Uniform News - May 2007

Retail Trends:

Making Customers Want to Stay and Shop

April, 27, 2007 (RetailWire) - Retailers understand that customers who stay in a store longer will spend more. But, as a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report points out, the key for retailers is how to get customers to want to stay in the store rather than have them feel as though they can't get out.

For OfficeMax, achieving that goal includes a new prototype that has lower shelves to give shoppers greater visual access to the interior of the store from a main aisle that circles around the perimeter. The thought is that opening up the interior aisles will lead more shoppers to choose another, longer route.

The office supply chain has also created an area where it makes no attempt to sell shoppers anything. The area is located near the printing center and it offers free Wi-Fi access and coffee to shoppers. The theory is simple. If customers have to wait on a printing job, make it more enjoyable to wait. Take the drudgery out and shoppers will return more often.

Stein Mart has taken another approach to making customers feel at home in its stores. The chain hires women to work one day a week serving iced tea and cookies while handing out fashion advice in its boutique clothing department.

Macy's has expanded its dressing room and adjacent waiting areas to put shoppers at ease. The chain recently announced it was testing restaurants operated by famous chefs such as Wolfgang Puck and Todd English in its stores.

"We're creating a place for shoppers to rest and refresh, and another point of differentiation for us," said Tom Cole, vice chairman of Federated Department Stores told the St. Petersburg Times. "We have to keep changing to make stores more interesting."

Neckwear Industry Reacts to Growing Sizes of American Men

Ferndale, WA, April 24, 2007, (eMediaWire) - It's no secret. American men just aren't getting any smaller. Whether it's weight or height, the average size of a man has increased every year since the 1960s. Unfortunately, the apparel industry hasn't adequately addressed this growing segment of growing men, until now. Big Shot Neckwear, an affiliate of national neckwear company The Tie Bar, has developed its first ever line of extra extra long 67-inch neckties. Big Shot Neckwear looks to fill the void found in the entire neckwear industry - big ties for big guys.

This isn't your standard XL tie. Big Shot Neckwear has designed neckties which reach 67 inches in length - five full inches longer than the typical extra long tie found in any big and tall store, and ten inches longer than the typical standard length necktie found in most department stores.

So just how many men actually need to wear a 67-inch necktie? Well its founders have been in the neckwear business for several years, and they have discovered this increasing demand for extra extra long neckties. "A week hasn't passed in the last six months where we haven't received a phone call or email from a customer asking whether we carry any neckties longer than 62 inches. So we asked ourselves - how many more calls would we have to take before realizing this niche market exists?," quipped Big Shot Neckwear co-founder Greg Shugar.

So during the busy Holiday 2006 season, Shugar began designing Big Shot Neckwear's first ever collection of extra extra long 67-inch neckties in time for the busy spring shopping season. And the emails have already been coming in. "The first morning that our website went live, we received four emails from customers thanking us for creating this outlet. We knew then that the company's existence was justified," Shugar added.

Big Shot Neckwear's styles range from the traditional repp stripes to the trendier large paisley ties which have been flooding the entire neckwear market. Likewise, the hues of its neckties cover every color of the spectrum for tastes of all kind. "We know of a few stores that carry some extra extra long ties, but the styles they offer pre-date the Nixon Administration," Shugar joked. "It's time to start giving larger men a place to go where they can add some much-needed style to their wardrobe."

Yes, Large and in Charge is back. And he's wearing a great looking tie this time around.

Company Press Releases

Zweave’s Automation Solutions Streamline Body Armor Development for ARMORsmith

Boston, MA, March 1, 2007– Zweave, Inc., a leader in on-demand design automation

software serving the needs of defense industry acquisition programs and consumer products manufacturers, will provide services to ARMORsmith, a leading provider of next generation body armor. ARMORsmith has signed a two year subscription agreement to Zweave’s Zdesign™ to manage product development data associated with the research, development, and manufacture of lightweight body armor solutions for military and civilian police.

