Kohl's to Drop 8 Underperforming Women's Clothing Brands - Motley Fool

Natti Mayıs 12, 2021

Kohl's to Drop 8 Underperforming Women's Clothing Brands - Motley Fool

Kohl's to Drop 8 Underperforming Women's Clothing Brands - Motley Fool
East Hollywood gets a new women's clothing shop: Bel Kazan - Hoodline
7 best clothing subscription boxes for 2020: Women's, men's, plus-size and more - CNET

Posted: 05 Mar 2020 11:01 AM PST

Kohl's (NYSE:KSS) CEO Michelle Gass is blaming the retailer's disappointing 2019 on three main factors: the home segment, the women's segment, and the company's gross margin. It has already made moves to fix its home segment problems by adjusting pricing strategies and introducing new brands. It's handling the margin issue by planning for more sales to be digital, which comes with added shipping costs.

That left the women's apparel category as the biggest drag left to be addressed, and Gass laid out her plan to do that during the chain's fourth-quarter earnings call.

Kohl's is dropping eight women's apparel brands. Image source: Kohl's.

The chain has already put new leadership in charge of its women's apparel business. Now, it plans to make what Gass described as "bold moves" to address its product mix.

"After a critical assessment across our entire brand offering, we've made the decision to exit eight women's brands over the coming year," she said. "We believe this will provide greater clarity for our customers and a more compelling and current offering."

In addition to dropping brands, the company also plans to add some. It's going to introduce some of the new offerings during its March 16 investor day event.

The women's apparel business has become increasingly competitive as retailers like Target aggressively add new house brands and bring new celebrity partnerships to bear. Gass deserves credit for identifying Kohl's problem here and moving decisively to address it.

Winning consistently in apparel isn't easy, as fashion is fickle and competition is fierce. Gass, however, seems to understand that this is an area of her business that needs near-constant attention and regular reinvention. If she keeps that attitude, she should be able to right the ship.

East Hollywood gets a new women's clothing shop: Bel Kazan - Hoodline

Posted: 05 Mar 2020 05:11 PM PST

A new women's clothing, jewelry and children's clothing spot has made its debut in the neighborhood. Located at 4614 Hollywood Blvd. in East Hollywood, the new arrival is called BEL KAZAN.

BEL KAZAN specializes in sustainable and ethically made clothing, according to its Yelp profile.

With a five-star rating out of six reviews on Yelp so far, BEL KAZAN has been warmly received by patrons.

Chelsey H., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on Jan. 4, wrote, "Known for original prints, the designer of BEL KAZAN produces an eclectic collection of women's garments. If you're looking for something a bit more unique, it's worth swinging by. They also carry some striking handmade jewelry pieces with bold gems."

Yelper Liza P. added, "This shop is amazing. They have so many choices and sizes available. It's hard to choose just one piece. The original hand-printed designs are one-of-a-kind."

Interested? Stop by to welcome the new business to the neighborhood. BEL KAZAN is open from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on Tuesday-Saturday and 11 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sunday. (It's closed on Monday.)

Want to keep your finger on the pulse of new businesses in Los Angeles? Here's what else opened recently near you.

This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.

7 best clothing subscription boxes for 2020: Women's, men's, plus-size and more - CNET

Posted: 05 Mar 2020 09:55 AM PST

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You might choose to subscribe to a clothing box service for a number of reasons: to spice up your closet, to avoid trying on clothes at the store, to keep from getting burned out by the brick-and-mortar retail experience or just because the ads look cool.

But choosing the right clothing subscription box might feel overwhelming. A quick Google search returns dozens of subscriptions to pick from -- many of which you may not've heard of. Though the services ultimately work the same way, each one has its own unique features.

Deciding on a particular service comes down to your needs, style and budget. The most important thing to know about any of these services is that a stylist can't read your mind. The more information you can provide about what you like (and don't), the better your experience will be.

We tried several clothing subscription boxes. Here are the ones we liked best for 2020.

