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Source:
Deborah Meyer, 785-532-1314, dmeyer@humec.k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Jennifer Newberry, 785-532-6415
Thursday,
July 28, 2005
K-STATE
EXPERT SAYS MALE FASHION TRENDS ARE CHANGING
MANHATTAN
-- Gone are the days when women spent more time than men getting
ready. More and more, men are taking over the bathroom.
The
reason? According to a Kansas State University expert, there is
a general trend in the apparel industry, as well as in health care
and personal care products, that men are now taking better care
of themselves.
Men
are taking control of their wardrobe and, at the same time, are
spending more money on health-related products, said Deborah Meyer,
associate professor in apparel, textiles and interior design.
"It's
in keeping with men paying more attention to their appearance than
in the past," she said.
The
media has described this trend as "metrosexual," Meyer
said. However, most men would not want that label, she said.
Meyer
said there are two reasons men are spending more time and money
on themselves -- more men are now purchasing their own clothing
and there has been a shift toward a more formal, fashionable wardrobe.
"Women
used to buy 70 percent of men's clothing and now there's a trend
of more men buying their own clothing," Meyer said.
She
predicts this trend will increase for the next several years.
"Men
now feel more comfortable being in charge of their own personal
appearance and are taking steps by going into stores," Meyer
said. "Stores are treating men differently and it's becoming
a hot market now targeted by many apparel companies new to men's
apparel."
Recently,
there has also been a shift toward a more formal and fashionable
male business wardrobe.
"Casual
Friday" has gradually become a thing of the past, Meyer said.
The decreased popularity of such policies has caused an increased
interest in more formal work attire.
"Our
casual thinking is slowly changing," she said. "There's
been a shift in attitude across society, which has been reflected
in clothing patterns. We're slowly getting away from casual."
When
shopping for their work attire, men's behaviors are different from
women's, however. Men tend to purchase an entire outfit at one store,
unlike women.
"Women
are accomplished shoppers," Meyer said. "They've been
doing it for years and men aren't used to that. It's a learned behavior
for many men, whereas women might find it a recreation to do shopping.
"It
appeals to men to have everything in the same store and see it put
together. This shopping approach appeals to men because they're
not the seasoned shoppers that many women are."
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