Men’s fashion market: how has the male consumer evolved?

Jeans, shirts, suits, chinos, sneakers… Studying the men’s fashion market means analyzing a relatively sober wardrobe, marked by an attachment to basics and colors that are easy to wear. But new brands, as well as new consumption patterns, are changing the game.

Highlights of men’s fashion history

Far is the time of Louis XIV, where men adorned themselves with ribbons, jewels and flamboyant fabrics to shine brightest in the king’s court. The sobriety of the male wardrobe has been in place since the 19th century and its dark three-piece suits. The democratization of the wearing of jeans, which came out of the work wear uniform in the 1950s, caused a wind of relaxation in men’s wardrobes, and the popularization of sportswear, from tennis player Rene Lactose to polo player Ralph Lauren, changed the deal in terms of men’s clothing. However, the cuts and styles remain relatively sober, with basic colors and simple materials. Is it the supply or the demand?

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Basics “that work” and loyalty to major brands

We traditionally perceive the male client as rather cautious in terms of products and brands, limiting themselves to “big names” and not daring to turn to more creative houses or styles. The male fashion customer, eternal subscriber to the jeans-sneakers combo? Chloe, from the men’s fashion site Men look , explains the three essential components of the act of buying a male customer.

Safety: “Most men look for safety when it comes to fashion. They tend to trust big brands, to stay on the products they know, to bet on simple pieces, easy to combine. “

Loyalty: “On Men look , our most frequent sales are the big brands like Ralph Lauren or Nike. A man who has found his polo shirt or his jeans is not going to change brands. “

Basics “that work”: Few new designer pieces or extravagant colors in the basket of a male consumer in 2016, but a selection of effective basics: “A man will buy a piece in different colors, or buy the even when worn. “

But all this is changing: faced with the emergence of a multitude of new innovative brands and the quality of the selections presented on online sales sites, the male consumer is opening up to new horizons. “The male consumer is more and more educated in fashion,” according to Chloe. This is reflected, during a stroll on the Men look site , by a diversification of purchases: “We have a lot of buyers who do not hesitate, in parallel with iconic pieces from major brands, to venture towards brands more confidential. The selection made upstream by Men look buyers allows them to be tempted without risk. “

Personal shopping and fashion blogs

That said, the male consumer is no more resistant to novelty than his female counterpart – someone just needs to accompany him in his new choices. This involves highlighting sites like Men look , or consulting multiple fashion blogs that allow consumers to be able to learn about a brand and how to wear it. Successful male blogs such as Comte UN Damion , Bonn League or Very Good Lord offer a personalized – and offbeat – vision of fashion, making the act of dressing for oneself all the more attractive.