Article: Dresses take spotlight in stores.

NEW YORK -- The easy dress continues to be one of the hottest items for fall and some major retailers are moving the look to center stage.

From mass chains to upscale stores, retailers are devoting more space and increasing their budgets for dresses, even spotlighting them in sportswear areas.

Stores are looking to sustain momentum generated in August, when, according to Retail Merchandising Service Automation Inc., a Riverside, Calif.-based group that tracks retail sales nationally, dresses grew at a healthy 6 percent clip, second in growth only to suits, which logged a 17.8 percent increase. In comparison, skirt sales dropped 8 percent, while blazer ...

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