Sportswear

Venus Williams is almost as well-known for her hemline as she is her backhand. So it's no surprise that the older of the Williams sisters is debuting a line of sportswear, EleVen, at Steve & Barry's this month. (Sister Serena also has a line of clothing, called Aneres - that's Serena spelled backward. Some of the pieces, which are more upscale, have limited availability.) Back to Venus. EleVen is Steve & Barry's latest addition to their burgeoning apparel empire. The company, which has its roots at the University of Pennsylvania, has spent most of this year introducing collections revolving around high-profile celebrities, including Sarah Jessica Parker (Bitten)

It was a nice gesture for a sportswear company to offer to donate sneakers to the Philadelphia School District's male varsity basketball players - but not nice enough. What about the girls, asked Philadelphia School Reform Commissioner Martin Bednarek, a longtime youth sports advocate from the city's Northeast. The Port Washington, N.Y., company, Steve & Barry's, considered his request and decided to honor it - after initially turning it down, he said. "This is a classic case of equity, wouldn't you say," James Nevels, the School Reform Commission chairman, said shortly after the commission yesterday approved receipt of the donation retroactively.

For John Strotbeck, building a successful business has been a little like racing in Olympic competition - only harder. He ought to know. From captaining the U.S. Olympic rowing team to silver and bronze medals in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Strotbeck has built Boathouse Row Sports Ltd. into a thriving, custom-design sports clothing business catering to the likes of Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly and New England Patriots coach...

Great news! There's a new line of "toning" sportswear that loses weight for you. All you have to do is put it on. So go get some ice cream and make yourself a milkshake. Let's lose some weight! Count me excited. I knew this would happen, someday. It proves that America is the greatest country on Earth, making genuine scientific advances, one after the other. Excuse me. Pass the chocolate cake. If we can put a man on the moon, I knew it wouldn't be long until we did something that really mattered.

Two years ago, Wall Street was skeptical about Jones Apparel Group Inc.'s plan to buy Nine West Group Inc., the largest marketer of women's shoes in the United States, for $1.5 billion. Some analysts called the price tag too rich and worried that taking on Nine West and its 1,500 stores worldwide would destabilize the Bristol, Bucks County, firm whose core business had been women's career wear sold mainly in department stores. For Jones, the deal was part of an effort to diversify and to exploit cross-selling opportunities in apparel, footwear and accessories by combining its strong brands, including Jones New York, Rena Rowan, Evan Picone, and Lauren by Ralph Lauren, with Nine West's Easy Spirit, Pappagallo, Enzo Angiolini and Bandolino brands.

They might not bring in hundreds of people, but at least they're giving customers something to stare at besides an empty window. Business owners in Burlington City's celebrated High Street district cautiously welcomed the addition of two stores last month - a T-shirt and sportswear store and a flower shop - to fill gaping holes on the two-block historic strip of stores, offices and restaurants. "It's better to have them filled up," said Betty Jacob, owner of Petite Innovations, a doll-house shop.

About two years ago, I walked into a Philadelphia menswear boutique and fell in love with the fabulous sportswear of a new design team, Terry Wilke and Eddie Rodriguez. Under the label Wilke-Rodriguez, the pair turned out razor-sharp suits and blazers, decorative shirts and vests, stylish denim pants and shirts. The clothes were not only fashionable and contemporary, they were affordable. At a time when the price of designer clothes had skyrocketed, you could pick up a Wilke-Rodriguez blazer for about $200 and a shirt for about $50. Being a budget-conscious sportswear fan, it wasn't long before I had a closet full of Wilke-Rodriguez designs.

MINNEAPOLIS - Top WNBA draft Maya Moore has become the first female basketball player to sign an endorsement deal with the Jordan Brand, a division of Nike Inc. The Oregon-based sportswear business in basketball great Michael Jordan's name announced the agreement yesterday. Moore was selected by the Minnesota Lynx out of the University of Connecticut last month. Considered one of the best players to turn pro in years, she won two national titles at UConn and is a two-time winner of the Associated Press Player of the Year award.

The Golden State Warriors agreed to trade guard Jamal Crawford to the Atlanta Hawks last night, NBA.com reported. The Warriors will receive guards Acie Law and Speedy Claxton, a former 76er, a league source said. Crawford, 29, averaged 19.7 points per game last season, his only one with Golden State. The nine-year veteran also played for the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks. Claxton, who starred at Hofstra under current Villanova coach Jay Wright, was taken 20th overall in the 2000 draft by the 76ers.

Essence magazine first hit the newsstands in 1970. It quickly gained a loyal following among black women who were understandably tired of seeing themselves so underrepresented in mainstream fashion magazines. Essence's current editor-in-chief, Susan Taylor, recalls her reaction when she first picked up the magazine: "I didn't know whether to read it or hug it!" Over the years, Essence has broadened its editorial scope to cover health and social issues, personalities and politics as well as fashion.

