The article is very relevant to a few of our latest topics in marketing -Segmentation and Targeting and Positioning. Burgeoning new designers are capitilizing on the niche market of offering tailored clothing for men that don't want to be labeled as fashionable but do want to project the right image of themselves. The goal is to concentrate on fit, quality, and understatement. While the bespoke industry is not new its certainly a growing trend. The economic downturn has "unleased a desire ro be uplifted and energized." These designers are positioning themselves to provide exclusivity, simplicity and uniqueness to men that care about their image but not fashion so much. Some of the marketing strategies include partnering with firms of high end products, such as Bentley, who will give you an Astor and Black suit, shirt and tie with any car purchased. The article suggests that men are tired of dressing casual and are rediscovering the joy that dressing up can give. And just like the Ofek and Wathieu's article suggests, there can be opportunities to offer new value propositions that exploit trends that could shake up or grow the business.
My questions:
1) For men: Does the thought of having clothes tailored to fit your needs appeal to you?
2) Does this market seem like a trend or like something that is here to stay.
3) Ladies - Would you invest in the opportunity to dress the men in your life in something other than jeans and khaki shirts?
Let's make one thing clear from the outset, there are few things better in this world than a pair of broken in jeans and an t-shirt that looks like it may, or may not, have survived a knife fight.
ReplyDeleteThat being said I also believe there is value in marketing your personal brand and separating yourself from the competition. That is even more important in tough economic times where the difference between you and the other guy may be the difference in how put together you look. So, yes, the thought of having tailored clothes does raise some personal interest but I agree with the article, there is some reluctance in looking like I want to be all GQ wants me to be.
I'm not sure if this is a trend or a movement, I think that has a lot to do with the designers. Can they perform over the long term? Will the lure of mass market sales and big revenue overcome the desire to produce low volume high, quality product. Recently, I read an article about a women's fashion designer that was doing the same thing as the designer's in this article, but due to the success of the line, and increasing cost she had to develop a step down brand that was produced in China and sold a the local retail in order to maintain profitability and growth.
I'm not sure I'm the best one to tell you what women want, let's just say my record is a little suspect. That being said I believe women want James Bond; a guy that can put on a tux, go to the casino and win a million Pounds, drink like a fish without wavering, win the bar fight someone else starts and end the night looking better than when he started it. While I have accomplished most of those tasks individually I can't say that's an average night in the "D" for me.
I love it when my men dress up and look nice. I think in the business world this is very important because the first impressions has a large impact on future success. Also respect. I like to idea of using celebrities to promote and advertise their products. This has worked in Ducati case which we discussed in Wiseman class. Also men subconsciously have role models who are famous and they strive to be just as women do. In woman's fashion world celebrities such as Lady gaga, jessica simpson and the list goes on.
ReplyDeleteEspecially in the downturn economy this is very important to look your best to ulift your mood. The saying "you act how you dress" is a great example. IF you dress in sweat pants you will automotically feel lazy and casual. Not active and motivated if you were wearing a suit.
Great Article! Ruby
Tailored clothes have lost the lime light in the past few decades. Now it is purely the market for the mass producer. They try to spin it such that people may still express their 'individuality' by the combination they may choose, however in the end it still comes down to the package which is available.
ReplyDeleteI think Menswear's focus is trying to reinvent the tailored suit to a generation which may not be accustomed to it. A pair of jeans may need to be broken in because they do not fit exactly according to the wears size. A finely tailored suit may be different. This generation may not be aware of that feeling. It may be viewed as totally unattainable, elite. If that feeling could be marketed to a new generation, then Menswear will benefit.
The challenge will be to bring the costs down to a reasonable level. Historically, tailoring has been much more expensive than buying the mass produced outfit. If Menswear can bring down the costs, they can make up for the smaller margin with higher volumes.
I think this approach will be beneficial for Menswear. It is intelligent to tap into an old market with a new customer base.
From the marketers prospective “Yes” the segmentation that the new designers are making in the clothing business will help them to reach to the niche market. With more and more mid to higher age generation finding them in office attire, the demand of non fashionable but neat clothing will grow.
ReplyDeleteBut then from the buyers prospective, shall I call such clothes as “Tailored made” when they are still available over the shelf asking to be comfortable within those available sizes. Personally neither I had any role model for my clothing nor did I try dressing up like them.The so called "Tailored Made" cloths are buzz word that marketers use effectively.
Tailored cloths certainly appeal to me but it untimely comes down to the price and availability. For example, it takes significantly more time to get fitted for cloths and have them tailored. Sometimes I just don’t have time to wait. Additionally, tailored clothes can be significantly more expensive than standard “off-the-shelf” products (as discussed in the article).
ReplyDeleteI do not think that high-end tailored clothes are a new trend. It is a niche market that has been around for a long time. The trend that I do see is the new clothing companies that are producing better fitting cloths at competitive prices. An example of this is Bonobos (www.bonobos.com), an on-line clothing retailer that is focused on “better-fitting pants”. Their prices are competitive with large merchandisers but try to fit closer to a tailored pant.
I think one of the main challenges that bespoke designers will face is breaking out of the niche market and reaching a broader audience - I don't think that most men know that this sort of service is accessible to them or would see how it could be relevant to their day-to-day lifestyle. There are a number of other options that consumers have for personalizing their attire in an increasingly individualistic culture where people expect to be able to customize their purchases. One example of this is monogramming clothing items such as polo shirts or dress shirts, a standard option on the J. Crew website for both men and women. A number of other brands, such as Converse, let customers design their own product down to the color of the thread used for the stitching, but are able to do so through their website, so it doesn't require face to face customer interactions for measurements, etc.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that longevity is a problem for this sort of service, as there is a great tradition of specialized tailoring in places like Savile Row in London. I do think that part of its appeal is the exclusivity that it implies, and the cost of offering such highly personalized services is considerable, meaning that the cost to the consumer is considerable. This naturally makes it impractical for most people.
Teal
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the challenge in this market will be making this service accessible to a broader audience without eroding the exclusivity feature. The appeal of this tailored line of clothing is that nothing on it outrightly says its tailored, like monograming does. Its the understatement and the personal satisfaction of being groomed to one's own standards, that is the draw. It will definitely be a challenge to try to market this to a broader audience.
What the heck. Why should anyone of us worry about personal brand or separating ourselves from others or competition,etc. Do what feels right for you! I have plently of clothes that range from casual to formal. I have never purchased clothes with the concern if I am maintaining my brand or segmentation issues. Come on folks...let's get real here. If fitted clothes is an important concern, then great. Have at it and ensure your clothes are tailored or fitted. Personally I go with what I need and what pleases me. If someone is concerned about my brand or if I am not separating myself enough from competition, then we got more serious problems in this world than I even imagined. Good article to get the blood flowing!!
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