Clothing for Boomer Women

As I came in to work this morning, I stopped to visit with a couple of co-workers. One of the main topics discussed was the seemingly inevitable change our bodies have undergone as we have passed each birthday. When I got to my desk and checked today’s woman-centric news, I found some interesting related information.

Apparel sales among women in their 50s enjoyed the biggest gain of any age group between 2001 and 2006, according to data from market researcher NPD Group. Those sales jumped 40 percent to $2 billion in 2006 from five years earlier, while sales of teen clothing fell 3.5 percent to $1.1 billion, and sales to twenty-something women rose just 4 percent to $1.3 billion.

To gain increases in revenue from Boomer customers, clothing retailers must find the right balance between style and comfort, reports Canada’s Globe and Mail. Citing examples from both Canadian and American retailers, strategies include adding more stretch to garments to give a fitted look without compromising the comfort of a loose feel and offering clothes with hidden support panels in the midriff and seat areas to accommodate and camouflage physique changes of aging.

To read more about findings from NPD Group and the latest trends in marketing clothing to the lucrative Boomer-women market, go to http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070418.RTABI18/TPStory/Business

Baby Boom-era women may be the most powerful demographic in the United States. They've got spending power. They're the fastest-growing segment of entrepreneurs. They're educated. And they want more.

Those are the intriguing first lines of an article today’s Entrepreneur Magazine online highlights. Originally appearing in Tulsa World newspaper, the article goes on to define the “more” that Boomer women want. New careers seem to be at the top of the list, with the sentiment being “why not?”

The article says, “A 2005 survey by Princeton Survey Research found large percentages of Boomers are planning on new careers later in life focusing on helping the poor and elderly, or working in health care or education.” Political pursuits, artistic endeavors, and expanding current pursuits in new directions are some of the career re-directs focused on in the article.

As further explanation, Tulsa World says, “Record numbers of Boomer women are switching careers or starting businesses later in life, looking at the traditional retirement age as a time of learning and self-discovery or reinventing oneself, according to surveys by the AARP and Ameriprise Financial.”

To read the entire article, go to: http://www.tulsaworld.com/NewsStory.asp?ID=070218_Fa_d1_extreme