You Can Save the Economy One Garment at a Time

Feb. 11, 2009 - PRLog -- You are a sensitive person, and your friends are losing their jobs. You wouldn’t think of taunting them with your new threads, even though you got them on sale. But you still need clothes with style. The solution? Buy clothes that are high quality, timeless, and made right here in the United States.

New York designer Cynthia Ivey Abitz has noticed the sensitivity trend among her clientele. Since 2005, she has been answering the call for designs that will stand the test of time, and for a price point shoppers can handle. She keeps overhead low by selling only through the Ivey Abitz website, http://IveyAbitz.com, and her by-appointment-only studio in New York’s upper west side.

“Even before the recession scare, our clients were looking for garments that transcend trend. Now their purchases are being justified, and we’re getting even more people looking for clothes that outlast current fashions.” says Ivey Abitz. “Long lasting designs let a person’s individuality sing, instead of putting the focus on a trendy garment.”

To transcend the trend, Ivey Abitz uses her new Spring Prelude 2009 Collection (http://IveyAbitz.com) to combine aesthetically pleasing elements from various eras. Then she uses juxtaposition to create a sense of individuality, such as mixing textured linen trousers with a brocade jacket, or purposely crumpling pleats in a silk taffeta shirt. The result is a versatile look that can be worn for occasions or casual everyday wear, depending on how pieces are mixed together.

The other part of the solution is buying U.S. made designs. As more corporate fashion labels send production to developing countries, more of their customers are sending money out of the U.S. In addition, the trend for cheap production encourages exploitation of workers in those countries. However, the current recession is cause to reconsider where your money is going, and more shoppers are making the connection between foreign production and a weak economy. Just as driving an SUV says, “I don’t care about global warming,” wearing the latest fashion made overseas is starting to say, “I don’t care about the economy or human rights.”  As a result, people are looking to smaller U.S. designers like Ivey Abitz for clothes that say they care.

The trend toward long-lasting quality could indicate the end of our love affair with foreign-made goods. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, between 2000 and 2007, gross production of apparel in the U.S. dropped almost 9 billion dollars, while general retail sales climbed over 230 billion dollars. If more shoppers looked for American-made clothing, like Ivey Abitz, those numbers could even out, resulting in more domestic jobs and reinvesting wealth here at home.

Some of those new domestic workers work with Ivey Abitz. When it began in 2005, Ivey Abitz sought out professional seamstresses and tailors here in the states and found that many had lost their jobs to developing countries. According to Cynthia Ivey Abitz, “Some of the most creative and professional tailors were working at a national chain retailer doing menial part-time tasks just to make ends meet.” Ivey Abitz clients are proud to know that their purchase provides a meaningful living for workers in the U.S., saving the economy one garment at a time.

Ivey Abitz designs vintage-inspired apparel for women and men and makes it in the U.S. It offers approximately six limited engagement seasonal collections each year. Customers buy online at http://IveyAbitz.com and through a by-appointment-only studio in New York City. Made-to-order clients receive their custom garments about a month after ordering. For those with less patience, rush orders can be requested with a turnaround time of about two weeks. The price point ranges from $60 - $600. There are no order minimums.

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Ivey Abitz designs vintage-inspired apparel for women and men and makes it in the U.S. It offers approximately six limited engagement seasonal collections each year. Customers buy online at IveyAbitz.com and through a by-appointment-only studio in New York City. Made-to-order clients receive their custom garments about a month after ordering. For those with less patience, rush orders can be requested with a turnaround time of about two weeks. The price point ranges from $60 - $600. There are no order minimums.

Ivey Abitz is the creation of artist/designer Cynthia Ivey Abitz and her husband, Joshua Ivey Abitz, who seek beauty in everyday existence. In a world saturated with bland cookie-cutter clothing, Ivey Abitz honors the tradition of made-to-order clothing, bringing bespoke designs to every day life.