Generation Gap
August 25, 2005
BY CHERYL V. JACKSON Staff Reporter
Just as you're dealing with those first gray hairs and inspecting those lines developing at the corners of your eyes, you discover the clothing you're wearing isn't flattering your figure.
Flesh might be spilling over the waistbands of those low-rise jeans to form unsightly "muffin tops," while other parts of your body peek out from underneath too-short shirttails.
Enter Forth & Towne, opening at four Chicago area malls Wednesday. The chain is Gap Inc.'s overture to women age 35 and up; those with bodies that no longer fit into the styles retailers push on younger members of Generation X (who are between 25 and 40) and the even younger Generation Y (10 to 24).
Forth & Towne is banking on business from baby boomers, who range from 40 to 59. Many might have children who are grown and gone and therefore have plenty of discretionary income but, until recently, had few options in flattering, hip apparel. And they made up about one-third of all women's clothing sales last year, according to New York-based NPD Group.
"Baby boomer generation women are healthier, wealthier and more active and more educated than any women in history. They're not letting themselves go," said Marti Barletta, author of the 2003 book Marketing to Women and head of the Winnetka-based marketing firm TrendSight Group. "They want things that are more flattering. They don't have the same figure they had before they had kids."
The Forth & Towne stores, considered "test" stores, will open at Algonquin Commons in Algonquin, Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, Westfield Old Orchard in Skokie and Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg (a New York store opened this week). They feature a roster of four labels representing weekend, career and stepping-out attire in a boutique atmosphere:
FORTH & TOWNE STORES
Opens: Wednesday
Locations:
Algonquin Commons, Algonquin
Fox Valley Mall, Aurora
Westfield Old Orchard, Skokie
Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg
Labels and prices:
Gap Edition
• cotton cardigan, $44
• stretch denim boot cut, $54
Prize
• pleated skirt, $78
• chiffon secretary top, $48
Allegory
• brushed cotton twill pant, $68
• silk cashmere stripe turtleneck, $58
Vocabulary
• marled wool sweater coat, $128
• plaid tweed wide leg cuffed trouser, $108
Sizes: 2 to 20
*Gap Edition is casual, including staples such as the basic white button-down shirt and T-shirts similar to those found at the Gap. No low-rise here: Jeans fit at the waist. *Allegory is a classic, conservative brand, featuring suit pieces. *Prize is flirty and feminine and more tailored. It's the trendiest of the offerings.
*Vocabulary features knits and prints good for traveling or lounging.
Prices fall between those of the Gap and its more upscale sister, Banana Republic. Sizes at Forth & Towne range from 2 to 20 and are consistent across the four brands. The stores won't carry petites, but anyone spending at least $500 gets free tailoring for life.
These aren't matronly clothes but rather versions of contemporary styles that have higher rises and more fabric.
"It's still very current, very much in fashion," said Rinat Aruh, vice president of marketing for Forth and Towne. "It's nothing that's going to feel not in tune with what's going on currently."
That's important, says Diane Kangas, senior vice president, creative director at Campbell-Ewald ad and marketing agency.
Women of the baby boom generation want to be fashionable but have been frustrated in their bid to find clothing that complements their changing figures, including bigger bellies and saggy upper arms, Kangas said.
"They do not want to be wearing the stretchy clothes they saw their moms grow into," Kangas said. "[They think] 'I still want to have great sex appeal and attitude when I go out with my friends and family and I want people to turn their heads.' "
In the 1990s, retailers focused on selling to fashion-obsessed teens and twentysomethings, often overlooking women in their 30s, 40s and 50s. That has changed.
The profitable Chico's chain virtually pioneered the concept of clothing for older women and has continued to grow, last year launching a lingerie store for women over 35. J. Jill has been selling to women age 35 to 55, primarily through catalog, since 1994. And in the past year, others have jumped in: Target introduced a brand for older women, Linden Hill. Children's clothier Gymboree launched Janeville for women 35 and older. OshKosh B'Gosh also is following suit.
Forth & Towne faces a marketing challenge: convincing women it's not an old-lady store. The company has been vague about the ages of customers it hopes to reach, other than they're over 35.
"It's more about attitude, not necessarily about an age group," Aruh says. "It's really about providing great style, great fit, more for mature women.'
Marshal Cohen, chief analyst at the NPD Group, predicts the age of the average Forth & Towne shopper will top out about 50.
For now, Forth & Towne isn't advertising. It's just throwing open the doors Wednesday and waiting to see who pops in.
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