Clothing: Who Spends More, Women or Men?
With clothing being an inevitable part of life, the question of who spends more on it has been long debated. Is it women, who are often seen to have a more luxurious taste in fashion, or men, who have recently begun to trend toward more fashion-focused styles than in the past?
Women and Clothing
Women are often seen to be the ones spending the most on clothing, likely due to the plethora of choices available to them. On the one hand, women may opt for more expensive luxury items, such as designer handbags, jewelry, and shoes. On the other, they can also choose more affordable fast fashion items, such as H&M and Zara.
To add to their clothing budgets, women’s outlets such as Nordstrom and Anthropologie often have seasonal sales and discounts. In addition, many women are likely to spend hours at their local mall or in the many online shops specifically catered to their fashion tastes.
Men and Clothing
Men, although often considered to be the parsimonious counterparts of women, have recently been seen to be spending a lot more when it comes to clothing. This could be attributed to the rising popularity of streetwear, as well as the trend of splurging on luxury items such as designer sneakers.
A recent survey by Men’s Health found that around half of the men aged 18–34 in the United States said that they were willing to spend an average of $128 on clothes each month. Furthermore, men’s clothing and accessories from upscale, high-end stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue also have been seeing spikes in purchases in recent years.
Who Spends More on Clothing?
Although men’s clothing purchases have seen a rise in recent times, it is likely that women will still be the ones spending more on clothing.
Here is why:
- Women tend to have more style options, making it more likely they will spend more on clothes.
- Many stores offer discounts and sales specifically catered to women.
- Women tend to take more time shopping for clothes, increasing their clothing expenditure.
- Men’s clothing tends to be more expensive than women’s, so a man spending the same amount on clothes will likely purchase fewer items than a woman.
Overall, it appears that women still remain the larger demographic when it comes to spending on clothing. However, the fact that men are beginning to take more interest in fashion and dress to impress is not to be discounted either.
It looks like clothing might just be one of those things that men and women alike can’t live without.