With a unique focus on human factors in the product lifecycle and defense industry specific features, Zweave’s on-demand design automation solutions support the collaborative product lifecycle management of clothing and individual equipment items. Zdesign™ is a comprehensive, integrated suite of Collaborative Design Studios in which creative and sourcing teams come together to manage all aspects of product development.

“After spending twenty years in product development with inefficient tools and processes to support color, fit, design, trend research, merchandising, sampling and sourcing, our team of product development and technology experts have created the tools we have always wanted for design and product development activities,” says McCann, an apparel industry product development veteran and the president and founder of Zweave. “We have received seven Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the US Department of Defense to develop clothing and equipment design automation solutions to support the defense acquisition community. After five years of government funded R&D, we are launching Zdesign™ and Fit Studio™ our first products for the consumer products markets in May 2007 with our partner OptiTex usa.”

“ARMORsmith required a system that would support both male and female 3D data from medical imaging, full body scans, landmarks, 3D fit, pattern making, and portfolio management,” said Alex Gallo, president of ARMORsmith. “Zdesign™ lets us replace manual product data management systems with an integrated and automated solution that supports versioning, change control and secure collaboration with our internal and external partners in the defense industry. Zdesign™ supports our requirements for managing complex anthropometric and human factors information together with pattern making, grading and 3D CAD solutions from OptiTex while supporting our workflow and business processes to guarantee ARMORsmith’s solutions reach our troops on the battlefield today and not in ten years.”

“Our partnership with Zweave has allowed us to integrate OptiTex’s 2D and 3D design tools with Zweave’s Fit Studio™, enabling ARMORsmith’s design team to maximize product development efficiencies through the use of anthropometric virtual models, custom patterns and fit workspaces” said Yoram Burg, president of OptiTex USA. “The warfighter depends on the fit of their body armor and our tools combined with Zweave’s PLM approach to managing fit data will save lives.”

“The adoption of Zdesign™ by ARMORsmith further validates Zweave’s on-demand design automation solutions as a highly attractive alternative to expensive, risky, and cumbersome, non apparel-specific PLM client-server applications,” said David Buck, CEO of Zweave. “For the first time, Zweave is offering access to apparel focused, web-based Product Lifecycle Management software as an ASP with a yearly subscription fee instead of as an enterprise solution necessitating expensive software license fees. Our approach makes it possible for small and medium size companies on the cutting edge of product design, whether fashion or defense focused, to minimize their internal IT resource obligations. We lower their overall costs, reduce the implementation complexity and speed up the time to launch, while providing access to cutting edge software.”

ARMORsmith Company develops next generation armor solutions for both male and female protection that incorporate the latest in nanotechnology, high strength lightweight materials, microclimate systems, transparent armor, data-communications, and power systems. The lightweight & scalable defensive technological advancements greatly enhance protection for the warfighter and police officer with anthropometrically developed armor solutions that can be produced cost effectively in volume.

Founded in 1987, OptiTex specializes in the development of innovative easy-to-operate CAD/CAM solutions for sewn products and other related industries. Its native Microsoft Windows based software packages for digitizing, pattern engineering, grading, marking, advanced automatic nesting, made to measure and draping, are specifically designed to meet the needs of today's manufacturers of industrial fabrics, apparel, upholstery, transportation, composites, home furnishings, and other sewn products.

Zweave, Inc. is a leader in on-demand design automation software, serving the needs of Defense acquisition programs, the Defense industry, and consumer products manufacturers. For the thousands of people working in organizations that design, source and manufacture clothing, footwear, equipment, textiles and consumer products, Zweave’s software solutions make it as easy as possible to share and manage product development information anytime, anywhere.

UniFirst Donates Protective Shirts to Soldiers in Iraq

April 11, 2007 - As a heartfelt and patriotic gesture to help keep soldiers who are fighting in Iraq safer, UniFirst Corporation donated 450 custom Flame-Resistant (FR) T-shirts to the Army National Guard in April. The donation came as a result of the Pentagon’s recent announcement that FR uniforms were to become standard issue for all U.S. troops serving in the Middle East as of this year.

