I want to look nice and be comfortable:

  • the Slim Track Pants are already sold out in grey, but still available in black.

  • the Daily Sweatshirt has a tailored, almost slim fit. Or go for extreme puff sleeves. And a Henley Sweater! So many excellent tops.

  • the Kitty Point Heel is like a flat with just the tiniest lift. I own it and love it. Now in a fun chartreuse.

  • if you’re a size 36 grab these High Vamp Ballet Flats in pewter. Most sizes still left in canary, pretty bird.

• J.Crew launched a new Rollneck™. I wasn’t very positive about the tiny Rollneck™ (it didn’t feel like J.Crew had this customer, and it wasn’t expansive enough to bring a new shopper in and keep her). But I do think the wool Rollneck™ is an investment that could work. It is priced $128-$178. Pros: same style that shoppers love but an upgraded material (100 percent wool) and higher price point. The shopper who loved the 100 percent cotton Rollneck™ in 1988 might be excited for this addition. Cons: you are trading the customer up or down — you aren’t giving her a reason to add another to cart. Perhaps changing the name of the 2025 Rollneck™ to the “Vintage cotton Rollneck™” would help by keeping it consistent and clear what the different materials are. I wonder: could they edit this assortment a little to make it easier to shop? It is starting to feel a little assorted.

• Parker Thatch added zebra hair calf to the Arc bag. It’s a nice sized crossbody with a curved shape (not tiny, not massive: it won’t hold a laptop, but it fits a Kindle or iPad).

• Soldout.nyc launched the Everything Shirt in a black-and-white plaid. I suggest ordering your regular size if you like oversized, otherwise size down one.

• With Nothing Underneath launched a boiled wool jacket and it is such a classic. It works with everything and is the lighter-weight jacket to start the season. More new arrivals, like trousers, blazers, and sweaters from WNU here.

• Adorable! The tiniest pair of Rothy’s. For babies. If you’re ordering those, throw in the Teddy Slippers (and the men’s version) for the parents too.

• Rent the Runway added designer handbags, and honestly I’m just surprised it took this long. Vivrelle launched in 2018 as an option for borrowing designer/luxury accessories like handbags and jewelry and other rental players got there early too. RTR has always had an assortment of handbags but this doubles down on designer. With Nuuly as the in-demand rental platform of late I’m curious whether the customer to go after wants designer goods, or whether it’s a younger Gen Z shopper looking for everyday looks.

Feeling Gift-y

You can find all my Private Label Gift Guides in my ShopMy. I’ll keep highlighting different ideas here in each send.

• J.Crew’s alternative to the triangle scarf is the tie-on collar. Here is the full Good — Better — Best pricing guide. So many brands have triangle scarves this year. Over 50 (and counting). I ranked by pricing, with the material and composition factored in. Expect triangle scarves to be massed out for gifting this holiday season. My breakdown of why we are seeing everywhere and why this is a bigger item this year:

• Today’s new gift guide: what to get the jewelry obsessive, without actually gifting jewelry. It is tricky to give someone an item they collect and love and that’s where affinity SKUs come in. An affinity SKU in retail is an item that goes with another item without being the same thing. They are more likely to be purchased together. Think milk & cookies. Coat & gloves. Loafers & socks. The full Gift Guide for Jewelry Obsessives (that isn’t jewelry).

Sales Alert

• To encourage early shopping for personalized and custom gifts, Bauble Bar is running its 25 percent off customization sale now. For the schlepper, for the teen and all her besties, for the littles, and for the tweens.

• Another great tween and teen pick, Electric Picks, has an early Black Friday sale of 25 percent off plus a GWP1 of hoop earrings. Keep the earrings for yourself or stash them away for another gift.

Margaux’s Boot Playbook

Let’s break down the strategy for expanding a category.

When I spoke to Sarah Pierson and Alexa Buckley, co-founders and co-CEOs of Margaux, about their boot season bet this year, I really appreciated how they approached it. They routinely have had both flats and sandals in the ShopMy x Line Sheet top 10. Their goal this season was to have the boot category stand-alone just like their flats do. For fall 2026 they have 16 boot styles, up from 7 last year. Boot sales are planned up 109 percent. The goal is for boots to be over a quarter of their business. Pierson and Buckley see it as a test: “We’re treating this as a learning season more than a selling season,” Pierson told me. The real prize will come in the 2027 boot season.

Boot Highlights:

• Downtown Boot in chocolate suede — last fall’s best seller

• West Chelsea — top style and leading in sales. Cocoa suede. #1 in NYC, Chicago, Dallas.

• Phoebe Boot — inspired by the best selling Phoebe Flat. #1 in L.A. (molasses suede) and Marin (black calf)

• What’s new and worth checking out: Wells Shearling Cuff Boot. And later this season, the Augusta Glove Boot (not out yet, check the Augusta Pump instead).

Here’s how the brand that has owned one category goes after the next.

Read more

For today’s send we are playing catch-up. As soon as I hit publish at 2 or 3 am and finally go to bed inevitably something else pops up. A new bit of news that would have fit perfectly in the report, or a collab hitting on a Friday when I do a Thursday round-up, or my notes are just so long I miss an item I’ve been meaning to publish. Oops. It happens to the best of us. So let’s use this “holiday” weekend to clean the slate before we head into November and officially start retail Q4. Also, the NYC Marathon is the day after Halloween. Oh my! Good luck to all the runners and I can’t wait to see the signs cheering them on.

In this send: How much money does The RealReal make on shipping? It is a realreal profit. Plus: jelly rain boots, Valesque, spaghetti bags, Susan Alexandra x Anthropologie, Oy Vey, the nail kit that makes a smart holiday gift, Harry Styles t-shirt, Messy versus mes°, The Effortless Pant™, and where do you stand in the candy corn debate?

