The modern fashion industry knows two extremes: mass market and designer clothing (luxury clothing). Depending on the salary level, a person gives preference to one of the sides, since combining things from the mass market with clothes from famous designers is quite difficult.

However, between the mass market and luxury there is a huge number of brands, among which new luxury has recently clearly stood out. We are talking about brands and brands belonging to the middle price segment, which offer things with attractive designs and excellent quality. What are the strengths and weaknesses of mass market and luxury clothing?

Advantages and disadvantages of the mass market

Today the concept of “mass market” is increasingly popping up in fashion magazines. It refers to a broad segment of the goods market designed to satisfy the demand of the mass consumer. It is important to note that in the modern economy the mass market segment occupies one of the leading positions, which is valued at more than 190 billion euros.

Many people have a negative attitude towards things from the mass market - they are compared to second-hand goods, but in fact this is absolutely not the case. Budget brands also have their advantages. For example, they are characterized by a wide selection of clothing and stylish designs. As for high fashion, it is the prerogative of wealthy people who cannot deny themselves anything.

Don't think that you won't be able to look beautiful and stylish if you can't afford to spend exorbitant sums on clothes, shoes and accessories from popular brands. Everything that is presented on the world's catwalks sooner or later appears in the mass market, just in a different version. Things offered by the mass market differ from designer ones primarily in quality - it is rated as average. But this does not mean that such products should be avoided because they are bad. By using less expensive materials, locating production in regions with cheap labor, and spending little on advertising, the cost of the final product can be kept quite low. All this helps attract consumers.

The main advantages of the mass market are as follows:

• compliance of products with fashion trends;
• affordable cost;
• online shopping.

Did you know that many domestic and foreign stars also sometimes buy clothes from the mass market? Yes, yes, there they buy the best things for everyday wear, and for special occasions they choose clothes and shoes from famous fashion designers. As you know, the main indicator by which one can judge the demand for a particular product is sales volume. Based on this, the most popular mass market company is the Swedish trademark H&M, whose annual revenue exceeds 12 billion euros. Today, this company, which occupies about 6.5% of the world market, delights customers with fashionable clothes, shoes, accessories, underwear, etc.

As for the disadvantages of the mass market, they are:

1. Production of a large number of similar things. Due to the cheap appearance, the image becomes less presentable.
2. Use of cheap fabrics.
3. Low quality clothes. Despite the large assortment of stylish products, their quality leaves much to be desired.

If you delve into the issue in more detail, you can probably find a few more disadvantages, albeit minor ones.

What attracts consumers to designer clothing?

What are clothes? These are not just things that we wear. First of all, it is a way that allows a person to express himself as an individual. Every representative of the fair sex will certainly confirm that when she puts on her favorite clothes, she grows wings, thanks to which she feels feminine and attractive. This is why fashion design should be given important attention. The right outfit can both highlight your strengths and expose all your flaws to everyone. Most residents of Russia, like Europeans, prefer designer clothes that are made to order, meet all your requirements and fit perfectly on your figure.

Many girls mistakenly believe that they cannot wear high-quality designer clothes because their shape is far from model parameters. Don't believe this nonsense! You just need to know which designer to contact. Any self-respecting couturier will select individual approach to his client and will do everything to ensure that his creation emphasizes the advantages of the figure and skillfully hides the flaws. You can order items from designers based on ready-made sketches or use exclusive couturier designs. Of course, custom designer clothes will cost you a pretty penny, but it's worth it. Judge for yourself: after spending once, you will receive a unique little thing that will delight you and those around you for a long time.

There are many benefits to wearing designer clothes. Here are some of them:

1. Items created by talented designers are distinguished by their uniqueness, inimitable style and high quality. They provide a huge creative field for inspiration and flights of design imagination. Having done right choice, you will become the owner of an outfit that will add a bright twist to your wardrobe.
2. You can order clothes based on a sketch or exclusive designs from a fashion designer.
3. Designer items allow you to express yourself as an individual.

If you're still wondering whether to buy designer clothes, it's time to make the right choice!

Clothes from designers or mass market?