MINNEAPOLIS - Top WNBA draft Maya Moore has become the first female basketball player to sign an endorsement deal with the Jordan Brand, a division of Nike Inc. The Oregon-based sportswear business in basketball great Michael Jordan's name announced the agreement yesterday. Moore was selected by the Minnesota Lynx out of the University of Connecticut last month. Considered one of the best players to turn pro in years, she won two national titles at UConn and is a two-time winner of the Associated Press Player of the Year award.

Great news! There's a new line of "toning" sportswear that loses weight for you. All you have to do is put it on. So go get some ice cream and make yourself a milkshake. Let's lose some weight! Count me excited. I knew this would happen, someday. It proves that America is the greatest country on Earth, making genuine scientific advances, one after the other. Excuse me. Pass the chocolate cake. If we can put a man on the moon, I knew it wouldn't be long until we did something that really mattered.

The New York developer trying to bring the New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn has gotten approval for a land deal he said was necessary to keep the project on track. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted yesterday to give Nets owner Bruce Ratner what amounts to a big price break on the development rights for a rail yard where the arena is to be built. Originally, Ratner's company was to pay $100 million for the rights to build over the rail yard. The new deal will let him pay only $20 million up front, with the remainder in installments over 22 years.

The Golden State Warriors agreed to trade guard Jamal Crawford to the Atlanta Hawks last night, NBA.com reported. The Warriors will receive guards Acie Law and Speedy Claxton, a former 76er, a league source said. Crawford, 29, averaged 19.7 points per game last season, his only one with Golden State. The nine-year veteran also played for the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks. Claxton, who starred at Hofstra under current Villanova coach Jay Wright, was taken 20th overall in the 2000 draft by the 76ers.

CINCINNATI - Macy's stores across the country are renovating their Tommy Hilfiger shops and expanding how much of the designer's sportswear they carry. But fans of the brand soon won't be seeing those items at other department stores. Starting next week, Tommy Hilfiger U.S.A. will have an exclusive alliance with Macy's that leaves it as the only U.S. department store operator offering the company's men's and women's sportswear. The launch comes as department stores increasingly turn to exclusive offerings to set themselves apart in a market where shoppers are focusing on basics like fuel and food and turning to discounters for lower prices.

For a certain segment of young men, basketball culture goes way beyond the court. It's hip-hop. It's playing late-night video games while eating dry cereal right out of the box. It's the latest retro sneaker. An apparel company based in Northern Liberties has cleverly entwined hoops with fashion in an attempt to take the sport's biggest fans beyond baggy pants and oversized hoodies. Undrcrwn - pronounced Under Crown - is available in 150 stores including Made to Order and Pedestrian in Philadelphia, as well as men's clothing salons in New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Japan.

Venus Williams is almost as well-known for her hemline as she is her backhand. So it's no surprise that the older of the Williams sisters is debuting a line of sportswear, EleVen, at Steve & Barry's this month. (Sister Serena also has a line of clothing, called Aneres - that's Serena spelled backward. Some of the pieces, which are more upscale, have limited availability.) Back to Venus. EleVen is Steve & Barry's latest addition to their burgeoning apparel empire. The company, which has its roots at the University of Pennsylvania, has spent most of this year introducing collections revolving around high-profile celebrities, including Sarah Jessica Parker (Bitten)

Jones Apparel Group Inc.'s new president and chief executive officer promised yesterday to return the company to profitability by 2008 by selling most of its sportswear division and fixing retail problems left by his predecessor. Wesley Card's pledge in an earnings conference call came as the Bristol company reported a loss of $47.1 million, or 44 cents a share, for the second quarter. It reduced its forecast of profit for this year to a range of $1.28 to $1.34 a share from the $1.95 to $2.05 it had forecast three months ago. After the announcements, Jones' shares fell 12.4 percent to a seven-year low of $21.86.

It was a nice gesture for a sportswear company to offer to donate sneakers to the Philadelphia School District's male varsity basketball players - but not nice enough. What about the girls, asked Philadelphia School Reform Commissioner Martin Bednarek, a longtime youth sports advocate from the city's Northeast. The Port Washington, N.Y., company, Steve & Barry's, considered his request and decided to honor it - after initially turning it down, he said. "This is a classic case of equity, wouldn't you say," James Nevels, the School Reform Commission chairman, said shortly after the commission yesterday approved receipt of the donation retroactively.

Philadelphia's throwback-jersey-maker has ridden the highs and lows of hip-hop fashion. Now Mitchell & Ness Nostalgia Co. is banking on a more diversified product line, the star power of Michael Jordan and past Dallas Cowboy greats, and a new president. The Center City sportswear firm was slated to introduce its Jordan apparel, including his No. 23 Chicago Bulls jersey, over the weekend in connection with the NBA All-Star Game. Call it a statement by Mitchell & Ness owner Peter Capolino and newly promoted president Sean McKinney that one of the best-known brands in the throwback-jersey business is aiming high.