Question for all my punter friends on here...

[ScottJ]

Originally Posted by CheekyBird

I am thinking of starting a UNIQUE horse racing inspired clothing line. While supportive, hubby says it wouldn't work because gamblers would rather gamble than spend money on t-shirts, hats, etc. I say he's been watching too many re-runs of HBO's "Lucky."


Market Research:

1) Do you own horse racing inspired attire? If so, what type? (e.g. specific horse, track, race?)

2) Would you purchase such attire? If no, why not? If yes, what appeals to you and what doesn't?

3) If male, would your wife/significant other be interested in attire appealing to women?

Your input is much appreciated.

Cheers.

Cheeky Bird : I read your post and thought something very different from many of the posts.

I was NOT thinking about racetrack swag material, but dress that fits for high end racing (Saratoga, Keeneland) that you might think "Hamptons".

Men's wear would include pastel sport coats and matching slacks, summer shirts, shoes, and such. For women, I was thinking summer dresses made for the average woman, not the size 2-6 crowd that you will see in boutiques across Saratoga's Broadway. Yes, this would be incredibly interesting if you found the right price range and fabrics. Absolutely something you would want to test market with a small collection to gather opinions.

[CheekyBird]

Originally Posted by ScottJ

Cheeky Bird : I read your post and thought something very different from many of the posts.

I was NOT thinking about racetrack swag material, but dress that fits for high end racing (Saratoga, Keeneland) that you might think "Hamptons".

Men's wear would include pastel sport coats and matching slacks, summer shirts, shoes, and such. For women, I was thinking summer dresses made for the average woman, not the size 2-6 crowd that you will see in boutiques across Saratoga's Broadway. Yes, this would be incredibly interesting if you found the right price range and fabrics. Absolutely something you would want to test market with a small collection to gather opinions.

Ding! Ding! Ding! OMG, ScottJ, you totally get my thinking!!
The idea came about when we were at Delaware Park for the DP Handicap last weekend. We got "sky box" tickets on the 3rd floor, but roamed around from floor to floor. I noticed that the 3rd Floor people are completely different from the 1st floor people. My line would appeal to the 3rd floor people (although I LOVE the 1st Floor punters and all they do for the game... but this is business).

Many of the "3rd Floor" types already purchase posh outfits with brand names like Prada, Armani, Gucci, Dolce, J Crew, etc. So, I wouldn't want to bore them with the stuff they can get anywhere. My vision is for very unique horse racing related pieces. I've spent the week searching and researching. I haven't seen anything that comes close to what I'm thinking.

I've spent entire weekend obsessing over this, and I thank everyone who has given feedback. Start-up costs look that they are somewhere in the $25-$50K range. Totally doable.

(As an aside... a good mate of mine invented SPIRITFINGERZ. Look them up. Bloody SpiritFingerz, and she is now a millionaire!! In her 30's).