Well-stressed? Then relax in these clothes: Casual outfitters find comfort fits country's mood

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With all the stress and anxiety that accompanies a recession, the idea of an island getaway becomes more appealing.

But those who can't hop on a plane to the Caribbean — or even catch a ferry to the San Juans — apparently are finding solace in clothes that help transport them to a worry-free world.

At a time when many specialty-apparel retailers are seeing business dwindle, a pair of high-end companies in Seattle — Two Dog Island and Tommy Bahama — have parlayed their relaxed-lifestyle theme into rising sales.

The two companies project different images. Tommy Bahama's shirts, shorts and pants evoke a tropical aura of sand and sun, while Two Dog Island's sweat shirts and cotton separates were inspired by its founder's retreats to the cooler climes of the San Juan Islands.

But both make clothes that emphasize a casual, comfortable lifestyle, a concept that seems to have kept its appeal despite the past year's economic sluggishness.

"Since Sept. 11, we've seen a resurgence in comfort food and comfort items, and these certainly fall into the comfort-item category," said Cynthia Cohen, president of Strategic Mindshare, a retail-consulting firm in Menlo Park, Calif. "It's a feel-good purchase. (The brands) are unique in terms of a total lifestyle perspective."

Galen Jefferson, a former Nordstrom co-president, founded Two Dog Island in 1995. A cozy sweat shirt her husband wore on vacation in the San Juans gave Jefferson the idea to make soft, comfortable sweats for women.

The company has an interchangeable, soft-but-durable clothing line that includes T-shirts, long-sleeve V-necks and fleece pants. Jefferson said the line is geared toward the customer who "craves the simplicity of anything that can make her life easier, less complicated."

"That's a need that we're trying to fulfill — dressing fun, relaxed, casual," Jefferson said.

Last year, the recession and Sept. 11 had many specialty retailers reeling, but Two Dog Island saw sales climb 14 percent for its upscale casuals. (Sweat shirts, the company's signature item, sell for about $62 each.)

Jefferson said soft, comfortable clothes provide physical and emotional comfort, what many have sought since Sept. 11.

"We sort of luckily fit into a profile of what a customer was looking for," she said. "That's probably a motivation that's not going to go away — we all want to feel good."

Two Dog Island is a private company and does not release revenue figures, but Jefferson said February sales were up 28 percent from last year. Her client base, she said, has grown to about 1,200 accounts, mostly boutiques.

Tommy Bahama, based jointly in Seattle and New York, also has enjoyed robust growth during the recession. The 10-year-old tropically themed clothing line, which is privately held by parent company Viewpoint International, says annual sales rose more than 30 percent to about $300 million last year. The company has a design center in Seattle and distribution center in Auburn, employing about 300 workers locally.

Escapism has fueled Tommy Bahama's ascent. The company bills itself as a "purveyor of island lifestyles," aiming for the high-end customer. Its casual sportswear is sold at such stores as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, and the company also operates 14 retail stores and six restaurant-retail shops nationwide, none in Seattle.

"We're teaching the world to relax in style," said Lucio Dalla Gasperina, Tommy Bahama's Seattle-based vice president for design and one of three partners who oversee the bicoastal company.

Demand for Tommy Bahama's upscale merchandise — silk shirts sell for around $100, pants for $115 — has remained strong despite the discount-driven retail climate that has prevailed for much of the past year.

The company has a strict policy not to mark down its products in company-run stores, to maintain quality and avoid underselling the stores it supplies.

Tommy Bahama opened six stores last year and plans to add 10 stores or restaurants by the end of the year. Dalla Gasperina said the casual, island-inspired clothes are in tune with the nation's mood as people look for more ways to relax.

"We don't really look at our brand as apparel," he said. "We look at it as a brand with a soul."

Jake Batsell can be reached at 206-464-2718 or jbatsell@seattletimes.com.