EP Pro News 2005
PGA Magazine: Focus on Apparel - EP Pro Focuses on Fit, Fabric and Function for Fall 2005
(Apr 2005)By Lisa Girard, PGA Magazine Apparel Editor
EP Pro has been experiencing much success over the last decade, consistently being named as one of the top sellers at public, private and resort facilities alike. Despite the Company's success, however, when it came time to design the fall 2005 line, President Larry Mathe felt it was time to make some real changes.
"We challenged our design team to really take an aggressive step forward for fall 2005," Mathe says. "The challenge was how to take a brand whose fundamental strength, among other things, has been the timely, measured evolution of its product line, and then take this aggressive step forward without alienating or confusing the existing EP Pro customer. Well, they succeeded in a manner that was well beyond what I could have hoped for."
The issues EP Pro’s design team was asked to address were fit, fabric and function. Regarding fit, they reshaped most of the tops, dividing them into three distinct body shapes: the New Classic, which is the most traditional body shape in the line but is now shorter and more gently shaped than in the past; the Modern, which is shorter, yet with even more shaping than the New Classic; and the Active, which is the most youthful, body shaping silhouette.
"Although we began the introduction of our new body shapes with our spring 2005 line, fall 2005 became the true launching point where every body style became modernized," Mathe says. "The reaction has been terrific."
Mathe also felt it was important to address fabric and function, as represented in the company’s Tour-Dry® performance product. Although this segment has already shown dramatic growth over the last two years, it was important to make an even bigger statement with the fall line. The Tour-Dry® category now represents approximately 85 to 90 percent of all the tops in the line, offering such performance characteristics as microbial, UV protection and several types of moisture wicking properties.
Adds Mathe: "You will also see many new textures and blends within the Tour-Dry® category, all in all creating a very compelling and modern product mix."
So far, reaction to the changes within the Company has been good, and fall 2005 bookings are on track to achieve an increase over fall 2004. Most importantly, Mathe says, the design team never lost sight of the fact that the EP Pro customer is not "driven by fashion, and it is important that we interpret fashion and retail trends in a way that allows her to modernize her wardrobe at a pace that she is comfortable with."
