You’ll find

* A wide range of periods (1850-1980) and price levels
* Every style imaginable, from belle epoque finery to bell bottom jeans
* European classics from Chanel, Schiaparelli, and Lanvin
* Timeless American designs by Bill Blass, Bonnie Cashin, Halston & Claire McCardell
* Wardrobe ideas and inspiration

Economists made predictions ranging from zero change to a 2.3 percent gain, according to Bloomberg. And while they had initially feared any sign of inflation, actual prices suggest that they now have no need to worry.

“There’s no story on inflation here, and deflation doesn’t seem to be a concern,” said Anika Khan, Wachovia economist, to CNN.

Most of the major increases and decreases since last month occur in food and energy prices, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Otherwise, other wholesale prices remain essentially the same.

Prices for apparel and other fabricated textiles, in addition to non-wood commercial furniture, turned up incrementally after falling down in April. On the other hand, prices for perfume and cologne decreased after observing slight increases.

In comparison to last year, wholesale prices for finished goods are down by 5 percent – though much of this decrease is due to cuts in food prices. However, excluding food and energy, prices have actually risen by 3 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Such behavior is a stark contrast from the 9.8 percent year-over-year increase in July 2008, a 27-year high.

But as other countries – namely Vietnam and Cambodia – rise in hopes of seizing its industry role, China’s growth rate has finally slowed down. This change is now the subject of the third and latest issue of FIBER, a bi-annual online magazine created by the University of Delaware’s Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies, while funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

“Although China is the world’s largest supplier of apparel items, accounting for more than half of U.S. apparel imports, we see China’s economic growth impacting its competitiveness in the textiles and apparel sector,” said Dr. Hye-Shin Kim, project director and editor, in the issue’s introduction.

The latest issue brings up other important considerations about its future in sourcing:

• Since it became the largest apparel exporter in 1994, China experienced its first single-digit growth of 1.3 percent from January to September 2008, which follows a 23 percent growth during the same months in 2007. “Even without trade restrictions, U.S.-China textile and apparel trade in 2009 will probably see one of the lowest growth rates in the decade,” said Sheng Lu, doctoral student at the University of Michigan’s Department of Textile and Apparel Management.
• For the past ten years, China has concentrated its textile and clothing production in five provinces and one city in the country’s east coast. However, due to increasing local labor costs, their facilities have been sourcing its workers from the midwest. As a result, U.S. customers could pay less, but for lower-quality products, said Dong Shen, associate professor of family and consumer sciences at California State University in Sacramento.
• Overall production costs are increasing as well, causing China to reconsider its role in the global fashion industry. “If foreign companies need to produce complicated, high-quality goods, China remains a good choice,” Shen said. In addition, prioritizing quality over quantity opens up opportunities for Chinese fashion designers and manufacturers, plus anyone willing to partner with them.

For more detailed findings, visit the magazine’s official website to view the latest issue.