The modern consumer has to rush between designer clothes, the acquisition of which requires considerable expenses, and the mass market, which offers tempting prices for products. Unlike luxury clothing, the only drawback of which is its high cost, the mass market is significantly inferior in many respects:

1. Quality. The poor quality of things offered by the mass market is immediately noticeable.
2. Lack of individuality. Because of this, all things become the same type and gray.
3. A chance to meet a “double”. When purchasing clothes in the mass market, you can be sure that soon you will certainly meet a girl in the same dress. It's just a matter of time.

Despite this, the mass market still has branded clothing in which you can look like a million. The main thing is to know how to choose it. It is not recommended to purchase wool and denim items, outerwear, shoes and underwear in the mass market. In most cases, these groups of products cannot please customers with the proper quality.

In conclusion

Each person has the right to choose the clothes that suit him. And only he can decide what criteria will be taken into account: appearance, quality or cost. Good things can be purchased even in the mass market, provided that you choose them as responsibly as possible. If your financial situation allows, then don’t hesitate to buy things from designers, and if not, limit yourself to analogues of the mass market, which offers many branded items at reasonable prices. So why overpay? Choose your clothes wisely and you will be able to look dignified and attractive in the eyes of others.

Mass market is the most popular category of stores. Even if your budget allows you to buy more expensive brands, we advise you not to ignore Zara and H&M. The idea that luxury and affordable brands can be mixed is no longer a revelation. So does the idea of ​​mixing new and second-hand items. Quite the contrary, the concept is so hackneyed that sometimes it is forgotten. Whereas vintage and inexpensive clothes can give your appearance exactly that carelessness that will allow you to claim that you have taste.

There are many stores in the mass market category, and most stubbornly ignore trends. Fashion is a business in which it is especially important to keep your nose to the wind. And the winner is the one who is able to adapt quickly.

The best example proving this thesis is. This company, of course, is constantly criticized for copying items from the collections of the most advanced designers. But, as we know, the winner is always right (at least when it comes to commerce) - Zara has the most winning strategy, the largest loyal audience and the most in-demand product. It is in Zara that you should look for adaptations of models and other brands that capture the minds of fashionistas all over the world.

The second brand, similar in scale and level of popularity, is . These Swedes have a different policy. H&M is the IKEA of the fashion world. Most of the assortment is basic clothing and shoes, although you can also find bright copies of things from the catwalk. There is such a huge amount of clothes at H&M that from time to time you come across absolutely crazy items that are just worth hunting for.

It is better to buy the base from. The Japanese show meticulousness and perfectionism in creating any product, be it cars or T-shirts. Uniqlo's absolute hit is its ultra-light down jackets that can be worn, for example, under a coat for insulation. In addition to these, Uniqlo has the right basic shirts and relatively inexpensive cashmere sweaters.

A good and inexpensive base can be found in Russian brands and. Look for outerwear - inexpensive coats, jackets and down jackets in current styles and acceptable quality. They traditionally go for jeans.

She has her own distinctive 90s schoolgirl style. The brand's stores are filled with high-waisted mom jeans, crop tops, sneakers and chokers. The look is quite tired, but individually, Monki pieces refresh any wardrobe.

Last Saturday, October 11, the first store of the American chain Forever 21 opened in Moscow. The opening of a mass market was promised two years ago, but for various reasons it was postponed every time. In Moscow, the brand is located in a two-story store in Afimall. They only brought it so far women's clothing, shoes and accessories. If a men's department appears, it will be much later. In terms of assortment, Forever 21 is closest to the Swedish H&M, where for 1,500 rubles you can buy a pair of T-shirts, shorts, a set of hair ties and pajamas. We decided to figure out what should be bought in the mass market like H&M, Forever 21, Monki and so on, and what is definitely not worth buying.

Copies of expensive brands

Things in any mass market are almost always an interpretation of collections of more expensive brands. But if in the case of a simple pleated skirt below the knee or a two-tone white loose-fitting shirt this is not critical, then clearly readable copies are not worth buying. It will look like an outright fake, and a label with the words Forever 21 is unlikely to save the situation.