The FR T-shirts were officially accepted on behalf of the military by Operation Homefront, a national organization which serves as an intermediary for private donations to U.S. soldiers.

The desert-colored T-shirts that were donated to the military are manufactured with Indura Ultra Soft fabric which features a chemically treated finish with an 88% cotton/12% nylon blend for maximum comfort, durability, and safety. The light-weight, protective fibers are self-extinguishing, which means they will not continue to burn if exposed to an electrical arc or open flame—which is a situation that often leads to the most debilitating skin burn injuries. Each of the donated T-shirts features the Army National Guard’s slogan “Always Ready, Always There.” A special, flame resistant ink was used to silkscreen the message.

It was the Pentagon’s FR clothing edict that caught the attention of UniFirst Executive Vice President Cynthia Croatti. “As a Massachusetts-based manufacturer and supplier of uniforms, work clothing, and protective garments, we asked ourselves if there was something we could do to let our hometown soldiers know we’re proud of their efforts and are behind them in their deployment. Donating these FR shirts seemed a perfect answer.”

Sandy Winkler, a spokesperson for Operation Homefront, said her organization was “very grateful” for the support that UniFirst was showing for U.S. soldiers serving oversees.

River’s End Trading Company Expands West Coast Sales Force

Minneapolis, March 28, 2007 - River’s End Trading Company today announced the addition of two members to their west coast sales team.

Rosalie Sulaimane was born and raised in France and came to the United States at age 16 to study. She decided to stay in the states, starting her career in the ASI Industry at a printing company who is now one of her customers. Rosalie has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Cal State University of Fullerton. Rosalie is responsible for Southern California, Arizona, and Southern Nevada.

Pam Calahorro has over 20 years of sales experience in the apparel and activewear industry. She spent 9 years with Nike, Inc. as an account executive. Pam has a Bachelor of Science Degree from San Diego State University. She is a native Californian and her territory covers Northern California and Northern Nevada.

Commenting on the new hires, Donna Novak, vice president of sales and marketing for River’s End said, “I am excited to welcome two talented sales people to the River’s End team to help support our growing business on the west coast and our Reno, Distribution Center.”

The Reno team has just completed a successful conversion to a new warehouse management computer system which provides better information to customers and a much improved packing and tracking system. Reno has next day service to most of California as well as Phoenix, Tuscon and Las Vegas.

For more information on River’s End Trading Company and their products visit www.riversendtrading.com .

Tafford Uniforms Announces Nursing Scholarship Program

North Wales, PA, March 27, 2007 – Tafford Uniforms, a leading supplier of nursing scrubs, shoes, and medical accessories, today announced the Tafford Uniforms Nursing Scholarship, a program designed to support the education and training of nursing students.

The United States faces a serious nursing shortage as the population ages and the need for health care continues to grow. According to the American Hospital Association, US hospitals currently need approximately 118,000 registered nurses to fill vacant positions. The latest projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that more than 1.2 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2014.

“As the majority of our customers, nurses are the most important people in the world to Tafford,” said Gene S. Godick, President and CEO of Tafford Uniforms. “We are excited to be able to give back to a profession that helps deliver critical medical services to millions of Americans every day.”

To qualify for a Tafford Scholarship, applicants must be enrolled in an accredited nursing program towards an associates (or LPN, LVN), bachelors (BSN), or masters (MSN) degree in nursing. Applicants must maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or better and write a short essay on their reasons for pursuing a career in nursing.

Tafford Uniforms will award two (2) $1,000 scholarships in June 2007 and expects to award scholarships twice per year on an ongoing basis. Applications can be submitted online at http://www.tafford.com/scholarship/scholarship.htm. The application deadline is May 15, 2007.

