Tarrant Apparel to Buy BUM International

Los Angeles-based Tarrant Apparel Group said it agreed to buy Los Angeles-based BUM International Inc. for $23.8 million in cash as part of plans to expand its name-brand clothing business. The maker of women’s casual clothing said the purchase agreement it reached with BUM and its creditors will be reviewed by U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California at a Sept. 3 hearing. BUM filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Court protection in April 1996 after expansion plans to build a retail business failed. BUM now licenses its brand. The purchase of BUM would give Tarrant a global brand in the casual sportswear market and new opportunities for licensing income, the company said. Tarrant shares fell 13 cents to close at $14.63 on Nasdaq.