A steady flow of store closings and unenticing merchandise is battering specialty apparel and department store stocks. Recently, Goldman Sachs analyst Alexandra Walvis initiated coverage of Tapestry Inc., Tiffany & Co. and VF Corp. with a buy rating. Several days before that, UBS had initiated coverage on a basket of nearly two dozen apparel and accessories stocks, including buy ratings on the likes of Nordstrom Inc. and American Eagle Outfitters Inc.

And earlier in June, Omar Saad of Evercore ISI closed short positions in Kohl’s Corp. and Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc, and offered a rosy view on the prospects of Macy’s Inc.The biggest challenge for apparel retailers in recent years hasn’t been a failure to adapt to Amazon.com rather it’s a different kind of online challenge. Social media and live-streamed runway shows have meant that shoppers see new styles faster than ever before.