Visit Tafford on the web at www.tafford.com .

International

Textile Manufacturers Seek Countervailing Duties Against Chinese Imports

Atlanta, April, 2007 (Textile World) - US textile manufacturers plan to take advantage of a new government policy to consider using countervailing duties (CVDs) against illegally subsidized goods from nonmarket economies. At the annual meeting of the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) in Washington April 24, NCTO Chairman Smyth McKissick, Alice Manufacturing Co., told Textile World his organization “definitely” sees the CVD policy as another tool in the industry’s efforts to combat a flood of imports from China.

In a major reversal of policy, the US Department of Commerce on March 30 announced that it would, for the first time, use the CVD anti-subsidy law against China. While the case involves a manufacturer of coated paper products, David Spooner, assistant secretary of commerce for import administration, said applications covering imports of other commodities could be considered. US antidumping and countervailing duty laws are recognized by the World Trade Organization.

Although CVD cases generally are complicated and time-consuming, NCTO believes they are worth pursuing because it believes Chinese textile and apparel products are heavily subsidized and are costing the US industry thousands of jobs. While anti-dumping laws provide another avenue of relief, the government has held that US textile manufacturers have no standing in cases involving apparel. Since the US apparel industry has shrunk so much, there has been very little activity on that front.

In an address to the NCTO members attending the annual meeting, McKissick put high priority on legislation that would levy punitive tariffs on goods from countries that manipulate their currencies to gain advantage in international trade. NCTO is pushing the Fair Currency Act of 2007 that would define “exchange rate manipulation” as a prohibited export subsidy and permit use of the CVD law to seek relief from injury caused by imports that benefit from the subsidy offsetting any advantage.

In citing “progress” in dealing with trade issues, McKissick told NCTO members that free trade agreements (FTAs) recently negotiated with Peru, Colombia and Panama have the “very best rule of origin we have ever had.” He said they have a yarn-forward rule with no tariff preference level that would allow non-participating countries to benefit from the agreements, and they call for strong Customs enforcement. He also gave general praise to the South Korea FTA, although details have not yet been released. One area of possible concern is that 61 percent of textile and apparel tariffs will be eliminated immediately upon enactment of the agreement, and textile manufacturers are uneasy about which products will by duty free and which ones will continue to have tariff protection.

McKissick also was bullish on the FTA with Vietnam because of the government’s monitoring program and a commitment to self-initiate anti-dumping actions if it determined that Vietnam textiles or apparel are being dumped on the US market at unfair prices.

As the meeting concluded, the textile executives headed for Capitol Hill to shore up their relations with members of Congress. McKissick said this is a continuation of a number of activities, which underscore the fact that “our industry is being heard, and we are able to influence policies that help shape our industry and the ways we do business.”

Technical Textiles Sew up Apparel Success

United Kingdom, April 16, 2007 (Just-style.com) - Technical textiles for the apparel industry, ranging from stain resistant clothing for catering staff to all-in-one suits for nuclear, biological and chemical warfare, looks set to be a fruitful area of growth over the next half-decade, according to a new report.

New research - The global market review of technical textiles in apparel: forecasts to 2011 - shows that volume growth of technical fabrics for apparel end-uses should increase 23% by 2011, with the value of the market jumping 17.3% in this timeframe.

Smart products - such as wearable electronics - are the cause of much excitement among both manufacturers and consumers alike, with Nike's strategic "tie-up" with Apple Computer on trainers that can track a runner's performance and help choreograph songs to a workout a case in point.

There is still room for aesthetic and commercial improvements, but technical fabrics, such as those incorporating Kevlar and Nomex, will show further penetration into mainstream apparel as a blend or stand-alone in garments, according to the just-style report.

Asia is identified as the largest growth area for technical apparel textiles, with a 42.7% value increase forecast over the period by 2011. This will be driven by an increasingly developed and sophisticated infrastructure, as well as huge growth in the private health sector in both China and India, requiring new uniforms.