Shelby Brown/CNET

As a Stitch Fix user, I can report a positive experience. I'm always excited when I get a box, which you can customize to come at whichever frequency fits your schedule and budget -- no membership fee or monthly subscription required. My account is linked to one of my Pinterest boards, so my stylist can get more ideas of what I like, and she always leaves a thoughtful note in my box, which is a nice personalized touch. The Style Cards that come with each box also show different ways to pair the pieces (and often with basic items that are probably already in your closet). My advice, though, is not to shell out cash on an item unless you're sure you're going to wear it often enough.

Sign up online or in the app (available on iOS or Android). Fill out a detailed style profile, including your sizes, whether you detest or love shopping, if you wear heels, what parts of your body you like to show off, and more. Stitch Fix offers styled boxes for men, women and kids, and lets you set a preferred price point between $25 and $500 per item (kids items start at $10 per item). I picked the lowest price bracket when I signed up, and in my last box, none of my individual items were over $60. You pay a $20 styling fee when your box is assembled, you get three days to try on the clothes, and you can return anything you don't want or like. The $20 fee applies to whatever you keep, and if you don't keep anything, you pay only that fee. If you love your box and keep everything, you also get a 25% Buy All discount.

Stitch Fix also has a direct buy option called Shop Your Looks. At the top of the app, click Shop between Fixes and Style. This lets you purchase individual items -- pants, shoes, accessories and more -- to match the piece you already have. These can be ordered without getting another box.

Shelby Brown/CNET

Even though the average US woman's clothing size is between a Misses 16-18, many stores still cater to smaller sizes. This can make for an uncomfortable and discouraging shopping experience.

But Dia & Co.'s style service defies the often limited and drab choices that make up extended sizes. The service offers sizes 14-32. My box was packed with vibrant, colorful items -- blouses, dresses, skirts, jeans, even a clutch. I always have trouble finding jeans that fit my waist and hips, and Dia nailed that. The box also mixed classic pieces, like a polka-dot blue wrap dress, with more colorful, patterned pieces that stepped outside my comfort zone.

To use Dia & Co., you first take a style quiz that asks about your sizes, how clothes typically fit you, your style preferences and your preferred price range for items like tops, pants and dresses. You pay a $20 styling fee to have your box assembled. When the box arrives, you can buy what you like and return what you don't. The $20 fee applies at checkout to whatever you keep. You can order style boxes to best fit your schedule -- a monthly, bimonthly or a customized frequency -- as long as you try on and return clothes within five days. If you love your box and keep everything, you also get a 25% Buy All discount. There's also a boutique, if you're not quite ready to try a whole box.

Trunk Club/ Screenshots by Shelby Brown/ CNET

Trunk Club's affiliation with Nordstrom marks that it is a higher-end styling service for men and women. When you sign up, you create an in-depth clothing preference profile, which asks about things like your style, how you want your clothes to fit, price range, colors and patterns you hate, and more. The service offers tops and pants in petite, regular and plus sizes (XXS-XXXL or 00 to 16). Dresses run from size 00 to 16 and shoes range from size 3 to 14.5.

The site paired me with a stylist named Sydney, and allowed us to chat about what I wanted via a messenger feature available on the site and in the app. It was nice to be able to go into more detail or send a picture of an outfit to her. I could connect my Trunk Club account to my Pinterest board too for further personalization. Before sending out my trunk, Sydney sent me a digital preview of the items in the box. I could look over the items I was going to receive for 48 hours, give feedback, and if I didn't like something, she would swap it out with something else.

Trunk Club is more expensive than most of the other services, even with the $25 styling fee credited back (or waived if you have a Nordstrom debit or credit card). If you get the urge to splurge on higher-end items or spend that tax refund, you can select Trunks > Schedule Next Trunk. From there you can choose the time you'd like to receive a trunk or if you'd like to get them regularly.

There are also options to get specific trunks, like the Date Night Trunk, the Activewear Trunk, the Spring Essentials Trunk and more. In addition, Trunk Club has tips under the Advice tab on things like how to mix and match items, wearing denim at work, different ways to tuck in your shirt (who knew?) and more.

