International Formalwear Association Formal Times Newsletter
Transcription
International Formalwear Association Formal Times Newsletter
International Formalwear Association Formal Times Newsletter Expo 32 Chicago Hyatt Regency McCormick Place July 31, August 1st and 2nd! Mark YOUR Calendars!!! Watch for details as they are finalized!! With our renewed interest on education for All members, We need your help with Educational Speaking Topics!!!! What subjects would you like to hear more about???? Marketing…Financials…..Social media…… customer relations?? What Topic would be your recommendation to be covered with seminars at Expo 32??? We want to get the speakers booked YOU would like to hear! Please send suggestions to [email protected] and/or [email protected] education committee Industry News For Immediate Release Contact: Steve Davis President & COO 618-224-9211 [email protected] Jim’s Formal Wear Partners with Armory Capital, Maintaining Family Ownership and Securing Bright Company Future ST. LOUIS (January 7, 2013) -- Jim’s Formal Wear, the world’s largest wholesale formalwear rental company, announced today a partnership with Armory Capital of Champaign, Ill. This partnership represents a merger of two strong family businesses and will provide Jim’s Formal Wear the capital for future growth opportunities. “One of the most important times for a family business comes when it’s time for one generation to help the next move into owning and leading the business, and it is now time for my son, Steve Davis, to lead this company into the future,” said Gary Davis, Chief Executive Officer. “Frequently, a transition like this involves new financing arrangements, and we are fortunate to have Armory Capital partner with us because they share our values. With the merger of these two family-owned companies, it’s ‘business as usual’ for Jim’s Formal Wear.” Jim’s Formal Wear is headquartered in Trenton, Ill., in a state-of-the-art, 102,000-square-foot facility. The company employs over 600 people. The company also has 9 other regional service centers located throughout the United States. The company enjoys a history of growth by acquiring other companies or operations that are a good fit with Jim’s Formal Wear business. “This partnership with Armory Capital will ensure that the resources are available when those opportunities present themselves,” Gary said. Armory Capital is the family office for the Meyer family in Champaign, Ill. A family office is a private company with family values and culture that manages investments for an individual family and helps them diversify by investing in and holding other companies. The Armory family office includes four people from Champaign, Ill. Steve Davis, COO of Jim’s Formal Wear, said that the Davis family was very careful in interviewing and selecting Armory Capital as the new financial partner for Jim’s Formal Wear. “One of the top priorities was to ensure that our new partner would maintain our culture and the high level of commitment to sharing the company’s success with our team members and providing quality merchandise and service to our customers.” Steve said they also wanted a company that invests for the long term, and Armory Capital met all of these criteria. “As a family investment company, Armory Capital wants their portfolio company to grow, but they aren’t looking for a quick turn. Their preference is to hold investments and most importantly, they count on the existing management team to run the business because that is a big part of the reason they select an investment such as Jim’s Formal Wear.” The financial arrangement with Armory Capital enables the Davis family to continue to have a significant investment in Jim’s Formal Wear. Steve Davis will transition from the role of President and COO to CEO over the next 12 months. Gary Davis will work closely with Steve during the transition and then enter into a long-term consulting contract to help with the transition and provide continuity. About Jim’s Formal Wear Jim Davis built Jim’s Formal Wear from a men’s apparel shop established by his father in 1922. Today, Jim’s Formal Wear is the largest wholesale formalwear rental company in the world, with 10 strategically located service centers that total more than 300,000 square feet of office, production and warehouse space. The company employs over 600 people and is privileged to serve nearly 6,000 menswear stores, bridal shops and other formalwear-related retailers in the country. Jim’s Formal Wear’s mission is “Doing whatever it takes to create the ultimate formal wear experience.” About Armory Capital Armory Capital is the family office for the Meyer family in Campaign, Ill. It is a private equity group founded by Jacob Ambrose, Rusty Freeland and Greg Lykins, in association with the August C. Meyer, Jr. family. The firm’s members have years of experience understanding the challenges and opportunities facing business owners and management teams. They believe in long-term partnerships based on mutual trust and integrity. The family has a track record of investing in and holding other companies, with deep and long roots with all of these companies. Paid advertisement What is happening with Jim’s Formal Wear? Above official announcement from Jim’s Formalwear was made last month on the sale or equity partnership of a percentage of their company. This established growing and thriving family operated business did not