Pink shirts, green skirts, board shorts and flip flops — LSU apparel is more fashionable than ever before.
Heath Price, director of trademark licensing for the University, said the number of retailers selling collegiate apparel in fashion colors and styles has grown exponentially over the past few years.
“Females have more buying power than the college market has given them credit for in the past,” he said. “Females spend money, pay attention to trends, and know exactly what they want to buy — and retailers are beginning to notice.”
Jared Loftus is one of those retailers. As owner and buyer for The Tiger District on Highland Road, Loftus has been paying attention to not only everyday fashion, but also the trends of licensed collegiate wear.
“It’s good because they’ve taken a fashion that is out there now and added a collegiate spirit to it,” he said.
Loftus said The Tiger District is one of the few local stores that carries the LeTigre brand.
“I was looking to diversify and I am really excited they let me carry the brand,” Loftus said. “It’s on the way up; it’s definitely fashionable again. And plus it’s got a tiger, so it was a no-brainer.”
Loftus said while most of the merchandise his store carries is T-shirts, he is looking to expand to more fashionable attire.
“Some of the stuff I’m looking at carrying is a little more understated, not a huge logo across the chest,” he said.
Anita Henderson, floor supervisor of clothing at the Union Bookstore, said LSU fashion items — such as accessories, skirts and pastel-colored clothes — are big sellers. Henderson said the clothing section of the Union Bookstore has been carrying fashionable LSU merchandise for a while.
Henderson said pink sells well with the ladies. She also said she expects the new pink and green flip flops will sell well for spring.
“Any fashions that are big in the mall will sell well here,” she said. “People, especially ladies, want to support LSU, but still be fashionable at the same time.”