Listen up, women’s wear retailers and manufacturers. Mary Chimienti, a 70-year-old Westchester resident, wants to tell you a thing or two about women her age.
“We’re grandmothers who roll around on the floor with our grandkids,” Chimienti says. “We don’t need jackets that cost $400. And everything I see is a size 2 or 4. What about those of us who aren’t size 2 or 4? There’s nothing for us.”
She may sound extreme, but retail experts say Chimienti’s assessment of the women’s apparel market is right. Few manufacturers offer affordable, attractive, well-fitting clothes for women over 55.
“It’s there, but it’s hard to find and what’s there is limited,” says Marshal Cohen, co-president of NPD FashionWorld, the Port Washington, N.Y.-based retail consulting and research firm.
Too, what’s out there tends to be unsuitable for retired women who need to dress for a variety of activities: church, social gatherings and casual get-togethers, observes Bobbi Allen, 55, an Oak Park-based style consultant.
The gap in the market is surprising, considering that women over 55 account for 17 percent or $14 billion a year of all clothing purchases, according to NPD FashionWorld research.
Though scarce, there are stores and brands that cater to older women. Cohen holds up Chico’s as exemplary. Most pieces are priced under $100, which makes the line a comfortable fit for most budgets. Chico’s is on the 3rd floor of Water Tower Place, 835 N. Michigan Ave. Or visit www.chicos.com for additional locations.
Carol Monaco, owner of Embassy Studio, a River North hair salon, named Jones New York as one of her favorite brands.
“They make decent suits and at a reasonable price,” says Monaco, 62. She recently spent about $400 for a Jones New York skirt, jacket and blouse.
Monaco shops at Marshall Field’s and Ann Taylor; her closet also holds cargo pants and other trendy pieces from The Limited and Express.
Others mention Eileen Fisher as a clothing line popular with older women, but, with pieces starting at $100, perhaps not affordable on a fixed budget. Allen suggests visiting the outlet store at 228 E. Golf Rd. in Arlington Heights.
Chimienti swears by Mary Ann’s Shoppe at 21 Calendar Ave. in La Grange. Chimienti buys the majority of her clothes at the store, which carries separates and dresses from Koret, Gepetto, Toni Marie, Da Rue, Alfred Dunner, Bleyle and other brands that work well with older women’s lifestyles. Chimienti likes the store for its selection, its price range, which stays below $100, and for the attentive customer service.