Open To Buy Shoppies

• Comme Si’s new tuxedo shirt arrived and would look great with silk pants for holiday.

• Have you noticed how Ancient Greek Sandals Iro jelly shoe pivoted to rain boots for fall? Smart. Check out the rain boots and the slip-ons.

• The price of designer pants keeps creeping up, but these do look comfortable. I feel like this style could be the winter cozy version of taffeta pants.

• Collab alert for the holidays, Susan Alexandra x Anthropologie. My personal favorite from the collection might be the Oy Vey pillow.

• If you are in San Francisco Sunday, Estella Vintage will be at Pickwick Vintage. You will need a ticket. This is the year to invest in a special coat and you always need one in San Francisco — year round!

• Celisse just launched a new Holiday Trio of nail polishes for the festive season and I added it to Private Label’s Holiday 2026 Beauty Tracker. I’ve also added their Bare Set (nail file, buffer, cuticle oil) to my Everyday Upgrades Holiday Gift Guide.

• These are great black patent ballet flats. And if I know anything it is a black patent flat.

• I own three different hand lotions from Soft Services. I love them. I’ve kept the Theraplush Xtra Milk on my desk, but now the brand launched Deskside Lumelo hand lotion, made for daytime. Do I need a fourth? And I guess we are talking about the items I keep buying more of because…

• Handbags to collect like candy: I kept thinking that the Valesque Spaghetti Bag in red would be very fun. Never mind that I already own it (and wear it daily) in black and navy. So when Emily Holt, owner of Hero Shop at Marin Country Mart, texted me the image of her latest delivery from the brand I bought it immediately. I also have the large tote in navy and use it as my work bag. It holds a laptop and more.

  I asked Emily how the brand has been doing and she told me that she sold the entire fall order minus one bag within two weeks of it arriving in late July. The delivery that is in stores now is part of the resort/holiday buy and they placed it in June before the first delivery even arrived in stores. They will likely sell out of this order just as fast. You’ve been warned. ( I blame you, in a good way, for my addiction.)

  • A few other finds: TRR has a black Valesque tote for $285 in very good condition. It lists the original retail as $450, but it actually retailed for $330.

  • Black velvet Spaghetti from Valesque

  • The blue and lime Spaghetti are also fun. The lime is exclusive to Net-a-porter.

• Currently I have 37 scarves in the Good — Better — Best Triangle Scarf guide. Every brand has them this year. I bet in the next two weeks this recap will have 50 different versions in it.

• Can we think of striped sweaters without thinking of the Gap? or ? Here’s a new multi-color thin stripe cardigan from Alex Mill. Mickey Drexler was the Gap’s CEO in 1999 when the Happy Stripe sweater was at the Gap…just saying. Alex Mill’s fair isle cardigan and sweaters are worth a peek too.

• I love a High Sport Holiday along with everyone else. I saw the Holiday collection at Hero Shop’s Trunk Show with High Sport and Alissa Zachary last week. Yes I love the pants and sweaters. But can I direct your attention to this fabulous slinky skirt?

• Be like Harry Styles and order this t-shirt.

Read more

Amy and Sherri shared stories of what it was like building businesses with partners that are really of a shared mindset. Sherri opened McMullen about 20 years ago and Tibi is about to celebrate 30 years. They have been together since McMullen launched and that is the kind of connection and long-term support you can really appreciate in the fashion industry when trends and businesses can change so quickly.

I also enjoyed meeting IRL and catching up with and talking shop. The McMullen team put on a really special event to highlight Amy Smilovic’s new book Almost Reckless.

In this send: A night at McMullen’s new San Francisco boutique with Tibi and the partnership behind it. Plus: how Sézane’s $90 fragrance compares to the competition, Farm Rio x Barbour, why Alo wants you to shop now, the trend that is up 315 percent on Poshmark searches, Hill House Home coats and collabs, where Revolve landed for their second location, ShopMy + sports, and I would love to do Happy Hour with Ina Garten.

New Collabs

• Adding to the Love Shack Fancy collab tracker (which after a bunch of summer collabs has seemed a little quiet). LSF x Kendra Scott. This is what the tweens will want for the holidays.

• Auralee x Tekla on their second collaboration. This is a collab to get you ready for cozy cocooning at home.

• Hill House Home x Williams-Sonoma is back for the holidays. They launched a Mahjong Set which is right on trend, very Nantucket inspired ornaments, holiday Nap aprons, get in the holiday spirit!

• Farm Rio x Barbour collab feels super directional. I’ve seen a lot of Barbour collabs like J.Crew, Tuckernuck (note, this is an earlier collab and no longer available), A.P.C. and this one feels so much more decorative and like Farm Rio really leaned in to their design language.

New Launches

• Just in time for prime holiday shopping season, Sézane has launched their first fragrance. Le Parfum Sézane. It is $90 for 100mL which is priced really well compared to:

  • $78 less than Marc Jacobs Perfect

  • $60 less than Kayali. As reported by Rachel Strugatz, Kayali is Sephora’s top-selling fragrance brand.

  • Dedcool is $90 but for only 50mL. So double the price.

  • $26 less than Glossier You

  • $35 less than another contemporary brand, Love Shack Fancy, 75mL for $125. If adjusted for the size, Sézane is actually $77 less than LSF.

• Lingua Franca put the Brunson celly on cashmere. 10 percent of sales from the collection go to the Second Round Foundation.

• The new caramel shade of the Trap kitten heel is a good one. I own two pairs of Jamie Haller kitten heels (the kitty and the trap) and love them both. Comfortable like a flat. The long front row seats of the TWP runway show was filled with women wearing Jamie Haller kitten heels. Perfect for the days you are running around and on your feet.

