Selling clothes designed specifically for Boomer women: Will Ann Taylor come to our rescue?

I have never really liked to shop for myself. I usually end up frustrated and tired, so when I do shop, I tend to "power shop," visiting favorite stores and sticking with specific brands. I know that there are certain brands that I can wear without even trying them on, so I tend to gravitate to those first, bypassing everything else. More than half the time, I buy clothes without darkening the doors of the dressing room.

That's why I was thrilled to learn from my friend, Lisa Aldisert, a NY-based trend watcher and futurist/consultant, that Ann Taylor is going after the Boomer market. She sent me this link to a NY Times story that speculates that the Ann Taylor chain will bring to market in late 2008 a new line of stores that specialize in clothes for women over 35.

It's about time, isn't it? I have long been a huge fan of  the Jones New York brand because the quality is good, the clothes are conservative, but practical, and I can buy them off the rack without torturing myself in a dressing room.  If it's true that the new head of the Ann Taylor Boomer line is the former chief merchandising officer of Jones Apparel Group, I predict good times ahead.

It makes sense to go after Boomer women. After all, we have money and tend to like clothes that are fashionable, but not trendy and conservative without being boring. Boomer women have long been ignored by fashion designers, in my opinion. We're expected to adapt to the clothes that are designed for 20 and 30-somethings. Why is that everywhere else in business, the business adapts to the people with the money, rather than the other way around?

Frankly, I'm not interested in trying to look younger by balancing on 4-inch heels and squirming into an outfit that, regardless of its lovely look, is clearly not meant to be worn by someone with my body type. Who am I to give others laugh lines, anyway?

According to the Times, Boomers spend $43 billion a year on apparel. No wonder there appears to be room for a specialty store to serve our needs. I'd offer my friends at Ann Taylor a piece of advice, though: don't lump all Boomer women into the same pile. We vary as much as colors and whites or plaids and stripes. 60-year-old Boomer women and 45-year-old Boomer women don't necessary want the same styles, even though, demographically, we're in the same age group.

Expect to see retailers rush to serve Boomer women now, especially if Ann Taylor is successful. Already,  Gap,  Chicos and Talbots are seen as tough competitors in the casual wear category, but right now, I think it's anyone's game to win. I'll be following this development closely and will keep you posted. Don't look for me in a dressing room though. I'll be the one at the cash register tapping my pen in an effort to get the clerk to move a little quicker so I can get done and move on to the one thing I do like to shop for: ice cream!

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