Notable influences on the technical textiles market include the growth of China's economy, changes in membership within the EU, and ongoing political instability in the Middle East - with demand for technical fabrics used for military and public utility uniforms already increasing in line with the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

However, the growth of technical apparel textiles is not refined to the military, and many newly-developed materials have married well into the mainstream fashion sector.

Performance textiles - often windproof, breathable or aerodynamic - have been taken up widely. Just-style's report deduces that aesthetic properties are a vital factor in the design of such products. The development of performance textiles was identified as the driving force behind many innovations in mainstream apparel.

In addition, clothing for outdoor pursuits is one of the largest market areas where technical fabric technology crosses into mainstream apparel, the report finds, using nylon or polyester microfibres.

Perhaps the most publicized technical innovation has been smart-clothing and smart-fabrics. However, the technical textiles report remains skeptical about such "hype", saying that despite many years of research and development, all that has been confirmed is, to date, very few "wearable electronic" smart textile products.

"Many problems have resulted from the fact that the developers of smart textiles technology have mostly been either US academic institutions, which have largely focused on the unique requirements of the US military, or electronics/chip companies, who have not understood the very different approaches to product development, planning horizons and user needs of the textiles industry," the report surmises.

"As a result, new product development has often failed to reflect either true market requirements or the problems of garment technology integration that are likely to be faced."

In addition, the report finds that many developments by small companies have failed to flourish through a lack of funding.

Examples of smart-clothing with potential that have already hit the shelves include wearable electronics, appearance changing garments, shape memory products and non-electrical thermal control. Each was found to have different commercial and market potential by the research.

Overall research and development (R&D) is identified as "the lifeblood of the technical fabric industry", by the report, which names Klopman International, Milliken & Company, Du Pont de Nemours, Malden Mills Industries, WL Gore & Associates, Royal TenCate, The Toray Group, Schoeller Textil AG, and Reliance Industries among the leading technical innovators.

However, it seems that the transfer of garments from laboratory to catwalk could be a slow one for manufacturers, especially while the sale of such products through their functional attributes seems enough to support growth alone.

When Italian Style Meets Indian Chic...It’s fashion in the Air

India, April 16, 2007 (Equity Bulls) - Just over a year ago, on a spring day in Rome, Naresh Goyal, Chairman of Jet Airways, met with Roberto Capucci through a mutual friend.

The fact that Roberto Capucci had never designed airline uniforms before, coupled with his reputation for elegant style, is what made Roberto the perfect choice to create something never seen before in airline uniforms. For Roberto Capucci, it was a challenge to his creativity that just added to his growing love for India and her people and culture.

The Jet Airways brief was concise. Create a new look for all categories of uniformed employees that was elegant, classic, with western style and an Indian touch: A distinctive international look capturing the Spirit of New India that a young and dynamic team would feel proud to wear.

Roberto envisioned a group of smart and elegant people rather than 'air crew.’ He let the inspiration of the Indian ‘universe,” which is often present in his creations, lead him. The result was a perfect meeting point between East and West, not seen as western influence on the eastern culture but the other way around.

On the threshold of the launch of the new uniforms, Roberto and his partner Enrico Minio are very excited.

Roberto Capucci’s message to the Jet Airways’ uniformed personnel today is, "Wear it with ease, pride and your natural charm, your elegance at the workplace will enhance the image of Jet Airways like no ‘product’ can, or ever be able to. This uniform is a sincere and humble tribute to the deep beauty of India."

The result, dynamic and professional attire designed to take airline uniforms onto the fashion runaways at airports around the world.

Companies/Endusers in the News

VF: Brands Remake Company

Greensboro, NC, April 22, 2007 (News Record, as reported by Donald Patterson) - Come Tuesday, when Mackey J. McDonald attends the VF Corp. annual meeting, he'll swap his jeans and sport shirt look for a suit and tie.

