UK male shoppers are the main buyers of designer fashion

With the bi-annual men’s fashion week, London Collections: Men, just around
the corner new research emerges which shows that British men are rapidly
overtaking their female counterpart when it comes to the consumption of
designer wear.

According to a new report from retail research firm Mintel, male consumers
in the UK aged between 16 and 35 are the main designer fashion purchasers –
with an impressive 55 percent having purchased designer apparel, underwear
or footwear in the last three years. This growing appetite for luxury and
designer fashion is reflected in the growing interest surrounding LC:M,
which has been extended to take place over 4 days rather than 3 this season.

A photo posted by Sherion (@sherionm) on Jun 28, 2015 at 11:26am
PDT

However, it is male millennials who stand out amongst the fashion crowd as
the largest buyers of designer fashion, with 57 percent of men between 16
and 24, compared to 48 percent of women of the same age purchasing designer
wear over the last three years. From the designer items purchased, premium
jeans or denim, t-shirts/polo shirts and shirts are the most likely pieces
to have been snagged up by British male millennials, with Ralph Lauren and
Armani being highlighted as the most desirable luxury labels amongst men.

‘Under 25 year olds are two times more likely than average to be
luxury shoppers’

Overall, the research found that young male shoppers are almost 10
percentage points more likely than women to purchase designer fashion, with
under 25 years being two time more likely than average to be luxury
buyers. “Designer
fashion brands need to increasingly look at ways of attracting a new
younger demographic of Millennials who aspire to buy their brands, without
losing the exclusivity that is part of the appeal of owning a designer
label,” suggested Tamara Sender, Senior Fashion Analyst at Mintel.

“There is potential to launch less expensive sub-brands and to expand
fashion accessory ranges to include items such as smartphone and iPad cases
and headphones that are popular among young people.” Although young female
shoppers have been known for their interest in designer fashion and
accessories, where does this boom in male millennial interest in designer
wear come from?

A photo posted by Michaela Tornaritis
(@michaelatphotos) on Jul
30, 2015 at 1:48pm PDT

Part of the reason attributed to this shift in UK male consumer spend is
said to be the lure of the quality promised by designer brands. Male
shoppers are said to be drawn to the high quality of designer fashion
items, with 28 percent of the 2,000 internet respondents questioned citing
this as their main reason for buying designer label.

Again, this reasoning for shopping within the higher-end of the fashion
label spectrum peaks again amongst the younger male demographic, with 36
percent of male customers under the age of 25 claiming better quality is
the driving factor of their purchase decision. This is 10 percentage points
higher than the average and twice that of young women shoppers.

Male shoppers agree ‘designer brands are made from better quality
materials’

“At the same time, 43 percent of men aged 16 – 24 agree that designer
brands are made from better quality materials,” added Sender, which
highlights the perceived importance of quality when it comes to designer
purchasing. Millennial male shoppers are also significantly more likely
than their young female counterparts to decide to purchase designer brands
in order to keep up with a new or changing fashion trend to ensure they
stand out from their peers by owning an much wanted item from a specific
label.

The research from Mintel also found that men are slightly more likely than
women to buy designer fashion items as a gift for someone. “There is scope
for brands to develop a gifting service aimed at men buying designer
fashion for women to celebrate a special event such as a birthday,
anniversary or Christmas,” pointed out Sender.

With customer service becoming an vastly important tool for luxury
retailers to entice male shoppers, Mintel suggests designer labels looks to
fashion house like Burberry for inspiration. The British heritage retailer
recently launched a specific gifting area within its Thomas’s restaurant at
its flagship store on Regent Street, where customers are able to shop a
wide selection of gifts and have them gift wrapped on the spot.

Photos: Ralph Lauren and Armani Facebook