Sale Season

• Alo Yoga is offering an early Black Friday Sale. Let’s break this down:

  • First, early to get you to shop before everyone else goes on sale. Although many brands are doing this now too. But by going first/earlier they are hoping to get a greater share of the wallet. Less competition for where you will spend your money.

  • Next, if they do a sale again later you might buy gifts for someone else. This is the time to gift yourself.

  • Finally, the requirement is to join and be a member. The brand is also doing this to collect names and emails in their database. Grow acquisition and make it easier to market to their audience in the future.

• Therabody is having a beauty and wellness sale with up to 25 percent off. This is my rec — I own and love the TheraFace Depuffing Wand.

• The Sephora sale starts October 30th. This is the time to stock up on gifts and anything you want to try.

  • Gifts I recommend: I love gifting Merit to friends and my SIL. Ditto with Westman Atelier. For any teenager or babysitter I would give this. And my daughter would love this but she already has more lip balms than she will ever use.

  • What I love and suggest if you are looking for something to try: I really like the new Westman Atelier foundation*, and if you want something with a lighter touch try the Ilia skin tint*, this eye mask actually stays put, and an easy to apply lipstick I keep in my handbag.

Forecasting

This section for today’s send will be rounding-up the trends we’ve already spotted, and adding in what’s new. Honestly, being vulnerable here, but this is just a way for me to be productive about my own Type A and OCD tendencies. Everything gets organized.

• Vintage/Ornate inspired coats:

  • La Ligne’s duster is added to the mix.

  • Dôen launched their Holiday collection and these jackets fit the bill: the Lamont Coat sold out (keep an eye out for returns), the Lenon Coat is the more neutral option. Dôen also added a vintage inspired brooch to their assortment to add to any coat you already have.

  • Just how major is the coat this season? Well, Hill House Home went big with a coat collection. Can they own coats like they own The Nap Dress™? Last year the Clarisse was a top style, not just for HHH but across the ShopMy links, so there is history there. The key styles in the vintage and ornate inspired look have already sold out their preorders: the Annabel, the Kit. Still available: the Valerie, the Miriam and plenty more.

  • The full Forecast of this style coat is here.

  • Stats from Poshmark: searches for “brocade jacket” are up 315 percent and orders are up 129 percent year-over-year and for “fur trim jacket” orders are up 84 percent.

• Bitchy Leather Skirts: this is perhaps my favorite trend of late. Given the price point I apologize in advance, but here is one from The Row where I can almost feel the leather through the screen. And another one from Nour Hammour that I absolutely love — the waistband!

• Major Mahjong Moment: Westman Atelier created a Mahjong Set in their signature colors for the holidays. I did a report on the margin breakdowns of sets like this and why I think the Mahjong Set could be big for the holidays. And earlier this week Arma (check out their pony hair jackets and suede pants) partnered with to host a games night that included Mahjong. I expect we will see a lot more fancy mahjong parties this holiday season.

• Fancy (taffeta) pants: A new pair of taffeta pants has entered the chat. I continue to be intrigued and impressed with what Shopbop is doing with their private label business. Of course I need to see under the hood in terms of markdowns, inventory levels, margin, etc to get a real sense but the merchandise and the price points feel right. Shop all taffeta pants here.

• Billowy Balloon Bottoms: Balloon pants are still floating around. I was wondering if the colder temps would deflate this trend but it hasn’t yet. Jamie Haller has a new silk version available in a tomato red and black. Dôen also added an ivory silk and lace dressy version for the holidays. See the full recap of styles here.

• Good — Better — Best lessons: I found a new triangle scarf from Sézane and the price is “good” in the Good - Better - Best ladder BUT it is alpaca and not cashmere. Then, to further spiral I would likely put this other triangle scarf from Sézane into the “better” price point only because it is smaller in dimensions and priced slightly higher since it is in yak wool, so it is the mix of size and pricing that lands it there. Check out Me + Em for a better price point also in merino and yak.

Read more

🛍️ Q…

Read more

🛍️ Quick note: I write a lot (too much good stuff to share!) If you’re reading via email only, you may need to click through to the web version or read on the Substack app. I promise it will be worth it. 🛍️

Fresh Receipts

• Negative, the intimates and loungewear brand that is most known for their gauzy, ribbed, slightly sheer, lounge sets (track pants, henley — the two hero styles) is leveling up with more of a cashmere assortment. They have 7 new styles available in two colors. A charcoal and oatmeal in: polo, cardigan, jogger, beanie, triangle scarf (every brand will have this item this year. I started a Good — Better — Best tracker), socks and a lounge sock for a slouchier fit. A basic cashmere ‘fit will cost you $900 whereas the whipped ‘fit is around $333. But comparing this to other cashmere sets (this easily feels like the cashmere airplane outfit look) Suzie Kondi is $1520 (pants, sweater) and Kilte has a washable cashmere set for $635. Negative seems to be positioning themselves as the Better option in the rankings here. I expect to see these sets pushed for Holiday travel. Have at it.

• These by Malene Birger shearling mules are fancy, almost decadent! (And would be perfectly styled with a cashmere set.) Also a pair of Valentino shearling lined loafers. I’ve been tracking the trend of the shearling + leather combo, seeing shoes go from casual shearling slippers and Ugg style shoes to office appropriate and an everyday elegance. This pair of Ancient Greek Sandals is more of the casual Ugg style, and Tod’s designed an upgraded version of a shearling boot. Plus shearling lined desert boot for men. All this is recapped in the Forecast: Fancy Shearling Lined Shoes (see recap of the trend here too).

• For $975 you can buy the Suzie Kondi stripes Kismet sweater. Or spend $800 on the “vintage” Gap 1999 stripe sweater.

• This unique find is perfect for gift giving, especially if you have a real artist’s eye. Brigitte Tanaka organza bags with your own personalized designs.

