Little In The Middle denim was founded in an effort to provide women with smaller waists and fuller hips a comfortable, well fitting jean that is premium in style and design! After decades of battling dressing rooms with jeans that never fit her curvy figure, founder Lee Ann Park decided to make some changes for curvy girls everywhere. Her patented,”one-up” sizing chart provides women the extra room for some curve in the hip  while still fitting just right at the waist. So a size 6 waisted girl who happens to be a size 8 in her hips can now slide right into a pair of Little In The Middle jeans! As a curvy gal myself, I decided to take a ride in Little In The Middle and see for myself if years of having to get alterations for my waist just to get a pair of jeans to fit would finally be over.  Turns out, I’m in love.

I reviewed the Empowered jeans in Deep Sea, which are featured to the left. After coming home on a Saturday and seeing my box of denim at my door, I couldn’t wait to get into the jeans that would hopefully change my life. But I was hesitant. Afterall, we are talking years and years of denim battles here. Could it really finally be over?

In one word – amazing. I was truly shocked and excited to find that Little In The Middle met their promise of “one-size up” in the middle to allow for the extra room I need in the hips but gave me the snug room I always craved in my waist. I couldn’t believe it. Still can’t, to be honest. But as all great love stories start, there is a feeling of disbelief that this can really be happening. But let me assure you, it is. And now you can experience it, too!

For just $55 wholesale and a suggested retail of $129, Little In The Middle is a MUST for any denim retailer. A premium denim at an affordable price, Little In The Middle doesn’t just offer good looking style but has embraced good living, as well. They recently partnered with the Alliance of Eating Disorders Awareness to promote positive body image by hosting a runway show, “re(Define) (Real)ity”, in an effort to bring awareness and support to eating disorders. Founder Lee Ann Park doesn’t agree with society’s vision of perfect that you have to fit into pencil thin jeans… and I agree.

You can shop for Little In The Middle at www.truejeans.com or talk with Little In The Middle yourself on how to get these amazing jeans in your store today by contacting Park at litmlpark@aol.com or by calling 925.368.4849. By the way, did I tell you how much I love Little In The Middle jeans?

What Is a Look Book

To begin, a Look Book is a book that is similar to a portfolio, however it represents a product line rather than providing visual samples of one’s work history. Look Books are used as visual aides in replace of the product, however they are often presented to buyers with the product, as well. The purpose of a Look Book is to provide a “story”, “feeling”, or “inspiration overview” of the product assortment through photographs of the product you want to sell.  Some have lifestyle photos and can be very graphic while others use fashion models to showcase their product and yet others are sleek and simple with no models at all. The creative flexibility of how to show your product in photos can be very appealing to designers.

Look Books are often professionally bound with glossy photos and little or no words included in them while others are presented in three ring binders with plastic portfolio cover sheets. The presentation will vary in design, however the content will always be primarily photos.The details of the product are sometimes included, but more often than not these details are outlined in the Buyer’s Packet instead.

Who Needs a Look Book

While there is no clear answer to this question, it is common for higher priced products, luxury goods, and one of a kind items to be showcased in a Look Book. Not meant for largely mass produced goods and inexpensive items, a Look Book is meant to showcase products that need a bit of a push to sell. If you are a jewelry designer who offers one of a kind pieces, a Look Book offers a great outlet to showcase some of the best work you have done. Meanwhile, if you offer customized art or designer handbags, a Look Book can provide you with a creative way to tell your product story. There is more flexibility in the creation of your Look Book versus a line sheet or other contents of a Buyer’s Packet, therefore as a designer you may have more fun with this presentation.

Many new wholesalers in the marketplace include Look Books to help push their product. Since competition is tough, it can often be more tough for new designers/artists/wholesalers to position themselves in their respective marketplace. Using a Look Book will certainly add to your pitch, offering a great outlet to tell your story since you will not always have the opportunity to do this face to face.

Presentation of a Look Book

The presentation of a Look Book is ultimately the decision on the designer, however it should be clearly understood that this presentation is also a reflection of the designer/artist/wholesaler themselves. That said, I always suggest presenting Look Books in a polished and professional presentation if you are going to take the time to create one.  I realize as small business owners it can tempting to cut corners everywhere you can, but I suggest leaving the three ring binders at home, as this reflects a college student’s project versus a professional presentation. Instead, considering simple and inexpensive binding techniques such as book stapling, coils, and book binding will offer you a professional presentation on a budget.

Final Thought

A Look Book can offer a sneak peak to your collection, as well as it can tell a story about your product assortment. Whatever the purpose is that you feel a Look Book can contribute to your line, remember that a complete Buyer’s Packet is more beneficial to you as a wholesaler. A Buyer’s Packet should include a line sheet with photos, pricing, designer/artist overview, introductory letter, and order form. These essential pieces, if done correctly and presented well, can sell your product or at least get you a conversation with potential buyers. Be realistic with yourself as to whether or not you really need a Look Book or if the fancy image of it is selling you on the idea of producing one yourself.

A final thought – Budgets are tight in all aspects of retail these days, so linking potentail buyers to your website with an “Online Look Book” may be something for you to consider instead, therefore saving you costs yet also offering retailers a larger view of what you have to offer outside of what your Buyer’s Packet represents.  Another option is to include a disk in the Buyer’s Packet that offers a digital Look Book. Both of these options can save you expenses while also providing an extra something to your retail accounts and potentail retail accounts.

Being optimistic, I thought that business must be great. I would have been so happy for the owner if this was in fact the case, however after chit chatting with the sales associate who I happen to know makes most of her salary through commission, I found out sales were very slow. This didn’t surprise me. What did, however, was that the store had not reacted to the ongoing retail slump and economic struggles that all customers are facing. It made me wonder if the store owner really knew who her customers were anymore.

After a bit more chit chat, I found out that most of their store clientele is not repeat business but rather tourists in Chicago and occasional splurges by Chicago college students and spoiled high school kids. She said they actually had very few “regulars” anymore. The key being anymore. According to this sales associate, ladies who use to stroll in and out of the store once a week were rarely seen and now the store foot traffic was mostly just browsers. It made me realize that their customer had truly changed before their eyes, and yet it appeared that the owner didn’t even realize this. Had she, I would imagine, she would try to keep up with this change in order to survive a possible retail death. Turns out, sales were less than half what they were a year ago on a daily average!

As store owners, it is easy to become comfortable with the idea of who your customer is. However, customers often change over time, and it is easy to dismiss the reality of who our customers really are when this happens. It’s important, however, to take note of the changes and react to them accordingly. The way I see it, there are two simple first steps to identifying what you should do next here. The first is to change with your customers by responding to what your targeted clientele needs are. The second is to accept who your new customers are and react to how you can better serve them. The third option, which I do not support, is to simply ignore the reality of your customer base changing and not do anything at all.

While target markets are often identifed on store business plans prior to store openings, they are not always revisited once the store opens. Make it a point to revisit who your customer is in order to survive the changing pace of retail.