NEW YORK — Sag Harbor is suiting up.
After a 60 percent growth in the company’s dress division and the addition of accessories and legwear, Sag Harbor is adding suits to the brand for spring retailing.
Jay Diamond, president and chief executive officer of the Halmode Apparel division of Kellwood Co., which owns Sag Harbor, said the suit collection will launch Jan. 8 in a few thousand doors nationwide. He expects to see $15 million to $20 million in sales within the first full year of the launch.
“The department stores were asking for more suits,” said Diamond.
He explained how Halmode, which makes the Sag Harbor dress line that launched this year, looked at the key item in the core Sag Harbor sportswear line — the blazer — and designed a suit collection based on that.
The suit collection will include some 60 to 70 looks in a variety of colors and fabrics. About 70 percent of the suits are with skirts, and 30 percent are pantsuits, following the pattern of suit sales, Diamond said. The line will be available in two-piece and three-piece sets in misses’, misses’ petite, petite and plus-sizes and will carry the same fit as the sportswear collection. The suits will wholesale for $39 to $59, with the bulk at $49, Diamond said.
“We want to keep a nice balance so the customer has a choice, and we use the flashy linings to make the suit look good on the hanger,” he said.
While the company is focusing on trends by using novelty fabrics and eye-catching linings, its main concern is to create a suit that the customer can feel comfortable in, said Denise Miller, division head for Sag Harbor suits.
“We are following the trends, but making them understandable to the mass market consumer,” said Miller, noting that she wanted to create a suit that a woman can wear for many events, from work and dinner, to church or a wedding.
Miller said close attention has been paid to detail, such as beading, special trims and embroideries. The line includes suits with detachable fake-fur cuffs and collars, so the customer can dress the suit up or down.
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