Gender Parity In Fashion: Those Crazy Kids…
Maybe it’s because pink gadgets and spa/salon party events marketed to young women get soooo much press, but they aren’t the only ones buying. Young men are buying, and they are also interested in the latest/looking good. However, they’d perhaps prefer to seem unaware of such things. As a recent article in Australian publication, The Age, put it:
"Where an awareness of fashion was once
viewed by males as something that challenged masculinity, today
fashion is a fundamental defining factor of a young male’s personal
identity.
However, being openly conscious of what you wear is still
perceived as a relatively feminine trait. Therefore, most males are
still cautious about publicising their fascination with fashion and
may not always be willing to adopt new trends as soon as they enter
the market in the same way that females are."
Research conducted by Linda Tuncay (Loyola University Chicago) and Cele C. Otnes (University of Illinois) points to "a shift in acceptable notions of masculinity" that has lead to the growing consumption of fashion and grooming products by men. Still, though that masculinity shift is clearly under way, young (and older) men likely continue to head online to buy the more typically "feminine-y" products they seek. Manly men are not supposed to give fashion and grooming much thought, so they need to hide in the shadows for now.
What this all says to me is: all this marketing to women stuff that you, dear reader, and many a brand out there, has been learning and practicing really, truly isn’t just about women. It’s about serving the feminine shopping traits that reside in a lot of consumer’s brains - no matter their gender.
How great is that? If you still weren’t buying this "serve women better without alienating men" idea, here’s were we start to see the proof. Once men get comfortable buying clothes and grooming products, and being served with the highest standards developed for female shoppers, they’ll start to expect the same in all their other realms of consuming.
Women may have been the inspiration for better, richer customer experience and more relevant marketing approaches, but today, EVERYONE is expecting such treatment.
