Here’s one more sign that little is as it used to be in the garment industry these days: The leading trade association for makers of men’s ties has shut down.
The end of the New York-based Men's Dress Furnishings Association follows years of bruising competition from offshore competitors, the consolidation of the domestic retail industry, and the rise of casual dressing—trends that have combined to bring waves of change to the lives of garment industry professionals in recent years.
The 60-year-old Men's Dress Furnishings Association recently saw its membership roll fall to 25 companies, down from more than 100 during the 1980s, when “power ties” were a significant fashion statement. U.S.-based tie makers have seen their share of domestic sales fall by nearly half over the past decade or so, to approximately 40% of the market, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The offshore competition is plenty tough, to be sure, but the tie makers may have lost this battle before the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) ever passed. A recent poll by the Gallup Organization found that only 6% of men in the U.S. regularly wear a tie to work these days.
Overall sales have fallen to $677 million annually in the U.S., a bit more than half the $1.3 billion chalked up in 1995, according to New York-based research firm NPD Group.
Some believers in the Windsor knot, remain though. Lee Terrill, president of the neckwear group at New York-based Phillips-Van Heusen Corp., recently told the Journal that he sees a chance for a comeback amid the current economic downturn, which has a lot of men looking for new jobs.
“Sometimes the economy forces people to look at themselves and say, ‘If I show up to a job interview in a T-shirt and jeans and the other guy is in a sport coat with a tie, who are they going to hire?’” Terrill said.