• These Saint Laurent loafers shipped exclusively early to NAP but already sold out. More coming soon.

Sales Alert

Sunday I published my deep dive into Q4, specifically planning and organizing around Holiday 2026. The Retail 101 looks at where the holidays fall this year and where sales events are likely to pop. I mentioned that this year I think we will feel it even earlier and sure enough, pre-Halloween we’ve got the prices dropping.

A few sales to shop and see where the promotions are trending this fall/winter season.

• Shopbop: A 40 percent off assortment is available now for three days. Burgundy Liffner tote bag, EB Denim mid rise flare jeans, if you are looking for a faux fur jacket try this Stand coat before the cold even hits, or a more classic Favorite Daughter long coat, I’m a huge fan of the fit of Agolde and their denim rarely goes on sale in (almost) full size runs, the Alex Mill Chiltern Barn Coat, or a Reformation LBD for any holiday occasion.

• Naadam’s Friends & Family Sale: On sale now through October 29th. Women’s and Men’s cashmere is 25 percent off plus an additional 10 percent off for $300 or more.

• Friends of the brand: Ann Taylor is having a friends of (aka Friends & Family) sale with 30 percent off.

• A sale and a question for you: Veronica Beard has 25 percent off fall favorites which includes many new sweaters. After the Dezso Instagram Call-Out fall-out, Veronica Beard has removed all commenting from their social media. I want to know if you think that kind of backlash feels warranted?

• And get your cart ready: Sephora’s big savings event starts October 29th. I’ve got 5 promo codes for readers to enjoy a 20% off offer. The first five readers to comment requesting will get one. What’s in my Sephora cart? A new foundation brush, the lip gloss I like and I’m out of, and plenty of gift sets since that is what my daughter loves for gifts for herself and to give to friends. Stocking up my stash.

Lassoing a New Category

First we had preppy with rugby stripes, strands of pearls, and country club attire. Now whether it is in trend or not, many people always wear elements of this look. Western is that now. After seasons of mentioning western as a trend it just is. And not just in Texas. Last month Tecovas opened in Williamsburg in Brooklyn.

I spoke to Tecovas SVP of Brand Marketing, Samantha Fodrowski, about the Western Trend Category, how they have expanded deeper in their merchandising and outside of just the south and western parts of the United States. I also have a flicker of an idea of what could be the next trend that becomes a full-blown capital C Category based on what I’m seeing now. 🔮

Read more

What Merchants Already Know About Holiday 2026

Halloween is next weekend but the Q4 plans have been locked and loaded since July. At least. As soon as Holiday 2025 ended, retros (a critical look back at the season) kicked off. I’ve had CEOs, executives, founders and retail analysts messaging me asking what I’ve been seeing. Here is what I’ve noticed during Channel Checks:

• Christmas and Hanukkah decorations are already up. In some stores it feels like we skipped Halloween and fall and moved right to the main event — Thanksgiving through Christmas.

• Saks has had their Christmas trees and decor up for the past few weeks (at least at the 5th Avenue location where I spotted them). Paper Source has Hanukkah decorations front and center. I’ve seen plenty of Holiday jammies (see here, here and here).

• And retailer gift guides are in the website navigation. See J.Crew, Free People, Bloomingdale’s, Mytheresa and Moda Operandi as a few early birds. See below for an example of how adding the star icons to either side of “Gifts” and using a different color helps it to stand out.1

Private Label PSA

To keep everything organized this holiday season I’ll use this as Holiday Gift Guide central location (Gift Guides 2026). As the season progresses I will highlight Gift Guides and Trackers here. Currently we have:

• Private Label’s Holiday 2026 Beauty Tracker

• Holiday Jammies

• Private Label’s Retailer Gift Guides Tracker

• Private Label’s Holiday In Stock Gift Tracker

More to come! Any special requests?

Leave a comment

Calendar Planning

If you think (U.S.) Thanksgiving is always the last Thursday of November, and Christmas is always on the 25th of December, and New Year’s Eve is always December 31st and that’s the calendar, you would actually be wrong because the nuance is more than that. Sorry. Every year the calendar moves around — where the weekend falls in relation to Christmas, exactly how many days fall between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and how many weekends there are to shop.

Every year there are some quirks you need to highlight. Let’s look at 2026. Christmas and New Year’s Day both fall on a Friday. Cyber Monday is back in November. Hanukkah starts the first week of December (thankfully for my planning, it doesn’t fall in November like it did in 2021 and we are safe from that again until 2032). And the 2026 calendar is a match to one year no merchant can use as a comparison (more on that below).

Let’s walk through the calendar the way a merchant would and then you can also translate it for your own holiday shopping. This is the cheat sheet you should save and reference back to all season. One of my goals with Private Label is that retailers should understand customers better and customers should understand retailers better. I want us to all be on the same (digital) page.

The quick math: Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. That gives us 29 days from Thanksgiving to Christmas, just one more day than last year, with the same four Saturdays in between. This isn’t a “shortened Holiday season” year like 2024 but we’ve still got nuance.

Let’s look closer at the last few years:

In 2024 Thanksgiving fell on the latest possible date and we had five fewer selling days than 2023. An adjustment like that is something that retailers need to plan to make up in some form. Depending on revenue performance this is one reason we have seen Black Friday promos starting earlier. This year is pretty similar to 2025 in length. But every date shifted by a day, and that one day moves Cyber Monday back into November and Christmas onto a Friday. Another quirk to 2026, while it isn’t a Presidential election year, the mid-term elections with political ads and so much uncertainty around possible control of Congress adds even more complexity.2

The 2026 Dates Worth Noting

• Sat, Oct 31: Halloween. The Holiday floor set is already done at most stores.

• Tue, Nov 3: Election Day (midterms) Have you mailed your ballot or made a plan?