seem the likely candidate to sell out??? When speaking to Steve Davis he explained the sale was a preemptive measure to tax law changes going into effect. To protect the family business from crippling estate law changes they set about searching for solutions for Steve to increase his leadership and his dad Gary to step back some to spend more time with his family and grandkids! The process of finding a solution in everyone’s best interest took thorough research to find an equity partner with the same culture and family emphasis as Jim’s. Steve said they spent a GREAT deal of time researching Armory Capitol and the Meyer’s family. The group’s similar culture and interest in the long term commitment to their investments solidified the processes. The future Jim’s Formalwear will be much like the present according to Steve Davis with little change noticed by customers and associates. Steve Davis is a current board member with the International Formalwear Association and we wish him, his parents and the entire Davis family the best throughout the changeover. For further information on Jim’s Formalwear history: http://www.jimsformalwear.com/companyhistory.htm For malwe ar For For malwe ar Formalwear On the Town We salute the increasing use of traditional formalwear among the trend setters in Hollywood and on television with the Audi prom commercial! And last but most certainly not least THE OSCARS!!! Justin Timberlake at the Grammy awards…His new single Suit and Tie is done in a tux as well!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsUsVbTj2AY Audi Prom Commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANhmS6QLd5Q&csref=92225226266327849 Hugh Jackman SAG awards another very sharply dressed gentleman! Trey Songz at the Grammy’s R&B Hip Hop singer. The Grammy’s not always known to be as formal, the IFA salutes those who stood out in the crowd! Golden Globe Men!! Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney and Aziz Ansari The Oscars 2013 The Academy Awards 85th Annual Oscar Awards Show was held Sunday February 24th and Bow TIES are BACK!! Our unofficial tallying we do each year on bow/long ties and lapels the men chose makes it official bow ties are back! We can only count the gentlemen who walk on the stage which of course does not take in to account the audience. This years show had 55 guys in bow ties verses 18 in long ties. During the performance for Les Miserables a group of performers were on stage with NO tie and too numerous to be sure of the count. Lapels styles as you may have guessed were overwhelmingly in the Peak lapel as style of choice for the men’s designers. Again taking into account the Les Miserables group which were hard to count, the totals are: Peak Lapel: 43 Notch Lapel: 26 Shawl Lapel: 8 While again overwhelmingly black for this occasion Midnight Blue and Grey were also very much present. The International Formalwear Association would like to salute Hollywood on coming out dressed to honor the formality of the occasion, and very much looking the part! Paid advertisement Kyle Thomas Apparel Brings the formal wear industry the standards Polycotton shirts with ¼” pleats Laydown collar microfiber shirts 100% Wool pleated and flat front pants Call us for pricing and availability this season. Kyle Thomas Apparel 888-404-kyle (5953) 303-797-9162 Fax [email protected] paid advertisement paid Advertisement Paid Advertisement Checkpoints to GREAT Customer Service I read many articles on customer service and am always watching for a new perspective. The other day I came across an article on dealing with angry, unhappy, dissatisfied customers. The focus of the article was diffusing the situation, but it made me think more about how it happened in the first place. Should you get good at handling customer complaints or better at placing check points along the way to eliminate problems from the start? What can we do to eliminate those Saturday afternoon angry panicked calls from a wedding party? One of the first check points to fend off problems could be a quick phone call to the bridal couple 3-4 weeks before their wedding. This call provides you with opportunity to go over colors and styles for all the party members confirming any changes. Also, this offers the perfect time to go over who still needs to be fitted and who may be cancelled or replaced. Going over pick up information, store hours, etc; arms them with information to pass along to the rest of the group. Encourage them to let each participant know they need to try on their tuxedo in our store and bring along black socks if not provided on pick up day. When you are in advance of the date, a call can reassure them to make sure everything is on track in the weeks ahead. Most software systems would catch odd entries, but not all of us depend on computers in this department and order cards need to be carefully inspected. This check point is the perfect opportunity to go over possible sizing errors. Should you really order the 54 coat 34 waist combinations? Sent in sizes challenge all of us, yet a little common sense at this point will probably save you later. Calling customer who sent the sizes and asking a few questions to get more accurate information many times will help both of you immensely. Most of this is routine, but goes so far in assuring they will remain satisfied customers. Pick-up day can be hectic even on slower weeks, but trying on the tuxedo with you