But shareholders couldn't care less about McDonald's changeover. They're focused on the company's.

By now, shareholders know that whatever VF's chairman and CEO wears, his pockets will be stuffed with good news.

2006 will be a case in point: record revenue and earnings. A soaring stock price. Surging quarterly dividends. More international growth. And more retail stores opened.

And already this year, two new acquisitions. The prospect of more buys. And more growth and profitability.

It's all evidence of what McDonald calls the company's transformation.

"It's working," McDonald said of the changes at VF, "but it's not complete. ... I think there is still much more to do."

But the changes at VF go far beyond the 50-brand, 43,000-employee, $6.2 billion company.

Nearly 10 years after VF announced it would move its headquarters to Greensboro, the changes have strengthened its position as the world's largest apparel company — and allowed it to become one of the city's top corporate citizens.

Over the past decade, city leaders say, VF has helped fill the void created by the decline and merger of Burlington Industries and Cone Mills and the decision by Guilford Mills to leave town.

It is one of Greensboro's top 20 employers and the city's only Fortune 500 corporate headquarters.

But VF's transformation has had an even broader impact.

"This success story has changed the landscape of the (apparel) industry," said Marshal Cohen, the chief analyst at the NPD Group, a market research firm in New York. "Not only has VF changed its own face, it has changed the industry as a whole."

Starting with The North Face in 2000, VF has spent more than $1.9 billion acquiring 12 companies, large and small.

Today, VF calls itself "the world's leading provider of lifestyle brands," including Wrangler, Nautica and The North Face.

VF's 50 brands are sold at more than 67,000 retail locations in 150 countries.

Collectively, those brands produce 800 million items a year.

"You look back and you say this company has a vision of where they are going," said Peter Tourtellot, the managing director of Anderson Bauman Tourtellot Vos & Co., a turnaround firm based in Greensboro. " ... We take (VF) for granted. They are not out beating their own chests. They kind of let the results speak for themselves."

In 1998, when the company moved here from Reading, Pa., VF focused on jeans, women's underwear, children's playwear and work clothes.

Now, the company's offerings range from Major League Baseball uniforms to butcher jackets, backpacks to boots, bedding to boating attire.

The company's portfolio appeals to such diverse consumer groups as surfers, skateboarders and mountain climbers.

"It's been a strategy of many of the big U.S. garment makers to acquire emerging brands targeted at niche markets," said Peter Kilduff, a former UNCG faculty member who now teaches in California. "But they have been one of the most successful at executing that strategy."

A decade ago, like other apparel companies, VF found the ground shifting beneath it. U.S. apparel firms were moving manufacturing offshore to lower costs. That put tens of thousands of U.S. textile workers out of work.

VF did likewise, announcing several major layoffs. In 2001 alone, it announced a massive restructuring that would eliminate 13,000 jobs, or 18 percent of the company's work force, and close 30 plants.

And VF officials realized the company needed to diversify.

"It wasn't like a blinding light on the road to Damascus," said Ed Crutchfield, a long time member of VF's board and the former chairman and CEO of First Union . "It had been building for a while, the sense that we needed to break out of here. Everybody realized that the thing we were talking about was taking a lot more risk."

The first purchase came in 2000. It was The North Face, a company on the verge of bankruptcy that made outerwear and high-tech sporting gear.

"All of us were just, 'Wow,'" Crutchfield said of The North Face performance. "Earnings and sales went through the roof. We began to say this is repeatable and not only repeatable once. It may be repeatable 10 times."

With that, an attempt at diversification turned into a transformation, and VF began adding one lifestyle brand after another — Eastpak, Nautica, John Varvatos, Vans, Kipling, Napapijri, Reef, Holoubek, Eagle Creek and Majestic, which makes uniforms for Major League Baseball.

In 2000, only 10 percent of the company's revenues came from its lifestyle brands.

That number has jumped to 41 percent; by 2009, McDonald wants it at 60 percent.