• Wed, Nov 11: Veterans Day, a popular “Pre Black Friday” sale date

• Thu, Nov 26: Thanksgiving

• Fri, Nov 27: Black Friday

• Sat, Nov 28: Small Business Saturday

• Mon, Nov 30: Cyber Monday

• Tue, Dec 1: Giving Tuesday

• Fri, Dec 4 to Sat, Dec 12: Hanukkah (begins at sundown on the 4th)

• Sat, Dec 19: Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas

• Thu, Dec 24: Christmas Eve

• Fri, Dec 25: Christmas

• Sat, Dec 26: Kwanzaa begins and the post-Christmas weekend kicks off

• Thu, Dec 31: New Year’s Eve

• Fri, Jan 1: New Year’s Day

What Merchants Know (and Are Planning Around)

Behind the paywall:

• My shopping tips for this holiday season — from someone with 25 years of experience in retail

• Hanukkah markdown timing and my personal shopping strategy

• The year 2026 mirrors, and why no retailer can use it as a comparison

• Retail nerding out with the 4-5-4 calendar (and why Cyber Monday throws off the monthly numbers)

Read more

In this send: How an emerging brand is handling the riots and looting in Paris. Plus: TIBAL, Disco M…

Read more

Then on Wednesday I visited Hero Shop at Marin Country Mart because I was so excited to see Alissa Zachary from High Sport at her Trunk Show there. She schlepped so many great items and there is nothing like trying on with the designer (plus getting feedback from Emily Holt too). I ended up buying the Louis Pants in black moire in a smaller size to get the sleek fitted look I’ve been after. I love my short kick pants and wear them every week — sometimes 2 or 3 times. The next pair on my list will be the Shane Pants when I want a more relaxed silhouette but I was also very into the black-on-black cosmic paisley print. I think the way for me to wear pattern is when it is black-on-black. Is that cheating? I also bought this polo sweater.

In this send: How retail will need to rebuild post looting in France. Plus: Victoria Beckham, Le Bon Marché is looking for new brands, POV Beauty, Silas Capital, WSJ’s Fashion Innovator of the Year, Lake Pajamas, Vuori, Cabo, same-day denim tailoring, Dwyane Wade, Kendall Jenner, Love Is Blind, and what drove September affiliate links.

New Collabs

• Gap x Victoria Beckham, round two: By now the press release is out and the collection hits Gap on October 23rd. What I found interesting about the rollout was that I first saw multiple creators sharing their own try-ons of the product at Gap locations (e.g., the 2 Folsom Street location, which is considered the corporate HQ lab store) well ahead of any official announcement or hint from Gap that another new collab with VB would be coming. In this case it felt jarring to see it from the creators first.

• MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon return for another collaboration.

• Clare V x The Dogist team up on a collection designed for dog walks.

New Launches

• Gabriella Khalil, the co-founder of Palm Heights and a creative director, is the latest influencer/creator to launch a Vette boutique: GK Curated. Reminder that Vette is powered by Vogue/Condé Nast and is their version of affiliate marketing. Vette helps build and design the individual shopping sites and handles the drop shipping. Creators earn a 20 percent commission. Previous reporting on Vette below and details on why influencers would choose Vette here.

• I’ve been enjoying Lizzie Fortunato’s Instagram content, especially when they have new product launches and show them off. The new charms are fantastic, like the candyland hook-on charms, daisy MOP (mother of pearl), or a pre-made charm necklace.

After the Looting Comes the Restock

Like many of you, I’m transfixed by the images coming out of the looting in France. And I’ve been asked for my thoughts. There’s a lot to talk about, from the anger behind the protests to luxury’s place in French life (and really, a global topic — the difference between the haves and the have-nots), and Vanessa Friedman gets into some of that in “In France, Raging Against the Luxury Machine” (gift link). Fabulous headline NYTimes. In today’s send I’ll stick to what I cover: retail.

Read more

The holidays are cropping up everywhere. It is officially Beauty Advent Calendar season. Websites are adding gift guides to their Homepages, and the countdown has begun.

In this send: Set Active founder takes to Instagram and Substack to share why they won’t be launching any new product for Black Friday this year and the possible $10 million impact to the brand. I break it all down with a merchant’s insights. Plus: velvet ballet flats, the new twinset (an ornate coat and a matching mini dress), taffeta easy pants, BFCM, SKU counts, Arket, and have you started holiday shopping yet?

Fresh Receipts

• Alex Mill launched a velvet ballet flat for $20 more than the leather version. Velvet retails for $248. The velvet comes in three colors, and the orchid and gold (really more of a chartreuse shade) are selling out in key sizes but the brown still has stock. It is interesting to me when the pop colors go first because it shows me that in certain styles shoppers really want something statement and fun. Or it could just be that the buyers aren’t going deep enough with the inventory.

• The Colleen Allen House Coat restocked, and then promptly sold out (almost) again. Another proof point of shoppers wanting/needing/loving a special statement piece even at higher price points. Or I should say, especially at higher price points. This is also why ornate items are doing well, and Conner Ives is in the conversation. Did you catch ’s piece in Feed Me yesterday? I loved this reporting.

• The new ornate twinset?: Staud coat plus a matching mini dress. Tuckernuck has a version too — car coat with a sheath. Or a Rixo maxi coat and matching trousers. Just make sure to execute more is more.

• The latest Dries Van Noten handbag to swoon over, and this one too. Don’t wait too long to consider purchasing because I’m sure you are bummed you missed out on this one. Or a Dries Van Noten cummerbund is another key ornate accessory.

• I added this Arma leather skirt to the Forecast: bitchy little skirts.

• Merit’s New Wave fragrance arrives this week.

