Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine Magazine April 2018 | Page 74

WORLD WRAP
The menswear market is heating
up like never before
The period between the Victorian
era and the industrial revolution
was high on men’s fashion. Who
can forget the frilled shirts, fancy
waist coats, tall hats and the fitted
trousers that we see in period
movies, like Pride and Prejudice
and Titanic. With industrialisation,
clothing became a commodity and
men turned to more practical clothing
and workwear. Of course, fashion did
exist, but the percentage of men really
interested dwindled.
M
en may universally be
considered the dominating
gender, but when it comes to
shopping, women outshine men by
a huge margin. Not only are women
the biggest customer segment in
apparel retail, but a majority of
brands/retailers invest enormous
amount of both time and money in
understanding their preferences and
aspirations. And though it may take
years for gender equality to happen
in reality…, the momentum in
menswear has picked up. Among the
most noteworthy trends in category
retail, is the surgency of men’s
fashionwear with almost all market
analysts predicting that the growth
in menswear will outpace that of
womenswear in the next few years.
Not surprisingly, fashion shows were
conceived for women and it is as late
as 2012 that London announced that it
would dedicate an entire weekend to
menswear fashion designers, adding
a thrust to menswear fashion, beyond
the customary shirts and pants.
Slowly, brands are realising that men
are also individual shoppers and
not just husbands, boyfriends, sons
and brothers of shoppers. They have
also appreciated that men actually
enjoy the experience of shopping.
Several top-line brands such as Ralph
Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci
and Hermès have augmented their
menswear stor