VF's acquisitions have been successful for a number of reasons, but primarily because of what McDonald calls "the art and science of the apparel business."

Those originally involved in the newly acquired companies continue to design and market products — the art — and VF brings the science: consumer research, inventory management, sourcing and technology.

Apparel industry observers see McDonald as the key to VF's transformation.

"At the end of day, any good performance comes from a team," said Kiduff, the former UNCG faculty member.

" ... (But) from everything I hear, he has to be given credit for taking them where they are."

And "where they are" is hot - the company's stock hit a record high of $86.99 on April 13.

"The landscape is shifting in their favor," said Angelique Dab, the senior vice president of Nollenberger Capital Partners in New York. "There is brand recognition. There is good distribution. There is growth opportunity. When you put all that together, that is what makes me feel they have a lot more opportunity going forward."

Asked what keeps him awake at night, Crutchfield, the board member, says nothing.

"I think the high risk in the transformation is behind us," Crutchfield said . "It's not an experiment any more. It's a proven strategy."

But what if VF hadn't undergone its transformation?

Some fear the worst.

"If they had remained a basic apparel manufacturer, if they had not transformed themselves, they wouldn't exist," said Pat Danahy, the president and CEO of the Greensboro Partnership.

" ... It's an incredible story."

Hotel Service with a Style

New York, April 16, 2007 (Times) - Move over, Tyra Banks. Bellmen, bartenders and concierges are the latest inspiration for fashionistas, who are outfitting hotel workers in name-brand designer duds.

Gone are the red jackets with gold buttons and starchy white maid uniforms. In their place: wrap dresses by Diane von Furstenberg, trendy bubble skirts and Michael Kors slacks and shirts so stylish that workers don't need to change their clothes before hitting the bar after they punch out.

"When you put someone in a 100% polyester, binding thing that is uncomfortable and shiny and does not allow the person to be themselves, it's hard to expect them to do their best work," said Ross Klein, president of W Hotels, where employees wear seasonal lines by Michael Kors.

Adopting the belief that a stylish worker is a happy worker, hoteliers increasingly are turning to designers for fashion makeovers.

Daniel Vosovic, a former finalist on Bravo channel's fashion competition show "Project Runway," is designing a line for NYLO Hotels, the first of which will open this year in Plano, Texas.

Cynthia Rowley created concierge and housekeeping uniforms for the Kimpton Hotels' Hotel Monaco in Denver. And Jason Pomeranc has tapped a slate of designers to dress the staff at several of his Thompson hotels, including the Hollywood Roosevelt, 60 Thompson in New York and the Thompson Beverly Hills, which opens in June.

Cintas Corp., one of the world's largest manufacturers of mass-produced uniforms, is even trying its hand at trendier threads. The company started "Define Your Design" contests a few years ago, offering a designer makeover to winning hotels. This year, Cintas is rolling out a new wardrobe for the third contest winner, Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point.

"We have designers and merchandisers that are constantly looking at fashion trends," said Cintas spokesman Ahmed Said. Hotel employees "don't want something that looks and fits and feels like a uniform. They want to look like they just went to a department store and picked it off the shelf. People tend to feel better about wearing a designer label."

That's exactly what the staff likes about the new uniforms at the W in Westwood, where the women behind the front desk wear black pants and peasant blouses or crocheted babydoll tops and the guys don "smart casual" button-down shirts and leather belts with a W on a brushed silver buckle. Maids wear all black.

Before the Michael Kors outfits were adopted this year, welcome desk agent Joey Jalalian, 25, said she always had to "politely decline" post-work invitations because she was wearing her uniform.

Now, she said, "I don't feel the need to strip down after work."

The guys appreciate their designer garb too.

"I feel great when I throw this on," said Jose Alvarez, 32, who works the late-night shift behind the front desk. "I feel like I'm wearing a $150 to $200 uniform. It's not cheap." Uniforms are paid for by the hotel.