• Banana Republic x Zankov collab has launched and my favorite items are the cozy, interesting striped sweaters. Interesting that BR went with two fall stripe-y collabs. Like BR executed with La Ligne, the Zankov collab was added to the navigation for the launch. (P.S. It’s worth looking at BR x La Ligne almost six weeks after launch. Too much inventory is left. Should have sold out faster. Not too fast, but they shouldn’t still own it now. My assumption is it didn’t sell to expectations, even though the hype and the marketing were well done.)

  

• A new Donni collection is launching today and their deliveries have been very consistent. This is Fall Part V.

• Another creative jewelry storage piece is launching for those of us who are organization-obsessed. Marla Aaron’s Some of the Things Box. I love the inspiration from a vintage sewing box. Reminder: the other original jewelry storage piece is this new Ariel Gordon Jewelry Trapper Keeper-like travel case.

• For their new drop, Coach’s Coachtopia went to where Gen Z-Alpha shop: Depop. Hundreds of vintage and sold out bags from the Coachtopia line.

• FYI: Shopbop’s Gift Guide is up.

• New holiday sets from Kiehl’s: a travel set, a gift with a refill, and there are great sets for boys and men looking for grooming products.

Forecasting

• All retailers and brands received the message that at the $118 - $250 price point, taffeta pants sell. And taffeta like…

  • Hill House Home launched theirs, and only left in size small as of Monday evening. Retail — $228.

  • Reformation used deadstock fabric in a rayon and polyester blend (curious if the backlash of polyester fabrics will be coming for Reformation). Retail — $198 and $218 for the pair with the ornate banded hem at the ankle.

  • The pair that might really really take off due to 1) super opening price point in the category 2) the range of sizes. XXS—XL in standard, plus 1x - 3x, petite and tall. 3) 8 color options. Anthropologie’s Maeve pants are made of 100 percent polyester, and again I’m curious if the customers will shrug at this or be up in arms. I’m voting for being thrilled at the price point and range of sizes. Retail — $118.

  • The Chan Luu Techno Taffeta Ultra Wide Leg Trousers aren’t new, but I was at a conference recently and the woman wearing these received a ton of compliments. And she looked fantastic and had fun wearing them, and isn’t that the point of fashion? Having fun? Retail — $218.

  • Another option at opening price point, the Lisa Says Gah pair has a peplum at the top which is a trend I kept Forecasting over the summer. Interesting to see it still sticking around for winter, and this pair is in polyester. Retail — $148.

• From the Conner Ives DIY/ article mentioned above, I think we are seeing a solid trend of DIY that is artfully and elegantly executed. I usually call this trend “loving hands at home,” which often refers to the visibly DIY element of it (as in the emphasis on messy) but I think the quality is so wonderful now and really being embraced. It is more about being artful, one-of-a-kind, special and personal than “crafty”. A few pieces I’ve noticed of late:

  • Everything from Paula Votteler on Instagram, but especially her fishing lure handbag.

  • DIY bandanas with embellishment

  • This creator has been working on the Fendi Needlepoint Baguette. Almost finished.

  • If you don’t DIY but still love the look, and one-of-a-kindness of designs, brands still have you covered. Alex Mill partnered with Carleen on special cashmere jackets that are made from deadstock Alex Mill trims and vintage wool blankets. They remind me of these Lily Eve jackets made with Hermès towels and blankets.

  • And the Ralph Lauren presentation in Paris with pieces from Piki Wadsworth is fantastic and I love every detail.

Set Active Re-Sets Holiday

First, let’s get a vocab term out of the way that I’m sure I’ll be using a lot the next few months. I like abbreviations.

BFCM = Black Friday Cyber Monday. Refers to the selling period from the day after Thanksgiving through the Monday after. Cyber Monday, when everyone is back at their desk working, tends to be a huge day for online selling. But as we’ve seen in recent years BFCM starts much earlier than the Friday after Thanksgiving and lasts almost up until Christmas. Of course there are different names for all these promotions so more reporting on that to come.

Monday Set Active’s Founder and CEO took to Instagram to share that this year’s BFCM new product drops won’t arrive in time and she won’t sell them on backorder. It was a customer service decision. She put the cost at more than $10 million in projected revenue lost. From now on, Set will only launch product once it is physically at the warehouse, counted and QC’ed1.

I read this post immediately, scrolled through the comments from the loyal fan base, and started breaking it all down.

Read more

The rest is for paid subscribers: the email Veronica Beard sent Dezso, who came out ahead on Instagram, what the law covers, my Q&A with a publicist and what a publicist would do. Go annual for $80 a year. That’s two months free compared with $8 a month, and you get every insider breakdown like this one all year.

Read more

Read more

Leave a comment

New Collabs

• Saie Saves the Shade: I always take a beat to decide if an influencer “partnership” with a brand should be is a true collab or a brand launch with an influencer as the face. When I saw the collab with Saie Beauty (see their newsletter: ) it felt like a true collab. The backstory: Chody has been very vocal about her hunt for a replacement for her favorite retired Tom Ford Beauty eyeshadow, Golden Peach. Saie sailed in to save the day, partnering with Chody on the new version — Bellini. (Currently OOS on Sephora. Did they sell out fast??) Still in stock at Saie’s own site.

• American Girl Crew: I’m obsessed with this American Girl x J.Crew collab and it makes me so bummed that my daughter is out of the doll phase. I would have snapped so much of it up. Seriously, the whole collection is so cute. Mini barn jacket, and super-mini doll barn jacket.

• Bieber Back to the Barre: After the AI generated Rhode x Hunter “collab” (did you fall for it? labeled as AI in the caption, but I still saw outlets and creators running with it as a new collab), I check everything multiple ways. So when Hailey Bieber dusted off her pointe shoes a few weeks ago (she trained in ballet for 12 years), I quietly bet on a balletcore activewear collab. Ding ding ding! Adanola x Hailey Bieber is a 23-piece collection arriving today. In January 2025, Adanola signed Kendall Jenner as the face of a campaign. This time, Bieber co-designed the collection. Everything Bieber touches turns to $$$ so expect this to be big for the brand too. I hope they bought deep enough to make a measurable impact.

