Dress Barn, Inc. today announces it is raising earnings guidance for its fiscal year ending July 31, 2010.

As a result of better than expected holiday season sales and margin performance, the Company is raising its diluted earnings per share guidance for fiscal 2010 by $0.05 to a range of $1.40 to $1.50 from its previous guidance of $1.35 to $1.45 announced December 16, 2009.

David R. Jaffe, President and Chief Executive Officer commented, “We were very pleased with our sales and margin performance at each of our concepts over the important holiday season. With overall stronger than expected comps sales and continued good inventory management, we have been able to outperform our expectations and deliver excellent profitability. The addition of Justice, which led our performance during the holiday season, has proceeded smoothly and we remain very excited about the earnings potential of this transaction to deliver increased value to our shareholders.”

The Company noted that comparable store sales for the holiday season, comprising the period from Black Friday to the Saturday after New Year’s Day, were up 10% on a consolidated basis, with dressbarn showing an increase of 3%, maurices up 3% and Justice delivering a comp increase of 17% for this period.

The Company further noted that beginning on February 4, 2010, it expects to report quarterly comparable store sales results on the first Thursday of the month following the close of each quarter. In prior practice, the Company had reported quarterly comparable store sales results when it presented its full financial results for the corresponding quarter. The Company believes this adjustment to reporting practice will provide its investors with more timely information on the performance of the business and better align it with industry peers.

The Company previously announced that in order to further improve its strong balance sheet, it is in the process of an exchange offer for the redemption of its $112.5 million convertible senior notes. The offer expires on January 22, 2010 and is expected to settle on January 27, 2010. If the notes are fully redeemed it would eliminate $112.5 million of debt and $9 million of annual interest expense while still maintaining approximately $250 million of cash and investments.

As previously announced, the Company will be participating in the 8^th Annual Cowen and Company Consumer Conference on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at The Westin New York at Times Square in New York, NY and the 12^th Annual ICR XChange Conference on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California. Copies of these presentations are now available at www.dressbarn.com in the investor relations section.

ABOUT DRESS BARN, INC.

Dress Barn, Inc. (NASDAQ - DBRN), is a leading national specialty apparel retailer offering quality casual and career women’s fashion apparel at value prices through its dressbarn and maurices brands and tween girls’ fashion apparel through its Justice brand. As of January 8, 2010, the Company operated 837 dressbarn stores in 47 states, 741 maurices stores in 44 states and 906 Justice stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.dressbarn.com, www.maurices.com and www.shopjustice.com.

True Religion Apparel, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRLG) recently announced that Lynne Koplin, a 30-year veteran of the apparel industry, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Koplin will report directly to Jeffrey Lubell, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of True Religion Apparel, Inc.

As Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Koplin will be responsible for many of the day-to-day operations of the Company and will complement the Company’s existing senior management team.

Ms. Koplin brings to True Religion over 30 years of experience in the apparel industry, having worked with other lifestyle apparel brands in operations, product development, manufacturing and retail. Most recently, she served as President of the Tommy Bahama women’s division. Prior to Tommy Bahama, Ms. Koplin served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Apparel Ventures, Inc. Ms. Koplin’s additional experience includes executive-level roles at Authentic Fitness, a division of Warnaco, and Cole of California. Ms. Koplin holds a Bachelors degree from Duke University.

“We are thrilled to announce Ms. Koplin’s appointment as Chief Operating Officer and on behalf of True Religion, we welcome her to our executive team,” said Jeffrey Lubell, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of True Religion Apparel, Inc. “This is an important hire for our company as we are committed to continue to invest in and build our management team in order to continue to grow our business domestically and internationally and achieve our long-term growth objectives. The appointment of Ms. Koplin as Chief Operating Officer fits in perfectly with our existing senior management team. Since True Religion’s inception, we have experienced rapid growth and have evolved into a global apparel brand. We are pleased to add Ms. Koplin’s expertise to the True Religion brand. During her tenure within the apparel industry, Ms. Koplin has managed all aspects of branded apparel operations and we are confident that her hands-on industry experience will prove invaluable as we look to build upon True Religion’s position as a fast growing global apparel brand.”

