Style Source at the PGA Show Orlando

Anyone planning to visit the PGA show in Orlando on January 28 and 29 might wish to let me know, as I will be attending for two days to visit with many exhibiting customers. As many may know, we are a supplier to the golf trade, making thousands of Polos going to both startup companies and well established brands. We manufacture the bulk of our custom golf apparel in Macau and India and offer an extremely wide range of products, from basic polos to high end double mercerized or performance polo shirts, shorts, skirts, slacks, sweaters and belts. If you are considering adding womens or mens golf styles we can assist you with developing custom fabrics, logo trims (buttons, zipper pulls, neck tape etc) and styles. Please do contact Geoff at 910-399-2288 if you wish to set up a meeting at the show!

I might also mention I will be attending the Tucson Gem and Mineral show from February 9-14. Anyone in the Tucson area that may need to meet with me to explore custom made apparel or a private label branded apparel line, or even to talk minerals (my side business and hobby) please advise and we'll get together!

CPSC ISSUES STAY ON LEAD TESTING UNTIL FEB 10 2011

A news release published by Textile Workd Magazine informs us of a stay on required testing for lead and pthalates on childrens products until 2011.

"The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved a one-year stay until Feb. 10, 2011, of enforcement of a standard requiring testing and certification of the lead and phthalates content in children's products, including some textiles and apparel. While the testing and certification have been stayed, products still must comply with all applicable rules and bans. CPSC said the stay of enforcement will remain in effect while the agency continues to work toward recognizing labs and procedures for third-party testing and certification. The commission pointed out that the stay does not apply to any requirements under the Flammable Fabrics Act. CPSC also voted unanimously to adopt an interim enforcement plan allowing more flexibility in component testing."
December 22, 2009

Demand (and costs) for Yarns Escalating

There are times when you just sit back in your highback and let out a deep sigh of ambivalance. I just had one of those moments after getting off the phone with a yarn order taker (they used to be called salesmen but they really don't sell anymore). I was informed that the supply side is getting tight AND cotton fiber prices are escalating, thus the yarn I bought for $1.52/lb last month was now $1.70/lb. AND I may have to wait an extra week or two for delivery. I can live with this news when the US market is alive and domwstic manufacturing is sopping up all the yarn the spinners can spin, but this is the opposite scenario. Here, the dollar has weakened to the point where USA made yarn is a bargain. Business last year was so bad that two major spinners went out of business, which, at the time, had almost no impact on supply. Now, demand for USA made yarns is increasing for companies that produce in the Carribean, Central and South America. This includes both domestically owned businesses with textile factories as well as Asian and European operations with factories in this hemisphere. Translation, domestic textile producers must pay more for, and wait longer for, yarns made here because the bulk of them are being bought up by huge conglomerates and being shipped out of this country. As demand increases the loss of capacity by the two major mills further constricts availability and leads to undercapacity which, in turn will cause inflationary pricing and delivery delays mounting into weeks and possibly months. In 1965 95% of all apparel sold in the USA was USA produced. In 1985 it was down to 70%. In 1995 USA production accounted for only 50% of all apparel sold in the USA. Today? Less than 5%. Yes, LESS THAN 5%. Now, in this mother of all recessions, we have to raise prices for unleaded snaps and cotton! I think I'll recline in my highback and let out another ambivalant sigh.