• Repeat collaborators, Rixo x Dragon Diffusion, launched a new collab with four new styles including this gorgeous woven tote bag and this metallic handbag.

• New Gap x Victoria Beckham collab is on the way, and the pop of burgundy matches VB’s recent Rouge Victoria lipstick launch and the shade she’s been using in her marketing. Happy accident or very much planned? My bet is planned. Nothing on the site as of late Wednesday evening, but my guess is we will see a press release Thursday.

• The Ganni x Lululemon collab launches today.

• Molly Dickson, a stylist to clients like Ella Bright, Sadie Sink, and Keke Palmer, has a collaboration with Aurate.

New Launches

• Paravel the Sequel: The DTC darling luggage brand (no, not Away — but they basically launched around the same time) Paravel is back. In July 2025 I reported for Puck’s Line Sheet that the brand abruptly shutdown its website, canceled orders, and had quietly filed for Chapter 7. Antler bought the assets out of liquidation in August 2025. tipped me off that the brand was back on Instagram. The DTC website is live, but every style redirects to Amazon to make a purchase. For those not aware of the brand — it was founded in 2016 by Indré Rockefeller and Andy Krantz. Rockefeller was a former assistant to Anna Wintour, Creative Director at Moda Operandi, and later founded The Circularity Project where she is currently the Executive Director. She left Paravel in 2023.

• Kim Jones, former artistic director of Fendi womenswear and Dior Men (previously referred to as Dior Homme), is launching his own label and opening with a store in Hong Kong. [Vogue Business] Jones has been working in Asia and with Bosideng, the Chinese outerwear label, for the past year.

• New delivery of Phoebe Philo arrived at Mytheresa. Remember when the Phoebe Philo product was hidden on websites and you couldn’t find it easily? Now it is in the navigation. If you read the Barrel Leg Style Out on Tuesday then you will want to check out this technical pair.

New Heights for New York

This week I stopped by Le Monde Béryl’s new flagship at 23 East 67th Street, saw the gorgeous artwork by Anne Collier and Beau Gabriel, glass sconces, and the jewel box of a store (the rug is the perfect shade of brown that matches these shoes I tried on), and the team shared with me what’s actually moving. The bestsellers are the ones I expected: the Luna Slipper (truly their hero style), the Babouche Kitten and the Après Ski. The twist — the height. Compared with the brand’s other markets, New York has gone for a higher heel. The new Petra Pump and the Sable Pump from the Kim Sion collaboration are both off to a strong start.

Let’s dive into what the New York boutique is doing well to help all customers and how the team can use this information to drive the business.

Read more

In this send: My social feed was showing me complaints about Abercrombie sweater quality and the price of men’s vs women’s assortment. I used my merchant skills to breakdown what is likely happening. Plus: NAP increases new delivery frequency, Alexa Chung’s Hug, Nili Lotan Leather Shon, cashmere barrel leg investment pants, JW Anderson x Ugg, sweatergate, Scottish wool sweaters, and Walmart’s Everyday Low Pricing.

Fresh Receipts

• Posse Resort ‘27 is now online. Available at their own stores and more broadly, there is also exclusive styles available at Moda Operandi.

• Alexa Chung x Reformation has had positive reaction, especially after mentioned this stripe-y Hug sweater and highlighted on social too. It’s selling out.

• I noticed Net-a-Porter is now updating their new arrivals 5 days a week vs the Monday - Wednesday - Friday drop it previously had. Giving you a reason to come back 2x more times a week for the shoppies fix.

  

Share Private Label by Sarah Shapiro

Style Out

I’m always checking out what is actually selling. From speaking directly with retailers and brands, Channel Checks, diving into the data of affiliate links, and seeing engagement across social media. The same category of pants has continued to dominate. Easy Pants. Instead of a true “hard pant” which might include a stiff waistband, heavier material, less drape, the “easy pants” are meant to be worn more slouchy. The barrel leg is the most in between and while at first it stayed with the more casual sweatpants, drawstring, and denim styles we are now seeing it creep into more trousers or more luxe materials. Shoppers have traded the pressed crease for a curved seam (often with a full dart at the knee to create the barrel leg). And while I love to travel in these stretchy-structured kick flare pants or flowy wide legs like these or these, this barrel leg has also shown up as the airplane pant many wear and evangelize.

This Style Out is going to dive a little deeper into each sub-category of easy pants, mostly barrel leg styles, and give a bit of insight behind why they are considered a Hero Style for that sub-category and the importance of each. This is where the art and science of retail comes in. The data and price points that make it a fit along with the art part that is more of the heart wants what it wants.

• The Core: This is probably the most palatable version at a price point that can be super salable. A very commercial style. It works for a variety of occasions and is the style that can almost be considered “the entry” or the version with training wheels on. If you want to try the style you can start here. If you don’t love, no harm no foul. You move on. If you love you will stock up — buy in more colors, different materials, maybe trade up to something more expensive next time because you know how much you love. The Ruti On The Loose Work Pant fit the bill here. Ruti has been doing this style for many seasons. She (Ruti Zisser is the founder of her namesake brand) loved this style and started producing it before barrel legs were a thing. Similar to Nili Lotan (which we will get into for our Editorial sub-category) this is a style that felt very natural to both designers. Lotan and Zisser are both Israeli and this style has roots that fit in to the Israeli way of dressing — cool for warmer climates, casual, effortless, and utilitarian.