present eliminates a myriad of problems. Strong friendly encouragement from your staff can persuade most guys of the value of this final fitting. Adjustments to accessories and emphasis on proper fit help heighten customer satisfaction. A quick friendly conversation with the groom highlighting this important time saver clarifies your commitment to service in his mind. Explain return options and store hours to keep that final contact with them effortless. Dealing with angry dissatisfied customers is a fact of life, but prevention is the best policy. Hope it works out that way! Paid advertisement Paid advertisement Paid Advertisement February Book of the Month By Nicholas Boothman There is an old saying which is true most of the time (The first impression is the last impression.) All what you need is to adopt a positive attitude, make sure your words, tone, and gestures are in harmony, and use your gift in organizing your speech to maintain an attractive conversation by using open-ended questions to try to discover what the other person likes. The author focuses on the fact that impressions are formed in the first 10 seconds or so when we meet someone. He encourages us to open ourselves up physically (hands open, coat unbuttoned if you have one on, relaxed), look the other person in the eye, beam (like you are shaking hands), say Hi! with a positive attitude, and lean towards the person. These are universally interpreted as being genuine indications of interest that are perceived by the other person's subconscious mind, and the other person will almost always respond in kind. There are three primary modes that people use to process thoughts (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic -- both emotions and physical feelings), and remembered and imagined versions of each one. The book contains clues (such as eye movement and choices of verbs) to understand the person's preferences. You are encouraged then to be sure to include those modes. Finally, you are encouraged to mirror and match the behavior of the other person (from breathing to posture to gestures). The key points of the book, then, can be summarized as a positive attitude toward the other person, synchronicity in actions and locating commonalities, using the correct conversational modes, and emphasizing the sensory preferences of the other person. A good technique you can use to overcome your own inner shyness is to remember the most fabulous first meeting you ever had with another person before you step forward to meet the new person. Your mind and body will still be jazzed by the favorable memory, and the viewer will perceive that high level of excitement. After you have absorbed these lessons, consider how much your attitude determines the reactions you get from other people. If you are afraid to meet them, that will show. If you are delighted to be with them, that will also show. If your message is important to you, you should take a little time to dress up your attitude and responsiveness if you want to really be dressed for success. Ask yourself if you would really want to listen to you when you do not take the time to be an interested communicator. If not, now may be a good time for a change. You, too, can be irresistible -- when you want to be. Boothman, now a lecturer and licensed master practitioner of neurolinguistic programming (the art and science of how the brain affects human connections), says that the key to making others like you quickly lies in establishing a rapport: you have to find out what you have in common or, if you seemingly have nothing in common, purposely try to become like the other person for a short time. This is a great book coming from someone who is never comfortable in conversations. And rapport is what we need with each new customer that walks in the door be it wedding, prom, or simply an out of town fitting that may transfer to something much more on a future day based on an impression made in just those first few minutes!!! GREAT BOOK!! Books to HAVE in YOUR Store Do you have reading material for the guys while waiting in your store?? A list below of possible choices and please send your recommendations for other [email protected] Style and The Man by Alan Flusser Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion by Alan Flusser Clothes and the Man: The Principles of Fine Men’s Dress by Alan Flusser A Gentleman Pens a Note by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis A Gentleman Raises His Glass by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis How to Be a Gentleman by John Bridges A Gentleman Gets Dressed Up by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis As a Gentleman Would Say by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis A Gentleman Entertains by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis A Gentleman at The Table by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis Toasts & Tributes by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis 50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis Gentleman: A Timeless Fashion by Bernhard Roetzel and Guenter Beer Wants and Offerings NEW WANTS AND OFFERINGS POLICY ADS WILL NEED TO RESUBMIT EVERY MONTH! YOU MAY HAVE THEM IN AS LONG AS YOU LIKE, THEY JUST HAVE TO BE RESUBMITTED MONTHLY TO BE SURE TO KEEP LIST CURRENT! CHECK YOUR ADS BELOW! PLEASE RESEND ANY ADS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE IN NEXT MONTH [email protected] For all of our members who also are in dry cleaning Wants and Offerings for cleaning equipment you can check out http://www.thelaundryforum.com/classifieds Wants and offerings is a service to our membership that gives all specialist members the ability to buy or sell merchandise from other members. Send your list of wants or offers to sell to [email protected] Milroy’s Tuxedos Offers Herringbone Vests, Windsor Ties, Bow Ties, Pocket Squares – Silver, Red, Navy, Wines, Hunter, Raisin, Heather, Sage, Champagne, Black, White, Ivory, Mint, Yellow, Powder Blue, & Light Pink. Horizon Tan Suits – Coats and pants Joseph Abboud 2 Button Black Notch Wants To Buy Grey Radio City Shoes Black Jet Shoes Dennis Schmidt Milroy's Tuxedos President/Owner P.319-233-5222 C.319-269-4662 LOOKING FOR ADVICE Angelo from Rose Tuxedo in Phoenix, Az. Asking your readers to email me with a good new shoe recommendation?? I'm having a hard time deciding on a good quality shoe that won't fall apart. Thanks. Angelo [email protected]. or call 602 299-1743 Selling Used Tuxedo Shoes Styles: LaStrada, Modern Times, Viper, White and Ivory Square Toe, White and Ivory Cap Toe $8 per pair Tuxedo Jackets Black, White, Ivory: Jupiter, Apollo, DaVinci 3B Notch Matrix Tuxedo Vests Enchantment Spectrum Tom Murray Royal Tuxedo 422 North Wood Ave Linden, NJ 07036 908-486-0110 Offered for Sale Shirts Styles 1. Ivory Wing Tip Collar Pin-Tuck Pleat 2. Ivory Laydown Collar 3. Ivory Banded Collar w/pleat 4. White Banded Collar w/pleat 5. Brocade Microfiber 6. Rythm-Black W/White stripe microfiber 7. Tempo-White W/Black stripe microfiber 8. White tone on tone microfiber 9. Chocolate tone on tone microfiber 10. Ivory tone on tone microfiber 11. Champagne Laydown Microfiber Vest Styles 1. Andrew Fezza Herringbone Vest Collection 2. Brandon Michael Satin Vest Collection 3. Lubiam Bellisimo Vest Collection 4. Jean Yves Diamond Vest Collection 5. Jean Yves Monaco Vest Collection 6. Perry Ellis Freedom Vest LOOKING TO BUY Wool pleated Black rental pants Tronn Goehring Director of Operation Sacino's Formalwear 941-650-3015 WANTED TO BUY! USED or NEW Disney or Mickey Mouse Vests, Cummerbunds & Bow Ties. USED or NEW Novelty Vests Any colors and sizes. Santana Disney/Mickey styles THANK YOU! Chrystal Stewart 5686 Youngquist Road Suite 120 Fort Myers, FL 33912 239 481-7875 OFFERED FOR SALE Tuxedos: Claiborne 3 Button Black Citi Lites jackets Oscar de la Renta 4 Button Black LaVida jackets Andrew Fezza 5 Button Black Cannes jackets Black Double Breasted jackets (shawl & notch) After Six Black Shawl Tail coats White Shantung dinner jackets Formal Shirts: White Crosswick shirt White and Ivory banded collar shirt Vest and Tie collections: Philip Stewart Mandarin collar vest in Black only Hudson full back vest and bow tie in Black & White only Celebrations full back vest in Platinum only Barrington full back vest in Silver only Herringbone full back vest, bow ties and windsor ties in Black, White, Ivory, Silver, Champagne, Hunter, Navy, Wine, Plum, Desert Blue, Sage, & Heather Citi-Lites full back vest, bow ties and windsor ties in Black, White, Ivory, Platinum, Ruby, Hunter, Plum, Celedon, Premier Teal, Violet, & Desert Blue Double Take full back and backless vest and bow ties in Black, White, Ivory, Black & White, Sunlight, Taupe, Red, Ocean Blue, Plum, & Hunter Phaze fullback vest and bow ties in White, Ivory, Platinum, Gold, Burgundy, & Eggplant Silhouette high cut vests and bow ties in Black, White, Ivory, Black & White (Silver), Gold, Hunter, Burgundy, Navy Renesance Paisley vests and bow ties in Black, White, Ivory, Red, Silver & Gold, Burgundy & Gold, Navy & Gold, Hunter & Gold, Purple & Gold Genesis Paisley low cut vests in Black, White, White w/ Black trim, Black & White, Charcoal, Kelly Green, Royal Blue, Azalea, Peach, Purple, & Teal All Styles can be viewed at http://www.bunnytuxedos.com/html/discontinued.html Thanks, Stacey Nelson Bunny Tuxedos 3956 30th Street SW Grandville, MI 49418 (616) 538-1760 www.bunnytuxedos.com [email protected] LOOKING TO BUY! Rose Tuxedo in Phoenix, AZ. is still looking for some good shape Modern Time Shoes and some Light and Dark Grey Savoy by Jean Yves. Also the Jean Yves black slim fit 2 button Peak. They can email or call Angelo at 602 299-1743 or [email protected] Wesner's is looking to BUY -Blind stitch machine (in working condition) -3/4 torso mannequins -Used black flat front pants Tanya Brodi Wesner Tuxedo (586) 254-3838 [email protected] OFFERED FOR SALE Black parisians, chaps auburns, 3-b notch coats, twilight faille shawls, after six super 100 single pleated pants, wool pants without satin stripe, tallia micro shirts, loads of assorted shoes, fezza herringbone vests 4/SALE- BLACK JAGUAR COATS, 85 TOTAL, MOST BRAND NEW, AFTER SIX #800SX, $10.00. ASSORTED LARR BRIO , CALVIN, RALPH LAUREN, CARDI VESTS, TIES, BOWS. MANY COLORS. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE. PRICES VERY REASONABLE. VERY CURRENT! IRA COLEMAN COLEMAN'S 973-258-1948 [email protected] Thoughts for the Week Ahead! "Nowhere is it written that you get extra points for dredging through this life and suffering and being unhappy. I want to be happy." ~Robin Roberts. Good Morning America “Just like we clear our lungs to take in new air, we need to empty our minds of dull ideas to create brighter lives.” — Danielle LaPorte
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