National Clothesline

A high-speed train wreck is coming. That’s what Al Robson says in his column this month, and just in case you missed it the first time around (page 16), we’ll say it again, because it bears repeating. The warning flags have been flying for a while now in the form skyrocketing gasoline prices, double-digit increases for natural gas and rising interest rates. Everybody is paying more — in some cases, a lot more — for basics. And the upward push in costs is only beginning to be felt. The biggest waves are yet to hit the beach.

What happens when you and everybody else starts opening those bills from the gas company this winter? If you thought those bills were high last year, you ain’t seen nothing yet. The first reaction will be “How am I going to pay this?” You may have a plan to deal with it. If you don’t, you’d better check Robson’s article right now. Even if you do have a plan, it’s not going to be easy. Sure, your plan gives you a leg up. You may even stand to gain if your competitors are blind-sided by the wave and go down in the flood. But what about your customers? Will they be cutting back on “non-necessities” like drycleaning to pay for evermore expensive necessities? Will they be staying home in sweat pants rather than dressing up and going out, just to cut expenses? Will they become more price conscious when they need a drycleaner? And don’t forget, your employees will be feeling the financial pressure, too. They may feel they need a raise just to gas the car to get to work!

The next few months will put everybody to a severe test. Careful attention to every detail will be required to operate at maximum efficiency and to hold the line on costs as much as possible. This is the micro-managing that Al Robson talks about. But you also need to keep an eye on the bigger picture as economic stress effects our society as a whole. Unpredictable changes are likely to occur, and opportunity will arise for those who recognize them and a make their own changes to meet them. It will be tough but, as usual, the tough will survive.

Those who tune in to watch the National Basketball Association this season will be in for some awe-inspiring sights. No, we don’t mean the one-handed alley-oop slams or the last-second fall away shots that will inevitably fill up TV highlight reels. Instead, viewers will be treated to something even more stylish: all of the players will now look a little sharper off the court because NBA Commissioner David Stern recently handed out a “stern” new dress code for the league.

The dress code has been described as “business casual,” which means drycleaners aren’t exactly making huge inroads in the fight against casual wear. Then again, we’re talking about NBA players, many of whom earn millions of dollars annually, yet publicly clad themselves in untucked, knee-length throwback jerseys, super baggy jeans and open-toed sandals. For many, such a loose, carefree image projects a sense of “no rules” toughness and coolness; for the NBA and Stern, however, it is symbolic of a sloppy and unkempt image that has plagued professional basketball in recent years.

Already, the announcement has invited controversy. All-Star players like Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson and San Antonio’s Tim Duncan have been quite vocal with their opposition. Others like Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson and Orlando star Grant Hill have gone on record supporting it. While both sides debate the issue, Stern remains determined to make sure the dress code will stick and has promised penalties for those who do not wear business casual wear (i.e. a long or short-sleeved dress shirt and/or a sweater; dress slacks, khaki pants, or dress jeans; and appropriate shoes and socks) while engaged in team or league business. Injured players who sit on the sidelines will even be expected to upgrade with a sport coat and dress shoes.

Is this a sign that America is ready to dress up again and give the drycleaning industry a huge boost in revenue? Probably not. What it does mean, however, is that there has been a subtle shift in public opinion about what casual attire is overall acceptable and what is not. Athletes have always been given free reign to dress however they see fit, but one professional sports association has drawn a line in the sand. At the very least, kids and fans are going to start seeing the very idols they wish to emulate dressed much more presentably. Hopefully for cleaners, other professional sports associations will follow suit with dress codes of their own. If image really is everything, then things are indeed starting to look up.