At the Laguna Cliffs Marriott, general manager Jim Samuels said that before the clothing switch, the resort had become a hodgepodge of uniforms, with no property-wide theme.

The hotel needed a uniform makeover to stay competitive with the nearby Montage, Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis Monarch Beach. The new look — what Samuels described as "upscale resort" — has injected a sense of enthusiasm among the staff.

"Even the housekeepers are very excited," Samuels said.

Jason Pomeranc, co-owner of Thompson hotels, said chic clothes were important, especially in the competitive boutique segment.

He uses different designers for his hotels, depending on the mood and tone he's trying to capture. Diane von Furstenberg dresses at the Hollywood Roosevelt capture "a European flavor, bordering on American chic," Pomeranc said. Denim by Rag & Bone is the fabric of choice for workers at the new 6 Columbus in New York — "casual, but still very smart at the same time," he said. Rachel Zoe and Jenni Kayne collaborated on the uniforms for Beverly Hills: "delicate and elegant, but still sexy in its own way. A little mod."

Boutique hotels, Pomeranc said, are "pushing the envelope when it comes to design, when it comes to amenities, food concepts, music and minibars — every element."

"This is yet another way of setting yourself apart from the competition and carving out your own identity."

Greenwich Police Honor Guard Makes a Comeback

Greenwich, CT, April 20, 2007 (Greenwich Citizen) - This March, two years after being disbanded, the Greenwich Police Honor Guard reappeared in a new incarnation with throwback uniforms and the same sense of purpose and duty they have always had.

After making their debut at the swearing-in ceremony of new Deputy Chief David Ridberg, the Honor Guard led the town's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. "The guys looked real sharp," said Sgt. James Bonney, president of the GPD Silver Shield Association, which is the Greenwich Police union.

"We're not some meandering group," he continued. "We are trying to look as professional as possible."

People seemed to agree. The Guard is scheduled to lead the Memorial Day parade in Old Greenwich and will appear at the town's Salute to Veterans event - major signs of respect for a group that was disbanded in a cloud of controversy in December 2005.

According to Bonney, Police Chief James Walters disbanded the original Guard after it failed to appear at the second inauguration of First Selectman Jim Lash. Instead, members of the Guard joined Silver Shield members who were protesting outside the ceremony.

Many of the Guard's members, he said, hadn't even been present at the protest, but had been working, taking time off or on military leave.

When the Guard was disbanded, Bonney and other Silver Shield members began their efforts to reform the group as an independent entity funded by the union. They launched a fund-raising effort that eventually yielded nearly $25,000, including $18,000 from one donor, to pay for new uniforms and equipment for the 14-member squad.

The uniforms they purchased are a tribute to the uniforms worn by Greenwich police in the 1940s and '50s. "We wanted it to mean something, to go back to the original GPD look," Bonney said.

The double breasted, high collar uniforms were custom made in Massachusetts and have one particularly special feature - three stripes on the right sleeve that represent the three Greenwich officers who have died in the line of duty.

"The stripes are on the right sleeve because every time we salute, we are saluting them," Bonney explained.

The current Honor Guard attends not only town ceremonies, but also the funerals of area officers killed in the line of duty, something that many Greenwich police did on their own time.

"A lot of us used to go down on our own time, I would take days off to go to funerals," said Bonney, "but now we can go down as a unit."

Most recently, the Guard attended the funeral of one of the New York City auxiliary officers that was shot to death in March.

"When I saw them do that, that's when I really appreciated the Honor Guard the most. It was a really nice thing to do for the family and a nice way to respect the guy," Bonney said.

It is a duty that Greenwich officers take very seriously. "We are dead serious about this," said Bonney.

Now that the Honor Guard is under the control of the Silver Shield, it is an entirely voluntary undertaking. Officers formerly received pay for practicing and appearing at events, but no more.

"Guys do it because they like it," Bonney said. "One of the proudest things I ever did was help get the Honor Guard back together."