Left Coast Tee: A Tweak of Genius

by Karen Alberg Grossman

Left Coast Tee importantOne might think it’s no big deal, but by adding a line to their company banner at a trade show booth — “knitted sport shirt company” — Left Coast Tee suddenly did a whole lot of new business on their knitted sport shirts at the recent MRket show in NYC.

Steve Sockolov, who owns the business with designer Gary Wasserman, explains: “We’ve always done well with our tees, polos and quarter zips; we’ve increased our in-stock programs and we offer 20 colors in the tees, ten in the polos. But by changing our banner and putting the emphasis on knitted sport shirts, we generated a lot of unexpected new business.”

Sockolov sings the praises of these button-front knit sport shirts with their exclusive fabric and perfect plackets. “If not properly fused, most plackets tend to wave; ours are very stable and the reaction has been strong from stores like Ascot Shop, Coffman’s, Drest by Scott Malouf, Hubert White and others. We offer five different styles (some with pockets, some not) at suggested retails from $125-$145, all at 65 points.”

For those stores overdosed on wovens, check out these knits at MRket Vegas. And consider perhaps some marketing tweaks of your own.