This month at Guess they are rolling out the glitter and glam for their winter collection. Everything gold, bronze and silver is hot for the season, and materials such as cashmere, velvet, satin, silk, fur and denim are in. Simple styles of denim in a variety of washes are available at prices less than the premium denim brand, but still relatively expensive. Guess is still doing very well, as they always have a huge selection of fashion tops, sweaters, pants, skirts, dresses, denim, purses, shoes and accessories. They mark down items quickly, and offer great clearance prices in order to keep merchandise moving.

As Seth Jason from the Motley Fool notes;"...the brand is well positioned, by which I mean unique...To judge by the reduction in promotional sales at Guess?, the brand's European appeal seems to be resonating with shoppers".

There is no direct competition for Guess, as it is definitely a unique retailer with very few competitors who offer the same styles. Targeting mostly teenagers and young adults, Guess stands alone offering a more sexy, dressy and classy appeal to their customer base. The closest competitors may include Canadian retailer Le Chateau, and American retailer Bebe, yet who are still very different in their designs and styles of clothing. Le Chateau, in trying to appeal to an older crowd, is now shifting their styling to more everyday business attire, instead of clothing for going out to night clubs. Their prices have increased and are more in line with Guess's price points, yet the quality may be that of or slightly lower than Guess. Bebe is extremely overpriced, and offers a more dressy business look rather than clothing for everyday. They also specialize in semi formal dresses and skirts for those special events. Bebe is known to follow the trends heavily, and what you purchase one season from that retailer, most likely won't be fashionable the next. This is also true of Guess though, most pieces do not make it two seasons unless they are basics such as tanks or tees.

Up against these two retailers, Guess has definitely found a middle ground, offering trendy, fashionable pieces at slightly high prices. Are the styles a bit out there? In my opinion yes, but the styles for winter 2006 have greatly improved over last years designs. There are a number of pieces, in the Marciano collection especially, that appeal to my taste.

Guess is outperforming its competitors in recent months as they have altered the brand to make it more upscale, therefore benefiting from the recent trend in upscale and premium name brands such as Gucci, Prada, Coach, and even Louis Vuitton. This focus on providing an upscale look at a lower cost can be seen in their handbag and luggage collections, with similar patterns and styles that mimic Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Their denim collection has also shifted to provide more premium denim looks that are almost identical to that of Citizens of Humanity and True Religion.

This retailer is sure to produce great numbers during the holiday season. With many parties and functions that people will be attending, Guess will definitely appeal to those in need of some holiday fashions, as well as gifts!