University of Rhode Island  
Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design

TMD 402M Seminar: Fashion for All Ages

Alice Rodrigues: Technical Design perspectives on the 35+ Female Market 

Kate Dennis – Skillings

 This week’s speaker spoke to us on behalf of the mature female market.  Alice Rodrigues has been working in the fashion industry since the late 70’s as a patternmaker of swimwear in California. She is now the Technical Designer for J.Jill.  The emphasis of Ms. Rodrigues’ lecture was to realize that the fashion industry was not just a profession, it was a lifestyle. In order to be successful in this industry you must not only be well educated in your field and in your target customers but you also must be willing to dedicate and invest most of your time and energy in your field.

            J. Jill recently became part of the Talbot’s group and is responsible for 405 million dollars of Talbot’s 2.3 billion annual earnings. J.Jill is considered Talbot’s “little sister” in their trendier, relaxed styles. The company is a favorite for the mature female market because designers such as Ms. Rodrigues design the apparel to have “soft, casual lines” that aren’t as fitted or restricting as other lines of clothing in other companies. While the apparel isn’t as fashion forward as some of the other companies who target the young consumer, they still try to incorporate the latest trends and colors to make the clothing fun and fashionable while still being appropriate and appealing to the older female consumer.  

            One very interesting point of Ms. Rodrigues’ lecture was just how well they knew their target customer. Ms. Rodrigues described the typical J. Jill client as “highly educated, professional and tend to have jobs that are more educational (such as teaching) rather than professional (such as lawyers). She is mature, wants to conceal more but wants to be comfortable, feminine, flattering and fun”. Because the company knows so much about their consumer, they can truly make clothing that appeals to their preferences and lifestyles. For instance, a kindergarten teacher wouldn’t want something extremely low cut and binding. They would design clothing that would allow her to move feely with the children she works with without feeling constricted or exposed. J.Jill also realizes that their client tends to be very environmentally conscious. To compliment this, they use a lot of natural fibers and refrain from making dry clean only clothing to make things easier for the consume and to go along with her environmental beliefs.