The Increasing Absence of Fashion for the "Common Male"
One of the biggest, most luxurious, and most famous departure stores in Taipei is beyond just a building with expensive brand-name shops. It is actually a complex of FOUR buildings, each of which 7-8 storied and all of them connected via pedestrian-only bridges on the ground level, and sky bridges on the 4th floor. From restaurants to food courts, cosmetics to clothing lines, activity halls to nearby movie theaters, the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi seem to contain everything a shopper would ever want in order to while away a lazy weekend.
Except for, perhaps, one thing. With total of some 30 floors of merchandises, this department store complex contains only two floors with men's fashion items, in separate buildings, and sharing their offerings with other women's items on the same floor. Yes, these buildings collectively contained maybe only 5% of floor space exclusively for male shoppers. for the author, coming halfway across the town to see if he can get a more diverse offering of shoes, it was a reconfirmation of his belief that the status of male shoppers are in some serious decline.
The author's previous trips to mixed-use night markets well-heeled by locals have been the origin of this belief. While food stalls remained unisex (perhaps to keep male companions of female shoppers happy), most other stalls, ranging from fashion to drinks to cosmetics, advertise exclusively for female clientele, openly noting how their products are good for the female figure/looks/well-being/entertainment. Conversing with some longtime male residents (both locals and non-locals) seem to confirm this observation. Males here seem to "get their shopping over with" in large big-box stores.
Then again, come to think of it, though, this phenomenon is not at all unique to Taiwan, but may indeed be universalizing. The continued global expansion of these big-box stores like Walmart and Carrefour has been killing off small om-and-pop targeting men much faster than similar stores targeting women. In fact, if anything, stores dedicated to women, whether in fashion or other product/services, have seen a steady rise in the recent years, especially in emerging markets, where higher incomes have created demand for specialty, high-quality products.
For men, however, there seems to be a strong sense of bi-polarization of offerings. On one hand, there are still plenty of specialty fashion shops with high-end offerings (adventure travel gear and tailored suits are favorites). But for generic everyday use products, big-box stores are dominating. Fashion chains are forced to either play the expensive specialty route (e.g. Abercrombie) or the systematically lower the price tags (e.g. Gap) in order to defend their market share among male customers to aggressive big-boxes and e-commerce firms winning in both diversity and price.
What does all this mean, from a sociological standpoint? On the surface, many would lament the death of the male fashionista and may even go as extreme as claiming corporate discrimination against men. But the author would argue that this trend may actually be a sad story of female victimization. Yes, it is true that the modern men, in average, spend much less than their female counterparts. But part of the reason is that the corporate world has given up on the male consumer as someone it can coax to part with cash on something that is not inherently needed.
And because of that, retailers find themselves more and more dependent on female customers, who seem to be much more easily seduced by glossy marketing campaigns with dubious underlying messages. More (sales) bang for the (marketing) buck, they may think, and shift more and more focus to the female at the expense of the male. All the more outlets for the female to open her wallet, her mouth watering from all the new choices that she did not have access to only a short time in the past. The collective female expenditure's rise must indeed be phenomenal.
But all of this is occurring when women's rights movements are gradually stagnating in recent years. After decades of gains, average female income remain below that of male in same position and skill level. These additional seductions to help them increase spending in unproductive ways can only worsen their relative economic positions. With record numbers of women resorting to selling their dignity and flesh to plug their spending-earning gaps, is it any wonder that many men continue to hold a disrespectful condescending attitude toward women?
Except for, perhaps, one thing. With total of some 30 floors of merchandises, this department store complex contains only two floors with men's fashion items, in separate buildings, and sharing their offerings with other women's items on the same floor. Yes, these buildings collectively contained maybe only 5% of floor space exclusively for male shoppers. for the author, coming halfway across the town to see if he can get a more diverse offering of shoes, it was a reconfirmation of his belief that the status of male shoppers are in some serious decline.
The author's previous trips to mixed-use night markets well-heeled by locals have been the origin of this belief. While food stalls remained unisex (perhaps to keep male companions of female shoppers happy), most other stalls, ranging from fashion to drinks to cosmetics, advertise exclusively for female clientele, openly noting how their products are good for the female figure/looks/well-being/entertainment. Conversing with some longtime male residents (both locals and non-locals) seem to confirm this observation. Males here seem to "get their shopping over with" in large big-box stores.
Then again, come to think of it, though, this phenomenon is not at all unique to Taiwan, but may indeed be universalizing. The continued global expansion of these big-box stores like Walmart and Carrefour has been killing off small om-and-pop targeting men much faster than similar stores targeting women. In fact, if anything, stores dedicated to women, whether in fashion or other product/services, have seen a steady rise in the recent years, especially in emerging markets, where higher incomes have created demand for specialty, high-quality products.
For men, however, there seems to be a strong sense of bi-polarization of offerings. On one hand, there are still plenty of specialty fashion shops with high-end offerings (adventure travel gear and tailored suits are favorites). But for generic everyday use products, big-box stores are dominating. Fashion chains are forced to either play the expensive specialty route (e.g. Abercrombie) or the systematically lower the price tags (e.g. Gap) in order to defend their market share among male customers to aggressive big-boxes and e-commerce firms winning in both diversity and price.
What does all this mean, from a sociological standpoint? On the surface, many would lament the death of the male fashionista and may even go as extreme as claiming corporate discrimination against men. But the author would argue that this trend may actually be a sad story of female victimization. Yes, it is true that the modern men, in average, spend much less than their female counterparts. But part of the reason is that the corporate world has given up on the male consumer as someone it can coax to part with cash on something that is not inherently needed.
And because of that, retailers find themselves more and more dependent on female customers, who seem to be much more easily seduced by glossy marketing campaigns with dubious underlying messages. More (sales) bang for the (marketing) buck, they may think, and shift more and more focus to the female at the expense of the male. All the more outlets for the female to open her wallet, her mouth watering from all the new choices that she did not have access to only a short time in the past. The collective female expenditure's rise must indeed be phenomenal.
But all of this is occurring when women's rights movements are gradually stagnating in recent years. After decades of gains, average female income remain below that of male in same position and skill level. These additional seductions to help them increase spending in unproductive ways can only worsen their relative economic positions. With record numbers of women resorting to selling their dignity and flesh to plug their spending-earning gaps, is it any wonder that many men continue to hold a disrespectful condescending attitude toward women?
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