Men’s fashion trumps women’s in South Korea
Men’s fashion has come a long way in South Korea where it is so big that that it overtook women’s fashion in terms of market share, three years ago. In recent years, men’s fashion shows have also attracted a lot of interest, not just among women, but guys too. A passer-by said: “I really like the collection here, and I think it helps me a lot to understand the trend of fashion.” And when it comes to shopping for clothes, it seems that the men have overtaken the women.
Song Zio, fashion designer said: “In the past, men’s collection was much smaller than the women’s. And so there was a smaller budget. But now there is an interest and a demand by consumers. And so we can invest more on shows like this and on advertising.” In 2008, the sale of men’s clothes accounted for more than half – 53 per cent – of the total market, compared to 47 per cent for women’s clothes. Part of the reason is that South Korean men are no longer relying on women to buy their clothes.
Hwang Heeseok, head of Vino men’s clothes shop said: “In the past, when mothers and wives did the shopping for men, they just bought what they needed. But these days, if the men think it looks good on them, they will not hesitate to buy. And so if we show them what looks good, then they will buy. And that’s why sales have gone up.” There’s a Korean saying – that men, who want to be successful in life should focus on bigger issues, and not on small things, like their clothes.
Men’s Fashion Week 2011