All businesses related to fashion must pay close attention men's clothing news and trends. Trends change in the blink of an eye, and the industry is always coming up with something new in terms of sales strategies, retail displays and other ways to attract more customers to buy merchandise. Retailers that sell men's business attire or casual attire need to keep up.

Knowing where to find the best information about the industry will help you to stay ahead of the changing trends. Some of the best resources for industry information include:

1. Trade publications for the fashion industry.

2. Online resources for news on men's clothing companies.

3. Organizations and associations related to the industry.

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Read trade publications to learn about the latest men's apparel trends

Trade publications are the first step for learning about trends in fashions, as well as trends in the business operations department. These publications will let you know about all the new innovations for displaying and selling apparel, in addition to what types of apparel will be hot this season.

I recommend: Men's Flair is an online publication about various topics related to men's clothing style, from casual to formal wear. Wearables is a magazine that features men's clothing that can be used as promotional apparel for a variety of businesses.

Find online resources for news on men's clothing manufacturers

There are many online resources that can link you to articles and information on the fashion industry, particularly those that deal with men's business clothing or give a mens clothing industry overview. This will help to find out what is most popular with your targeted demographic.

I recommend: Zimbio is an an online resource where you can find many articles relating to men's fashions and men's clothing. If you want to stay up to date on the latest trends, follow the advice at Sharp by Design, a men's fashion blog.

Join fashion organizations to stay informed of men's apparel trends

A large part of the men's apparel industry is keeping up with fashion trends, pricing and marketing. But, the a large part of the industry also deals with the production of men's clothing and the manufacturing of wholesale men's apparel. You can find many organizations and associations that deal with all areas of the industry.

I recommend: The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has many resources to keep its members up to date on industry information. Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) is an organization that takes careful consideration to approve accredited apparel manufacturers that do not use forced labor or bad practices.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Finding industry information specifically for men's apparel is important, but any retailer should also watch news about other types of apparel as well, to see if there are similarities in the changing styles.

Men often get the short end of the stick when it comes to fashion. Look around in any department stores, and you'll see an unfair amount of clothing devoted to the fairer sex.

But it's just as important for a man to look professional as it is for women, as well as have something comfortable to put on when he gets home from a hard day at work.

Mens clothing companies are starting to recognize that men, especially those members of Generation X and Y, are paying more attention to how they look. If you're looking to stock your store with mens clothes:

1. Look for mens business attire that reflects current trends, including small splashes of bright blues or yellows in dress shirts or ties.

2. When buying mens clothing in weekend casual styles, look for stylish clothes that are made of comfortable material.

3. Consider stocking an area with mens business clothes for a casual workplace. "Business casual" can mean anything from sport coats to Dockers to jeans and a nice shirt, depending on the office environment.

4. Don't forget to offer extras that can boost your mens clothing sales, such as socks, stocking caps, boxers or ties.

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Take a look at your competitors to find out what's in style for mens clothing

How can you sell mens clothing if you don't know what your competition is doing? By looking at successful mens clothing companies and mens clothing manufacturers, you can learn what sells and what doesn't.

I recommend: Men's Wearhouse has the Calvin Klein Two-Button Black Mutli-stripe Suit. Jos. A. Bank has a variety of mens business clothing for professionals, including the Signature Merino Wool Polo Sweater for the casual office.

Explore your options with wholesale menswear

You can find deals for your shop by checking out wholesale mens business attire online. Look for great deals on brand names that your customers will recognize.

I recommend: Get bargains on mens business clothing at Suit Business. Their five-suit starter package can help you get your mens apparel business off the ground.

Make your shop the place to find casual mens clothes

Men love to be comfortable when they get home from work or spend their weekends just relaxing. Even if you're focusing on business attire, offering a rack of casual mens clothing can help ensure repeat customers.

I recommend: ValueSupply Merchandise sells wholesale mens apparel in casual styles, including the plaid short-sleeved shirt prepacked in sizes. Check out Island Wholesaler for Rocawear jackets.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't forget about looking into some larger sizes from mens clothing manufacturers.

Any retailer that focuses on men's fashion knows that the pricing and costs of men's clothing are on the rise. But there are still ways to save money when you need to stock your retail space with men's business clothing, and other types of men's apparel. To get the best of both worlds when you buy and sell men's clothing, you can find wholesale men's apparel in a variety of styels, including sportswear, casual wear and business wear.