About True Religion Apparel, Inc.

True Religion Apparel, Inc. is a growing, design-based jeans and jean-related sportswear brand. The company designs, manufactures and markets True Religion Apparel products, including its premium True Religion Brand Jeans. Its expanding product line, which includes high-quality, distinctive styling and fit in denim, sportswear, and licensed products, may be found in contemporary department stores and boutiques in 50 countries around the world, including North America, Europe, Asia, Mexico, Australia, Eastern Europe, Middle East, South Africa and South America. For more information, please visit www.truereligionbrandjeans.com.

August Designs (www.august.synthasite.com) after the groundbreaking ethical / eco DPOL fashion innovation has come up with a new concept in the arena of fashion. The new Collection “As you like it” gives a meaning to fashion altogether.

"As you like it" as the name speaks is based on the concept of multiple look of single garment as per one's choice. The ensembles can be worn in two different ways- Regular way (option 1), or upside down (option 2, inverted way) creating altogether two different looks of the same ensemble, for two different occasions. Yes, the clothes are not just reversible; they can be worn upside down.

Inspired from nature where a lot of fruits and vegetables like oranges, bananas etc grow upside down, but their beauty remains the same even when even when they are put upside down on our dining tables. Similarly the ensembles look sound and aesthetically appealing when are worn in regular fashion or upside down.

Based on the concept of ‘multiple use’ and ‘minimalistic clothing’, the wearer can be engaged to his her apparel in more than one way where one can choose his/her look as per the occasion in his fast moving circuit. You can now walk into your office wearing one look and move directly from your work to a cocktail party just by wearing your dress upside down. The dresses are so designed, that out of the two looks, one of looks (Option 1) is for regular wear whereas the other (Option 2, upside down/ inverted) creates a chic look for, apt as party wear.

The concept of multiple look, also adds a new meaning to ethical / sustainable fashion. The collection doubles usability of materials as two looks come out of the same garment. Now the wearer can enjoy the same ensemble over and over again without getting bored of it.

 

 

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After years of working in the administrative side of real estate, Paula Horlick was laid off, but that event has allowed her to pursue an entrepreneurial dream.

"It gave me that push that you better try to do what you want to do," Horlick said. "It's everyone's passion to own their own business."

With her childhood memories of dressing up in vintage clothes for fun, Horlick decided to start selling them.

"My grandma had a closet full of her old clothes," she said. "Every time I would go there, I would get in her closet and dress up in her clothes."

She started by selling vintage clothing on eBay but soon found her focus in selling vintage scarves from the 1930s to the 1990s.

"How the scarf came about was that I was thinking, 'There has to be something that I can do that I am passionate about,'" Horlick said. "My mom sent me a vintage scarf to sell on eBay. I just started thinking about the scarf and who had owned it and where it had been."

Horlick then started her own Web site dedicated to showcasing and selling vintage scarves and scarf accessories, like clips and buckles.

Horlick gets her scarves from a supplier, garage sales or friends.

"I got a box in the mail of 709 scarves," Horlick said. "If there is a tiny fray, I won't put it on the Web site. I go and see what there is on eBay. I have people around here who go to garage sales and estate sales. It seems like it's always the most beautiful scarves that have the flaws."

Horlick said that the biggest challenge of starting the Web site was getting the word out that the Vintage Scarf existed. She recently became a vendor and started selling her scarves at boutiques.

In addition, Horlick said, she is developing the idea of hosting scarf parties. "I also teach classes," Horlick said. "I call it a scarf party. Women will come and get together, and I'll bring my scarves. I have mannequins and displays, and we will have fun with scarves. I would love for that to take off."

Horlick said she is dedicated to customer service and offers free shipping along with sending follow-up thank-you cards.

"I like the personal touch because nobody sends out a personal thank-you card anymore," Horlick said. "I always ship the purchase out the next day too."

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The board of directors of Genesco Inc. has declared dividends on the various classes of its preferred stock for the quarter ending January 30, 2010, payable on January 30, 2010, to shareholders of record on January 14, 2010.