Shelby Brown/CNET

My husband and I both tried out The Mr. & Ms. Collection, a rental styling subscription service. It was a little intimidating at first because the site asked for our inseam lengths, dress shirts were sized numerically, and there was overall more fashion terminology involved, which was a little unfamiliar to us. The detailed process was worth it, though. When we got the packs, my husband was thrilled with how his jeans fit, and that the shirts could be worn at work or at home. The items in my pack lined up with my style perfectly, worked together as an outfit and could easily pair with other pieces in my closet.

You can subscribe to either The Mr. Collection or The Ms. Collection. The service works a little differently than many of the others. First, you sign up, pick a membership package and fill out your style profile. Once you get the box in the mail, you can hang onto the clothes for as long as you like, and then return them. If you really like something, you can buy it for up to 50% off. After you return your rentals, the service ships out your next pack, and your membership renews monthly.

The Mr. & Ms. Collection has four membership plans, which vary by price, number of items, and shipping speed. The standard once-a-month box that includes three items costs $59 a month. The premium once-a-month box includes four items and costs $69 a month. A standard unlimited box includes three items and unlimited boxes each month for $79 a month, and a premium unlimited box includes four items and unlimited boxes each month for $89 a month.

Shelby Brown/CNET

A Menlo Club subscription box combines multiple aspects of menswear: clothes, shoes and athleisure. As with many other boxes, you first take a style quiz, and then you get two clothing items per month in the mail. The Menlo clothes are casual enough to wear on their own if you're a more subtle dresser, but the more items you acquire, the more you can put together new outfits and step outside of your fashion comfort zone. In addition, the Menlo store, which anyone can shop from without an account, often has good sales on designer brands -- like $58 pants for $10. If you're a member, you also get 25% off in the store.

My husband's Menlo Club package consisted of dark-wash jeans and a white long-sleeve henley. His style is very laid-back, so those items would fit easily into his closet. The jeans would be easy to dress up or wear casually. Since he usually wears dark colors, the white was a nice change.

A service membership to Menlo costs $60 per month, and it's easy to cancel (or skip a month) if you find out that it's not for you -- just make sure to do it before you're charged that month. Menlo doesn't offer returns on packages, but you can swap items if something doesn't fit. You can also subscribe to a seasonal membership, where a package is delivered every three months for $75.

Shelby Brown/CNET

Stylogic is a clothing subscription service that offers women's sizes 12-36. What I liked most about it was how fast the service picked up on my style based only on my style profile. I also liked that each box provides a full outfit, while other services tend to include pieces that may or may not go together. Stylogic included a skirt, a cardigan, a top, a pair of shoes and a bracelet. The outfit matched my style and was still a little adventurous.

A Stylogic box includes five items, and you get seven days to try them on. There is a $20 styling fee that applies to whatever you keep, and if you don't keep anything, you pay only that fee. If you love your box and keep everything, you get a 20% discount.

Shelby Brown/CNET

Each package from Trendy Butler includes at least two clothing items from brands like Eleven Paris, Civil Society, Zanerobe, WeSC and Superdry that're meant to build out your wardrobe. My husband's sample package included three items: a gray long-sleeve shirt, a dark blue button-down and a pair of dark blue slacks. The items were able to work together and could integrate easily into his closet, without stepping too far outside his comfort zone.

The packages cost $65 per month with no styling fee -- you get to keep everything. The credit card on your account is charged the day you place your order and the same day the following month. Trendy Butler also has an online shop where you can buy specific pieces with your account.

If something doesn't work in your box, Trendy Butler offers returns (not refunds) and exchanges for members through its support email. You must have received the items in the last 60 days, explain why the items don't work so Trendy Butler can improve your profile, and have the clothes in "unworn condition" with the tags still on. If the items meet these criteria, you'll be sent a prepaid return label.

Originally published last year. Updated with new information.