"The man in the household is the last clothing buyer on the totem," Mr. Cooper said.

His father is a fashion consultant at B.M.S. Inc., a clothing buyer in New York.

Wednesday Reaves, a good-natured clothing buyer from Houston in New York on business, happened to hear about the activity and dragged five colleagues to the bar.

Several terrorist attacks against Westerners have made clothing buyers even more reluctant to come here.

Nationally, 17 percent of the suits that Bloomingdale's sells are double-breasted, said Frank Di Napoli, the men's clothing buyer.

His wife, who has a degree in anthropology from Boston University, left her job as a clothing buyer to join him because, he said, "we wanted to work together."

An only child, Mr. Jackson was raised by his mother, Elizabeth Jackson, a clothing buyer, and her parents.

It will also encourage international clothing buyers to take advantage of the support services offered by the Fashion Center Business Improvement District.

One guest, a clothing buyer from California, comes through every six weeks.

She works as a clothing buyer in the garment district of New York City.