Smudge is just one of the obstacles keeping me from completing my business plan. It’s not hard for him to distract me from my cash flow spreadsheet! Actually, I’m trying to have something ready for my advisor ahead of our meeting on Wednesday morning.

Since I’m in a business mindset right now, here are two quotes on women’s fashion that I found interesting in last week’s issues of the Wall Street Journal.

Regarding French Connection’s revamp of its brand after declining sales, Bryan Roberts of Planet Retail stated: “You can’t have markedly higher prices than your competitors without a substantial brand and proven, discernible quality to justify them.”

In an article about mall retailers shrinking the square footage of their stores, the Journal notes that Ann Taylor’s “new more feminine, more tailored merchandise has improved sales and restored gross margins.”