#2 "Workout Clothes With High-Tech Twist Sell Briskly"

           As athletic outfits are gaining popularity today as every day clothing, sportswear companies are focusing on increasing their sales. Two of the ways in which companies are doing so is to sell products with the lowest price possible, or enhancing new models or supposedly, high tech clothes. Normal clothing sales have been increasing in a slow pace, or remaining the same as past years. However, athletic clothing sales have increased quickly and raised the income about 8% higher than previous years. Despite the fact that most people already have enough active wear needed, the new high technology wears end up being very persuasive, causing consumers to buy the product. Marshall Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD, states how when the product guarantees a better aspect than usual or previous ones, the targeted people are bound to buy it. Also, as Chris Froio says, because every company is using the same types of material, the key to success is to be unique: have something that no other brand has. As time passes, every aspect of sports clothing wear becomes similar, and therefore, it is not unique or different. Because of it, the competition between companies to bring out new ideas quickest takes up an important role in their sales. Another tactic used is to be exclusive. Even though these athletic apparels promise the best, at many times, it does not fulfill the promises it has made.

           The author, Elizabeth A. Harris, writes not only about the sales of athletic apparels, but also how it has increased due to its popularity in society. She approaches the subject in a neutral yet doubtful and disapproving tone. In the beginning of the article, she sets a background about the main subject, athletic apparel. After setting the background, Harris begins building her passage by presenting quotes which discuss the tactics of athletic wear companies and how the public follows its lead. By the end of the passage, the author points out the downsides of these new high-tech products and how the public, even though it might be wrong, trusts the product and buys it. It can be inferred that the way the author speaks about the tactics and their "innovations" show that she disapproves, and is pretty skeptical about it. Overall, Harris wrote the article in a casual way using various quotes and statistics to support her article. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/29/business/workout-clothes-with-high-tech-twist-sell-briskly.html?ref=fashion