    The rates are as follows:

    --  Subordinated serial preferred stock:

    Series 1  $0.575 per share
    Series 3 $1.1875 per share
    Series 4 $1.1875 per share

    --  Subordinated cumulative preferred stock: $0.375 per share
    About Genesco Inc.

    Genesco Inc., a Nashville-based specialty retailer, sells footwear,
headwear and accessories in more than 2,240 retail stores in the United
States and Canada, principally under the names Journeys, Journeys Kidz, Shi
by Journeys, Johnston & Murphy, Underground Station, Hatworld, Lids, Hat
Shack, Hat Zone, Head Quarters and Cap Connection, and on internet websites http://www.journeys.com, http://www.journeyskidz.com, http://www.shibyjourneys.com, http://www.undergroundstation.com, http://www.johnstonmurphy.com, http://www.dockersshoes.com,
and http://www.lids.com. The Company also sells footwear at wholesale under its Johnston & Murphy brand and under the licensed Dockers brand. Additional information on Genesco and its operating divisions may be accessed at its website http://www.genesco.com.

PlasmaTech, Inc. (Pink Sheets:PMAH), a wireless technology innovator providing solutions to the $120 billion global security market, issued today a case study demonstrating the successful deployment of its newly acquired Virtual Communications Port / 232 IP system (VCP). The VCP was deployed by a North American sports apparel designer manufacturing in China (the “client”).

The client needed a faster, less cumbersome method for communicating design changes from its Canadian office to its computerized numeric control (“CNC”) weaving machines in China. Previous operational methods required submitting changes over the Internet to China, then manually transferring the changes onto a disk that was manually installed on each machine. With over 375 machines running simultaneously, the Company’s VCP technology was adapted to solve these inefficiencies.

With the addition of a small OEM Ethernet control device to the Company’s VCP technology, the requirements for an Ethernet connection to the client’s computerized weaving machines was met. The VCP system enabled the client to select one of 375+ IP addresses (each linked to a weaving machine) and wirelessly access a particular machine via a secure wireless connection. The client was able to not only download a program to the machine, but to also remotely activate the CNC to watch and monitor a prototype weave in real-time.

By enabling bi-directional wireless communication from design office to the factory floor, PlasmaTech’s newly acquired technology added value to the supply chain, increasing cost-efficiencies and minimizing errors. “Such benefits can directly add to the bottom-line, enhancing profit potential and increasing production capacity for any number of industries. We look forward to capitalizing on these market opportunities in 2010,” said PlasmaTech President Marvin Williams.

The VCP system is now available in various radio frequency formats including, Zigbee, Bluetooth, 900 MHz, 2.4 GHZ and Zigbee/802.15.4 radios. In addition to CNC machines, the VCP system can provide a secure wireless connection via Ethernet for devices such as ATM machines, data collection devices, telecommunications equipment, data display devices, security alarms and access control devices, and handheld instruments.

Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq:CTAS) today reported results for the second quarter of its fiscal year 2010, which ended on November 30, 2009. Revenue for the quarter was $884.5 million, a 1% decrease as compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2010, which ended on August 31, 2009. However, when adjusted for a comparable number of workdays, revenue increased 1% compared to the first quarter.

Scott D. Farmer, Chief Executive Officer, stated, “According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. economy has lost jobs for 23 consecutive months, with 7.2 million jobs lost during that time frame. These job losses directly affect our business as many of our products and services are dependant on customer employee levels. While job losses have moderated recently, 1.2 million jobs were lost during the last six months and we do not know when positive job growth will return. We will continue to focus on taking care of our customers and actively managing our cost structure in this difficult environment.”

Second quarter net income was $57.2 million and earnings per share were $0.37. Both represented a 6% increase over the first quarter of fiscal 2010. Excluding one-time legal settlements net of insurance proceeds of $4.1 million in the second quarter and $19.5 million in the first quarter, second quarter net income decreased 10% to $59.7 million and earnings per share decreased 9% to $0.39. The Company offset revenue declines, primarily due to job losses, by adding new customers and further penetrating existing customer accounts with additional products and services. The costs associated with this additional revenue, as well as heightened pricing pressures, impacted second quarter margins. In addition, the Company’s effective tax rate increased to 39.3% as expected due to quarterly tax reserve requirements. The Company believes its full fiscal year 2010 tax rate will be approximately 37.5%.

