the men's ready-to-wear market | France

1.1 Presentation and definition of the market

Ready-to-wear refers toall clothing items produced in series thanks to a standardization of sizes. It is therefore opposed to made-to-measure. Non-textile shoes and accessories, as well as products for children, are excluded from this study.

Globally, the market was worth $451.2 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.9% over the period 2020-2027. This growth is driven by the development of emerging countries, including their increasing purchasing power. In particular, Asian markets accounted for 38% of the market in 2018 and are growing strongly. In addition, in Western countries, men's fashion is presenting itself as an alternative to an already saturated women's market, a phenomenon encouraged by the growing passion of men for fashion. Social networks and digital influence are contributing to this growing interest.

The men's ready-to-wear market in France is sluggish and represents about half the sales of women's ready-to-wear. The men's ready-to-wear market is not immune to the strong difficulties of the French clothing market, which has been in decline for many years. However, its difficulties are much less pronounced than those of the women's market, which is largely saturated.

In fact, the men's clothing market has significant growth drivers, the main ones being the growing interest of men in fashion and therise of e-commerce and the use of digital tools. Moreover, the analysis of men's consumption behavior reveals that their purchases are mostly utilitarian, that their shopping experience is often confusing and that men are loyal customers. The sector players can therefore bank oncustomer support and the personalization of the offer, as well as on exploiting men's loyalty to brands and chains.

Brands have understood this and the market is stimulated by the dynamism of new entrants, such as Bonne Gueule, which raised 6.5 million euros in May 2020. Its success also reveals a major trend, namely the multiplication of informed consumers who pay particular attention to the materials used, the origin of the products or the quality of the seams. In addition to this trend, the rise of streetwear, which relies for example on drops and exclusivity, reveals the constant search for novelty and the importance of marketing strategies in this market, especially for young consumers (millenials).

Finally, critics of "fast fashion", consumers are increasingly sensitive to the environmental impact of the production of the clothes they buy and their consumption. Many brands are investing in the sustainable and more environmentally friendly fashion segment and the second hand market is growing.

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