OT. This clothing stuff is sometimes a mush in my mind, and I often can't seem to separate my preference for some stocks from my views about my personal clothing preferences.
The value aspect "We are value investors" and spending money on clothes/fashion is the least of our concerns. (Perhaps this is you and Harshu.).
Back in the day, my sister saw Warren Buffett several times in the investment office where she worked. Described as a cheap suit guy. The typical value investor?
Perhaps there are two categories or maybe a range. The people who are price-conscious and buy to replace their wardrobes. Versus people who are tend to be on the other side - fashion conscious and maybe even you-are-what-you-wear types. For the first category, maybe its TJX, COST, WMT (not sure, don't shop there). Maybe in the middle- AMZN (wide variety/links to specialty mfgrs). Maybe also TGT (trying to come back into more fashionable merchandise now). Perhaps Designer Brands (DBI, large losing position here). On the other far end maybe Ralph Lauren, French retailers, Jimmy Choo (CPRI, tracking position for me), Coach (small position), others.
Of all, none are value plays, imo. For a growth type clothing retailer, I'd say it would be TJX (tracking position) with its good history.
For me, I am in the you-are-what-you wear school: I'm much more fashion-conscious and much less price-conscious. I don't expect to see the demand for fashion clothes (mid level fashion or high level) really diminish. Enough people will still cough up money to "look good" maybe a little different or a little better than the majority. --- Or maybe I'm too involved with my own proclivities.
Because I like to buy stocks of the products I own, I'll sometimes do that even though the stocks are not value buys. Which leads me to say, fwiw, I will reenter ONON with a tracking positon on Tuesday. finance.yahoo.com
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Well my days of buying clothes and shoes from China at great prices seem to have come to an end. I've more than a closet's worth, but still would've liked to shop for more.
The de minimis is ending for all countries starting August 29, 2025. Goods from China and Hong Kong valued at or under $800 became subject to an ad valorem rate of duty or a postal fee starting May 2, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. ET. |
