Upon observing a few Target stores with the goal in mind to identify a "white space" within Target's apparel section, I noticed that the Men's Active section was a major "white space" opportunity. The items in men's active were lacking in interest and options for the male market. There were plenty of plain basketball shorts and sold work out shirts and tanks. Though the tees and tanks were bold in color, there was nothing that could really catch the eye. One of the key items that was missing were lightweight active jackets. Although, it was still within the summer selling season, light shell jackets would be imperative to have on the rack. The morning runner may run into some misty mornings when going for jog and that restaurant the cyclist goes to grab a bite always has the A/C blasting on high. How perfect would it be if they had a light enough jacket handy for the impromtu things life throws at them? One concern that was raised in the development of this was that men don't care enough for have more stylish tops. However, I disagreed with that statement and the survey I conducted proved that men in fact do care highly about what they wear and their style.
Having decided on this category, my concept is called "PULSE." I thought about what it was like when one works out. The first and most obvious is the fact that heart rate and pulse increases. The second was the habit that people often listen to music when they're working out, and even so when they're just on the go. With the combination of those two, my concept and designs are inspired by the ups and downs of soundwaves and the existence of rhythm and pulse within them. My line consits of four looks adressing the issue with the lack of lightweight jackets and the lack of style with the basic men's workout tops. The jackets I designed feature lgihtweight nylon shell and built in headphones for convenience, one major selling point to the male market. One jacket has a detatchable hood by zipper while the other features a high collar that can be worn up with velcro closure or open and folded down over the shoulder. All of the pieces are inteded to be sold as separates and can be mixed and matched.
