market research

" The apparel industry is involved in the designing and manufacturing clothing and accessories for women, men, and children in the categories of: casual wear, active wear, essentials, formal wear, and outer wear. The apparel industry is a big part of the fashion industry, with fashion trends dictating the consumer demand of the types of apparel that companies produce. Companies in the apparel industry have a tendency to modernize their products in a timely fashion to keep up with their competitors and continue the efficiency of their productions.

Apparel companies also have to consistently modify the apparel they produce in order to meet consumer trends and demand. For example, manufacturing clothing that incorporates recycled material, or electronic functions. At times, consumer demand also requires that the apparel industry manufactures and distributes clothing items at a more rapid pace than is typical. A burgeoning trend among designers and manufacturers is incorporating “green,” organic or sustainable features in the clothing they make and distribute.

Consumer preferences and demand are the predominant drivers for the apparel industry, but manufacturing costs are also a factor. Profitability in this industry is dependent upon several factors as well: the focus given to certain locations, specialization of products, efficiency of operations, and contracts with marketing professionals. As competition is steep, apparel companies often create alliances to present a stronger front. Successful advertising strategies, as well as concentration in specialized markets help in allowing apparel companies to generate increased revenue. "

- http://www.marketresearch.com/

I found that this drew some good conclusions. Although most of this information is obvious, it's still helpful to have it documented for future reference. 

Also, I found this website http://www.just-style.com/ today, which has a lot of relevant information which I want to come back to when I'm further along in the project.