Starting a clothing line is an exciting but sometimes challenging ride. Not only do you need to create unique and comfortable clothing and styles, but you also need to find customers who want to pay for your creations. While most clothing businesses would love to have everyone wearing their clothing, the great fashion entrepreneurs understand who their target audience truly is.
Identifying your target market is one of the first steps toward building a successful clothing business. Your target market can be based on various factors like age, gender, income, location, lifestyle, and interests. For instance, if you are planning to sell sportswear, your target market would be people who are interested in sports and fitness. Similarly, if you are planning to sell luxury clothing, your target market would be people with a high income and a taste for luxury fashion.
Once you have identified your target market, you can create a marketing plan that resonates with them. By understanding their preferences and needs, you can create a brand image that appeals to them.
In this article, we’ll give you 5 of the best target markets for a clothing company or business to pursue. By catering to your target market’s needs, you can create a loyal customer base that will keep coming back for more.
Comfort Seekers
One often sought-after market for a clothing business is people who want comfortable clothing. Comfort seekers prioritize the feel of the fabric over other factors. Rather than style, they want something they feel comfortable in. They want clothing that is soft, cozy, and easy to wear for extended periods.
To appeal to comfort seekers, clothing businesses should focus on creating clothes that are made of high-quality, breathable materials. Cotton would be the most common but fashion companies should also look into silk or bamboo. These fabrics are known for their softness and durability. All of which make them ideal for everyday wear. Clothing businesses can also use performance fabrics like spandex or polyester to create comfortable activewear.
Another way to appeal to comfort seekers is to create clothing that is easy to wear and care for. For example, clothing that is machine washable and wrinkle-resistant is a big plus for busy people who value comfort and convenience. Also, a clothing company can create items with features such as elastic waistbands, stretchy fabrics, and loose-fitting silhouettes. This approach can provide maximum comfort for your potential customers.
To market to this target audience, clothing businesses can use language that emphasizes comfort and ease of wear. They can also use images that show people wearing their clothing in relaxing at home while watching Netflix. Or even walking through a nature trail wearing comfortable clothing. By targeting comfort seekers, clothing businesses can tap into a large and growing market of people who prioritize comfort and ease in their everyday lives.
Plus-sized Millennials and Gen Z
Plus-sized Millennials and Gen Z are a growing market segment in the fashion industry. As body positivity has become a movement among this demographic, a company that can provide various styles to individuals of various sizes may have an advantage.
To effectively target plus-sized Millennials and Gen Z, clothing businesses need to understand their preferences and needs. For instance, these customers are looking for clothes that are comfortable, stylish, and affordable. They also want clothes that can fit their bodies well and make them feel confident. Because of this, clothing businesses should offer a wide range of sizes, styles, and designs that cater to plus-sized Millennials and Gen Z.
Plus-sized Millennials and Gen Z are highly active on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. 54% of Gen Zers reported using social media for four or more hours a day at a rate almost double that of all U.S. adults. This is an important stat if you want to reach this market. They can use social media to showcase their products, offer discounts, and interact with customers. So if a clothing business wants to reach this market, it should focus heavily on the visual social media platforms.
Deal Seekers
Deal seekers are people who are always looking for good deals and discounts. They are typically price-sensitive and are always trying to get the best value for their money. They are probably going to care less about the type of material or the cut of the clothing. Instead, they want to make sure that they are getting something valuable for a decent price. As a clothing business owner, it is important to consider this market segment as it can be a great source of revenue.
To attract these types of customers, clothing businesses need to offer competitive pricing and discounts. One way to do this is by offering sales during certain times of the year. For example, offering a discount on winter clothing during the summer months can be a great way to attract deal seekers who are looking to save money.
It is important to note that while customers looking for deals may be price-sensitive, they still want quality products. You have got to make sure that you are offering products that are of good quality and value for money as a clothing business. You can do this by sourcing materials from reputable suppliers and ensuring that the manufacturing process is of high quality.
The key to all of this is to try to keep costs low so that you can keep the price of your products low. One way is to minimize marketing spend and use organic means of reaching customers. For a clothing business, it is important to find its target market on social media and continue marketing to those individuals.
Nostalgic Individuals
Nostalgia is a powerful emotion that can evoke sentimental feelings and memories of the past. For many individuals, clothing can be a way to relive those memories and express their love for a certain era or style. Nostalgic individuals are those who are drawn to clothing that reminds them of a particular time or place in their lives.
One target market for a clothing business could be those who have a passion for vintage clothing and styles. These individuals may be looking for something unique to express their style. Sometimes, they just appreciate the quality and craftsmanship of vintage clothing. The good news for clothing designers and businesses is nostalgia seems to always be in style.
The Gen Z generation seems to be nostalgic about the 90s. This seems a little odd at first simply because those who fall under Generation Z were born after 1997. Having access to syndicated television shows and retro 90s media on YouTube filled their nostalgia. This generation now has insight into a world before social media, virtual schooling, and the Internet of Things. Movie and television studios have taken advantage of the wave of nostalgia by rebooting movies like The Matrix and TV shows such as Gossip Girl.
This has made the younger generation nostalgic for a time when they were not even born. Clothing businesses can now bring the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s style to their clothing line and market to the demographic that experienced that era as well as a whole new generation.
Brands should use nostalgia marketing to reach this market. Nostalgia marketing draws on sentimental messaging and retro products to connect with customers emotionally. By using positive cultural memories from earlier decades, brands can captivate the attention of a broad audience of diverse customers.
Trend Setters: The Pulse of Fashion Evolution
The last great target market for a clothing business to focus on is the trendsetter. Trendsetters are not just confined to high-profile celebrities or fashion influencers. On the contrary. They are everyday individuals with an eye for detail. These buyers have an intrinsic ability to mix and match. They can seemingly create eclectic styles that often become widespread trends. Their choices, while sometimes strange to some, resonate with a sense of future fashion shifts.
37% of the general U.S. population follows fashion trends, up from 36% in 2022 and 34% in 2021 according to one study. This means that trendsetters are influencing more of the general population than ever. If your brand is going to target trendsetters, it needs to be in perpetual motion. What worked last season may not work this season. This means a clothing business must be constantly innovating and reinventing.
On top of that, they need to create a sense of exclusivity to drive demand. Limited-edition collections, collaborations with emerging designers, or even partnerships with artists from different domains can pique the interest of this demographic.
A word of warning, however, trendsetters can be fickle. This means that while they can love you and be loyal to your brand for a time, they often shift to the next hot thing. New clothing companies may not want to focus only on this demographic because of this reason.
Conclusion
Building any business can be a struggle. The clothing and fashion industry is among one of the most competitive sectors. However, there is no shortage of demand for new, comfortable, or stylish clothing. Fashion entrepreneurs who are looking to make a name for themselves need to carve out a specific target audience to pursue. This will save them time and money in the long run.
Also read:
5 Target Markets for Hair Accessories
Target Market: Definition, Examples and Its Importance
How to Find the Target Market for a Clothing Business
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