Mr. Farmer continued, “It appears that our business has stabilized as this was our third straight quarter of relatively flat revenue on a per workday basis. Given our businesses’ correlation to employment levels, it is unlikely that we will return to steady growth until the U.S. job market begins to recover, which historically has lagged general economic growth. We anticipate that when job recovery does occur, it will be a slow and lengthy process. In addition, the third quarter of our fiscal year is traditionally our most challenging, with fewer workdays and customer holiday closures. This year, we anticipate customer holiday closures will be longer and more widespread than they have been in better economic climates. For these reasons, we believe that current analyst expectations for Cintas revenue and earnings are too optimistic.”

Mr. Farmer emphasized, “Our solid foundation and focus on cost control and cash generation continue to enable us to weather this difficult economic environment. Over the last six months, we have significantly increased our cash flow. We generated $246 million of free cash flow in the first six months of this fiscal year, which is a $167 million increase over the first six months of last year. This cash flow has helped strengthen an already robust balance sheet. We continue to be a market leader in all of our businesses, with state-of-the-art technology, efficient operations and dedicated employee partners. When market conditions improve, we expect these competitive advantages will provide us enhanced opportunities.”

About Cintas

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas Corporation provides highly specialized services to businesses of all types throughout North America. Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate identity uniform programs, and provides entrance mats, restroom supplies, promotional products, first aid, safety, fire protection products and services and document management services for approximately 800,000 businesses. Cintas is a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS, and is a Nasdaq-100 company and component of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.

The Company intends to submit its compliance plan to Nasdaq by December 29, 2009 and believes it will regain compliance with the Nasdaq minimum stockholders’ equity requirement at the end of fiscal year 2009. Based on the Company’s business plan, the Company expects to have net income greater than $6,000,000 in its fiscal fourth quarter. The Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K disclose additional information regarding its business plan and provide additional disclosure regarding the risks of the Company’s current liquidity situation and its ability to comply with its financial covenants.

Previously, as announced on September 18, 2009, the Company received notice from Nasdaq that it does not satisfy the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The Company has until March 15, 2010 to demonstrate compliance with the minimum bid requirement.

About Bakers Footwear Group, Inc.

Bakers Footwear Group, Inc. is a national, mall-based, specialty retailer of distinctive footwear and accessories for young women. The Company’s merchandise includes private label and national brand dress, casual and sport shoes, boots, sandals and accessories. The Company currently operates over 240 stores nationwide. Bakers’ stores focus on women between the ages of 16 and 35. Wild Pair stores offer fashion-forward footwear to both women and men between the ages of 17 and 29.

Select Second Quarter Results:

• Revenue $4.4 billion; down 4 percent versus prior year
• Diluted EPS down 5 percent from prior year to $0.76
• Worldwide futures orders up 4 percent, down 1 percent excluding currency changes
• Inventories down 10 percent versus prior year
  
  Read more about NIKE, Inc. Reports Fiscal 2010 Second Quarter Results

UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) will report its Fiscal 2010 first quarter results on January 6, 2010 before the market opens. The Company will also hold a conference call at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on January 6, 2010 to discuss its quarterly financial results, business highlights and outlook. In addition, the Company may answer one or more questions concerning business and financial developments and trends, the Company’s view on earnings forecasts and other business and financial matters affecting the Company, some of the responses to which may contain information that has not been previously disclosed.

A simultaneous live webcast of the call will be available over the Internet at streetevents.com. To access the webcast re-play, please visit http://www.unifirst.com.

UniFirst Corporation is one of the largest providers of workplace uniforms, protective clothing and facility services products in North America. The Company employs nearly 10,000 team partners who serve over 200,000 customer locations in 46 U.S. states, Canada and Europe from over 200 customer service, distribution, and manufacturing facilities. UniFirst Corporation is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol UNF and is a component of the Standard and Poor’s 600 Small Cap Index.