Wholesale menswear may be priced per unit, by prepack orders (usually consisting of 12 to 36 items per pack), or by weight. You can get the best deals with prepacks because if you figure the price per unit, you can save at least 50 percent on most items.

Since menswear does not stop at shirts and pants, you will also have to consider accessories and shoes for your retail space. There are other options to consider when you purchase men's clothes for your store, including:

1. Different sizes to accommodate more customers.

2. What accessories to stock with the men's clothing you choose.

3. Whether your store will specialize in certain types of clothing, or offer a range of styles.

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Choose men's business clothing to maximize profits

Pricing and costs of men's clothing can be higher for business attire than other types of menswear, but almost every man needs to purchase at least one suit in order to be properly dressed for special occasions. They will also need shirts, ties and shoes to go with the suit. This is why stores specializing in business attire are usually profitable.

I recommend: You can find many suit fashions from Textile Trading Associates or AH Fashion. Both these companies offer Italian suits, accessories and more, with some styles under $200 per unit. Make sure you remember to also stock plenty of shirt and tie options for all your suits.

Buy sportswear men's wholesale clothing

Sportswear includes all types of items, including t-shirts, sweatpants, sweatshirts and athletic shoes. These items can be purchased from wholesalers that provide name brand sportswear, or you can find wholesalers that sell no brand sportswear for significantly less.

I recommend: RG Riley specializes in name brand sportswear for men and the whole family. Blank Shirts is a wholesaler that provides sportswear styles without name brands for less that $2.00 a per unit in most cases.

Stock casual wear men's clothing

Casual wear is perfect for many occasions. There are men's styles that will fit for everyday use, and fashions that are for more formal occasions. Since many offices are also switching to allow for more casual attire, this type of clothing could be your best-seller.

I recommend: ApparelUs.com stocks all types of pants, shirts, and jackets for men. Most styles are bundled in packages of six or more for under $40. You can also offer customers great casual style leather jacket styles from MyLeather.com. All styles are sold per unit, but cost well under $100.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep track of the latest trends and fashions, so when you order new items from your men's apparel wholesaler, you can get what your customers want to see in your store's window. The latest fashions can be tracked in any major fashion magazine.

There are some very important clothing terms that every entrepreneur should know for a business in men’s retail clothing. Knowing the proper jargon for cut and style lets customers and employees know that you are dedicated to, and educated in, the world of men’s retail. These terms are useful when working with men’s clothing manufacturers and ordering shirts, suits, ties and other articles of clothing.

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Big and tall

Big and tall clothing refers to a men's selection of clothing that is either bigger in girth or longer in size for jackets and trousers than the standard measurements.

I recommend: Wise Geek discusses the term big and tall in men’s clothing.

Weight

Weight is a word often used when describing the fabric of a suit or jacket. Weight is measured in ounces per fabric yard. The higher the ounce weight of the suit, the thicker the fabric from which it was created. Lighter-weight fabrics are often considered for summer and spring wear, while heavier weights are more commonly worn in the fall and winter.

I recommend: The Fashion Dex gives readers information about how to shop for fabrics and how to select fabric by weight.

Button-down collar

The phrase button-down collar is used when discussing men's dress shirts. One small button is used on each side of the collar to hold the collar in place. These are seen on both short- and long-sleeve shirts. Button-down collars originated in England during sporting events so the collar did not flap about during games.

I recommend: EzineArticles.com has interesting information on the button-down collar.

Italian suit, English suit, American suit

In the world of men's clothing, a suit is a set of garments that is made from the same fabric, usually consisting of a jacket and trousers, and sometimes including a vest. The English suit contains two side vents on the jacket, the Italian contains none, and the American contains a back vent.

I recommend: Learn more about men’s suits, their cut and weight from A Tailored Suit.

Saddle shoe

A saddle shoe is a type of shoe worn by men. The shoe laces up and has a leather overlay. The overlay looks like a saddle that covers the top of the arch of the foot.

I recommend: Shoebuy.com shows different styles of saddle shoes.

French cuff

French cuff refers to a type of shirt worn by men, usually with more expensive suits or tuxedos. French cuffs lap over onto themselves and are fastened together with cuff links.

I recommend: Get information about sizing and wearing a French cuff shirt from French Cuff Shirt.