specialty apparel

Everyone wants to feel special. That's why women will shell out serious money for a fantastic pair of shoes, even when there's a practically identical pair in the discount store down the road.

Women are increasingly looking to specialty retailers to satisfy their appetite for hip, hard-to-find clothing. Even men are jumping onboard, with apparel stores like Road -- which got its start in 2005 when brothers Raj and Akhil Shah, 52 and 50, respectively, debuted a flagship store in downtown Seattle, offering specialty apparel for 30- to 60-year-old men. Sales for 2006 grew 700 percent over sales for 2005.

Among women, hot growth areas include specialty athletic apparel, maternitywear, footwear, clothing for over 40s, and petite and plus sizes. When it comes to these categories, think high-end. Market research firm The NPD Group notes that loyal customers of upscale retailers purchase more than 25 percent of their apparel at high-end stores and spend an average of $95 per shopping trip, even on staples like pants and dresses.

That's where brands like Trigelle come into play. Liza Boquiren, 30, co-founded the Brea, California, women's golfwear company with sister and sole designer Lulu Faddis, 35, and friends Jocylyn Corpuz and Karen Lee Santos, both 29. "We want to be the golf line that people go to," says Boquiren, who debuted Trigelle's line of cute golf apparel at a trade show in 2004 with just 17 pieces. "We want to be a household name." Now available in more than 250 golf resorts, pro shops and high-end retailers worldwide, Trigelle projects $1.3 million in sales for 2007 -- helped in part by the three professional women golfers they sponsor.

Ready to get started with your own specialty apparel business? Don't bypass these tips.

Define your market, whether it's over 40 women or petite athletes. Doing so will help you determine where to focus your research and development. For Boquiren, that means enlisting the help of professional women golfers who not only wear Trigelle clothing, but also have great advice about how to design golf apparel. "Their insight is very important to us," she says.

Consider building your business with e-commerce. If word spreads about your specialty apparel, people will come looking for it. And if they can't find it in a store, they'll want to find it online. Says Boquiren, "We get calls every day from people asking how they can get a certain piece of clothing."

Hone your selling skills. No matter where you sell your clothing, the bottom line is that there's going to be selling involved -- either to consumers directly or to retailers. "Ask yourself, 'How do I provide something different [than what my customers have]?'" advises Boquiren. And if you're a retailer, "keep in mind [your] clientele," she adds. "If it's not the right fit for [a customer], back off."

Have a realistic outlook on startup costs. How much will you spend? How can you save money? Boquiren and her team spent about $100,000 of their own money to start and sought private investment capital later. They also worked out of their homes. Saving money in this way has allowed the company to expand into office space in Brea as well as a warehouse in nearby Santa Fe Springs.

Solve a problem. Trigelle solved a problem by creating cute golf apparel for women. Doing so has resulted in a loyal, growing customer base. And you can do the same. What problem can you solve?