  Another reason the On The Loose Work Pant fits as The Core style, they come in regular and petite lengths. The petite length is key because if you hem this style you are going to lose the right balance with the barrel placement. So as a strong secondary option, I’d add the Leset Kyoto because it isn’t a true barrel leg but is a loose option that gives the feel and is easier to hem without losing what makes it interesting.

  

• The Update: Newer this season now that we’ve (mostly) fully embraced this silhouette is a tailored option. First we tested the waters with denim and then casual pants. Now a more tailored barrel leg would offer something new and updated in the category. Fresh office wear and fresh for the barrel leg category. Reformation’s Jackie Bow gets it right with two length options solving the tailoring situation for (many) heights.

  

• The Investment: For this Style Out, once you have your bases covered, and especially once you know you love this fit, you are ready to invest. Both as a shopper and the retailer. A buyer perhaps bought a few styles last year and saw them take off. So as they build the assortment for this year if they are still feeling strong about the silhouette they are more likely to invest their precious Open-To-Buy on more luxury labels and price points. This is where Lisa Yang’s Azaria comes in. It is cashmere and at $1,290 it is an investment. For consumers and retailers alike. Less inventory is likely made and bought, and hence the retailers have “low stock” or “one pair left” messaging. Driving even more urgency. The investment style might not be one you go back and order more of as a buyer. Maybe you will make a note for next year to buy more, but it could be too much of a gamble to think if you bring it back in you could sell more. This is where we say there are no crystal balls in retail. P.S. if the Azaria is too much of an Investment, there is also the wool and cashmere blend option from the brand.

  

• The Editorial: Nili Lotan Shon in leather is the pair that gets the Editorial distinction this time around. Leather feels like a newer material in barrel leg. Denim has been done, cotton, wool, even corduroy. The Nili Lotan Shon is a major player in this silhouette and one of the first ones to go big. But what feels fresh is in leather. Especially how it is styled with the red sweater on this PDP. This is the style that will be bought smaller (the retail is $1,990) but it will get play in editorial magazine spreads, the content Nili Lotan puts out or any retailer highlighting this style. It gets the customer excited.

  

Where are you in your barrel pant journey? Many shoppers might just be starting out, and others have multiple pairs in their closets invested over a few seasons at this point. If you already own are you looking for something new this fall?

Field Notes

For this iteration, here is a bit of what I’m hearing from shoppers, Channel Checkers, and sources.

• Soeur the French brand that was opened by two sisters in 2008, is expanding with its first U.S. store in Soho. I found a job description for the store manager position which also highlights an October 2026 store opening. French language skills are a plus, presumably to communicate with the headquarters. The styles are slightly menswear leaning and the business has grown with wholesale accounts and pop-ups and stores all over Europe. To get a sense of the brand, you can see their modern classic handbags, assortment of ballet flats (it is a french brand), and not only do they have a strong outerwear collection — but it is strengthened with a current collaboration with rain gear brand K-way.

• Abercrombie’s own NYC collection is selling very well to tourists in their stores in Manhattan according to sales associates. I thought of this as I heard that Good American was opening their own pop-up October 15-18th at 430 West Broadway with exclusive NYC merch.

• Not Loafing Around: JW Anderson x Ugg collab got me incredibly excited — the collab will launch this Thursday October 15th. It gives a clear window into what makes Jonathan Anderson such an interesting designer right now. His vision, but sold at every price point. If you are reading Private Label, then you know I love a Good — Better — Best for pricing and breaking down how we talk about retail assortment.

  At the top (aka Best pricing) he designs women’s, men’s and couture (maybe Best plus or “if-you-have-to-ask-you-can’t-afford”) for Dior. One rung down, at Better, is his own label JW Anderson. The loafer motif has become almost like his own franchise or de facto logo. Shoes and the handbag, and all the preppy RTW. Now that same loafer design is applied to the Ugg shearling footwear and fits in very nicely.

  The Good pricing, or opening price point, is at Uniqlo where he has partnered with the retailer since 2017. Selling preppy basics like boxy button-ups and merch like socks. And his new Uniqlo collection launches this same week on Friday October 16th. All of this seems like a beautiful orchestration. This is an incredible spread of long-term partners and price points for a designer. He’s building an entry point for shoppers to enjoy his work at every level without seeming to turn anyone away. I remember when Isaac Mizrahi first started partnering with Target some retailers wanted to abandon his label because they felt like it would dilute the top tiers of pricing. Clearly we are a long way from that conversation. It’s a good thing because I think the consumer and the retailers all benefit here. Which price point(s) do you shop at?

🛍️ Quick note: I write a lot (too much good stuff to share!) If you’re reading via email only, you may need to click through to the web version or read on the Substack app. I promise it will be worth it. 🛍️

Is Abercrombie’s Sweatergate Real or Social Media Rage Bait?

Sunday evening I started to see Instagram posts all about Abercrombie’s sweaters and the quality. Comparing the men’s wool composition versus the women’s and the price point of each. I shrugged it off not sure what the algorithm was showing me and figured it was just one account. By Monday not only was I now receiving even more (of course because I watched one — darn it!) but also because other accounts were piggy backing on this same topic. What then tipped me off that I wanted to dig deeper was that the comments on Abercrombie’s own posts started to fill with commenters upset about the quality of the composition of the wool and the price difference. Claiming a pink tax since the women’s retails were higher.

So I did what a merchant would do. I counted. Women’s actually carries more all-natural premium sweaters than men’s, about 13% of styles versus 9%. (Note, my counts are done via online searches and this isn’t 100 percent accurate. Some styles can be carry-over or no longer produced. That also isn’t addressed in the social commentary.) I’ve reached out to Abercrombie to follow this story and will report back with findings as they unfold.

But for today, below I’ve included what the numbers show, why it happens, and what Abercrombie can still fix this season.

Read more

Leave a comment

Read more