Retailers say clothing demand is getting better. But it’s still kind of a mess.

After unwanted shirts and pants piled up in warehouses and stockrooms last year, clothing chains such as Gap Inc. and Urban Outfitters have said over the past two weeks they’ve had an easier time selling clothing through the summer without slashing prices so aggressively.

But with Black Friday and the holiday season’s most hectic shopping stretch around the corner, forecasts and commentary on consumer demand from executives have been cautious and convoluted.

Clothing…