Dressed for success: Mintel unveils 10 menswear fashion facts for London Fashion Week Men’s

As London Fashion Week Men’s kicks off this Saturday (9th June 2018), the latest menswear research from Mintel reveals ten essential fashion facts about the nation’s dedicated followers of fashion.

• From their love of sportswear to made-to-measure attire, last year Britain’s gents outperformed their female counterparts in the realm of fashion.
• The UK men’s clothing market grew by an estimated 3.5% in 2017 to reach a dapper £15.0 billion, as sales of menswear outperformed sales of womenswear. Nevertheless, menswear remains around half the size of the womenswear market which is valued at £28.4 billion, accounting for 26% of total clothing sales.
• Making good strides, Mintel forecasts that menswear will grow by a stylish 11% between 2018 and 2022 to reach £17.1 billion. In 2018 alone, men’s clothing sales will grow by an estimated 2.9% to reach £15.4 billion.
• When it comes to splashing the cash on fashion, men are proving to be the biggest spenders. Over half (53%) of men spent £50 or over on their last shopping trip, compared to only 39% of women. Male shoppers (18%) are also significantly more likely than women (12%) to have spent over £100.
• Looking for the perfect fit, half (49%) of Britain’s male shoppers are interested in getting clothes tailored to their body shape. This comes as a third (33%) of men have returned clothes because they don’t fit well.
• Proving quality counts, men are more likely than women to be prepared to spend more on quality clothes that last, with 70% of male shoppers agreeing with this, compared to 64% of female shoppers. The importance of buying quality clothes rises to 76% of men aged 16-34.
• Men are increasingly shopping around for clothing, with supermarkets and online-only retailers now particularly popular. Overall, 35% of men have bought clothes from a supermarket in the last year, whilst 35% have shopped with an online-only retailer.
• Looking for ‘Mr. Average’, 27% of male shoppers aged 16-24 want the clothing retailers they shop at to use models that represent the average person, this compares to 16% of men on average.
• They may be rich and famous, but it seems their influence may not extend too far, as Mintel research reveals that the use of a celebrity encourages less than one in ten (8%) men to shop with a specific retailer.
• Winning the race, there has been a big increase in young men buying sportswear, as 29% of men bought sports clothing in the last three months*, compared to 19% in the three months to December 2016.
• Over a third (34%) of male shoppers agree that positive product reviews would encourage them to shop with a specific retailer. This rises to almost half (49%) of men aged 25-34.

Sam Dover, Senior Fashion Analyst at Mintel said:

“Growth in the menswear market has been robust, with an increasing number of retailers focusing their attention on men’s clothing and strengthening this category to boost sales. Not only are retailers looking towards menswear to offset the challenges they face in womenswear, but retailers have realised there are a multitude of untapped opportunities as men become increasingly invested in their personal style. Men are more willing to trade-up purchases and invest in premium and branded fashion. Meanwhile, the ongoing popularity of sportswear, streetwear and denim in the menswear market continues to provide brands with opportunities to extend into new areas. However, the increased choice for men has made the market much more competitive and made male shoppers more demanding and less brand-loyal, meaning retailers need to do more to stand out and differentiate their offer. Getting the product assortment right has become even more imperative at a time when it is much easier for consumers to compare products and prices online before buying.”

* three months to March 2018