FROM THE FEBRUARY ISSUE: DAN ORWIG TALKS TAILORED CLOTHING

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Betting on Core and Luxury as winning strategies.

Speaking for the largest tailored clothing company in North America, Peerless president Dan Orwig has a good handle on where the business is headed and what will most impact sales moving forward. Here, he speaks with MR about challenges and opportunities in the tailored clothing business for fall 2025 and beyond.

What’s the good news in the tailored clothing business these days?

In the beginning of Q3, the business was a bit soft, but as we got deeper into the fall/holiday season, we saw some nice momentum. Seasonal items were strong, with sport coats leading the charge, from corduroy and velvet to seasonal fancies. It seems that consumer confidence is high, which has been good for the holiday season. We believe consumer spending will continue to be healthy into the first half of 2025.

How worried are you about proposed tariffs impacting prices? Have you made any moves to change sourcing?

Of course we have concerns. We are strategically reacting without overreacting. We believe our diversity and balanced supply chain will help us navigate the tariff uncertainty.

What strategic changes are you making in your business for 2025?

Our strategy is to continue to focus on our core business. We’re leaning into our brand relationships to ensure we show up to the consumer with a cohesive DNA for each brand. We believe the more we can align with our brand partners every season, the stronger our overall presentations to the consumers will be.

What are your biggest challenges going into 2025?

I’d have to say the supply chain. End to end supply chain has become so critical to the business. We are consistently looking to evolve and improve.

“OF COURSE PEERLESS HAS CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL TARIFFS: WE ARE STRATEGICALLY REACTING WITHOUT OVERREACTING.”

What in your fall ’25 collections are you most excited about?

Our new softer silhouettes continue to be winners, as have the new double-breasted sport coats. In addition, our corduroy offerings in fashion colors look fresh and vibrant when they hit selling floors. They were a hit this past fall and should be even stronger for fall ’25.

Which of your retail accounts are doing well, and what are they doing right?

For the dress-up category, retailers who are investing in sales training so their sellers can help consumers with sizing and fit are seeing positive returns on the investment. What’s been the impact of online shopping on tailored clothing business? This past year we saw a very strong trend of in-store growth surpassing online growth. Online has maintained its level of penetration but has not grown substantially for the tailored clothing category.

What do you see as your greatest opportunities for growth going forward?

We believe there’s an opportunity for us in the luxury space. As we partner with more premium brands, the combination of the brand name, the use of high-end luxury fabrics, and the exceptional craftsmanship coming out of our owned and operated Montreal factory is a powerful and winning formula.