A nationwide study into British shopping habits reveals, contrary to the enduring stereotype, it’s the nation’s blokes who spend the most time planning what to wear, taking as many as 15 days (visiting shops and browsing online) to find the perfect outfit for a party, night out or special occasion.
Women on the other hand, take just 12 days to choose their perfect outfit, with guys also spending more time chatting to their mates for advice about fashion.
In fact, the research shows British men spend over an hour a month (63 minutes), chatting to their pals about fashion and potential purchases, compared to just 55 minutes for the nation’s females.
And modern males spend longer looking at blogs for fashion inspiration (58 minutes per month compared to 52 minutes for women) as well as watching fashion shows on TV (51 minutes compared to 45 minutes).
The data also found a generational shift in the way we shop for and buy fashion items.
Adults under 29 are more than twice as likely as over 60s to take selfies and share them with friends for advice before buying clothes and shoes, spending 78 minutes doing so each month.
Three quarters (73 per cent) of youngsters will look to Facebook for fashion ideas, 65 per cent take to Instagram and more than half (53 per cent) find inspiration on Twitter.
Despite all this fashion research however, the top reason Brits of all ages and genders finally decide on an outfit is because their partner thinks it looks nice on them, with 48 per cent of those polled, saying this is the number one influence over their decision.
One in five (19 per cent) will choose something because they saw a stranger wearing it, 17 per cent because their mum liked how they looked in it and 16 per cent because they’d seen it on Instagram.
The survey of almost 2,000 British men and women, found that three quarters (76 per cent) of regularly return fashion items they’ve bought online because they don’t fit them, and 38 per cent confess to having a stash of brand-new clothes they never wear.
A quarter said that they have items of clothing in their wardrobes which still have tags on, while 22 per cent admitted they have “too many” unworn clothes.
Almost three quarters (72 per cent) of Brits find it easy to buy the fashion they want to, while 76 per cent of people will regularly return items they bought online.
A confident 57 per cent of Brits think they are good at shopping for clothes, a third (36 per cent) are just okay, yet seven per cent say they can’t seem to buy anything stylish.
Simon Wilson, Head of Buying and Marketing at Deichmann, said: “The rise of online shopping has given the nation so much more choice when it comes to how, what and when to buy their clothing, shoes and accessories.
“We commissioned this study because we thought it would be interesting to see how people shop and the steps involved in making the decision to buy. It seems that the process to finding a perfect outfit can be a long one for both men and women.
“Our stores are designed for a fast track shopping experience that’s as time efficient as possible, with all shoes and sizes instantly available on the shop floor, which will help customers find exactly what they want in good time.
“We also have a huge range for women, children and men, with a new collection of leather men’s shoes available, so there is something for even the pickiest of shoppers.”