Left: Forever 21 skirt
Right: NY Sea skirt
Left: Forever 21 bag
Right: Celine bag

Left: Forever 21 bag
Right: Celine bag

Sweaters and cardigans

Sweater Forever 21, 899 rubles

As we already woolen item cannot cost less than a thousand rubles. The mass market, which strives for minimal prices, practically does not make things with a high wool content: synthetics are much cheaper. Among the entire mass market, warm sweaters and cardigans can only be found in Uniqlo and Zara (here, however, you will have to pay almost 8 thousand rubles for a cashmere sweater); in other stores, warm clothes are, at best, 15-20% wool or mohair and 80% viscose.

Denim

Jumpsuit H&M, 2,499 rubles

Buying denim in the mass market is not best idea. Jeans that fit perfectly when you first try them on will most likely stretch out after the third wash. In addition, it is not possible to find a wide range of sizes everywhere, much less different options length. The only exceptions are four stores: Topshop, Gap, Uniqlo and American Eagle Outfitters.

Shoes

Zara sandals, 1,599 rubles

Despite the fact that shoes in the mass market sometimes take up almost half of the store, and it’s easy to get confused in all the variety of colors and models, it only makes sense to buy ballet flats and flip flops here. Stiletto heels and chunky platform sandals will most likely turn out to be amazingly uncomfortable, and demi-season shoes simply will not survive the Moscow winter: after all, the climate of the USA and Spain is very different from the Russian one.

Outerwear

Coat Forever 21, 1,650 rubles

From winter outerwear from the mass market, the problem is the same as with shoes and acrylic sweaters - lightweight down jackets and only a quarter woolen coats are simply not capable of keeping you warm in sub-zero temperatures.

Basic things

Turtleneck Forever 21, 750 rubles

Solid-colored tees, cotton tops and turtlenecks are staples for almost any wardrobe - and are what you need to head to stores like Forever 21, H&M and Zara. Basic items are quite cheap in the mass market, are sold in sets and easily survive repeated washings. washing machine. And as soon as another white T-shirt gets boring or loses its presentable appearance, you won’t be sorry to throw it away.

Things for one season

Kimono with beads, H&M, 4999 rubles

Complete opposite basic wardrobe- things for one season, which in a couple of months will have time to become familiar and go to the far corner of the closet or to the country house. Crop tops, neon, pastels, jackets with contrasting sleeves, military, high-waisted shorts, floor-length skirts, kimonos - there is no point in spending large sums on things that you will not wear for more than one season.

Little things

Left: makeup brush set, Forever 21, 200 rubles
Right: mirror, Forever 21, 200 rubles, 10 scrunchies, H&M 99 rubles

Sets of hair ties, brushes for cleaning clothes, sets of socks, cosmetic bags and hairpins - all this, as a rule, can be found near the cash registers in any mass market. Such little things cost no more than 150 rubles, are sold in sets, and come in handy almost every day.

Clothes for home and sleep

The same case as with basic clothing. Almost every affordable brand produces items for the home such as cotton T-shirts, loose pants and soft sleepers. Pajamas, nightgowns and robes come in every color imaginable. It makes sense to buy several sets at once and alternate according to your mood.

Left: Nightgown Forever 21, 400 rubles
Right: Forever 21 robe, 850 rubles

Underwear

This point applies primarily to panties. It is wiser to choose a bra in a specialized store, where there are more sizes, and consultants are able to give practical advice. But the lower part can be bought in the mass market. Plain cotton briefs are sold in sets at Topshop, H&M, Monki and Forever 21 and are perfect for every day. Inditex went even further and opened a separate store with colorful underwear and several lines of Oysho home and sleep items.

Left: H&M women's briefs, 3 pairs 399 rubles
Right: H&M women's briefs, 7 pairs 799 rubles
Left: Forever 21 women's briefs, 149 rubles
Right: bikini Forever 21 for women, 200 rubles

The fashion industry today confronts us with a choice: luxury designer clothing or mass market clothing. Depending on the standard of living and personal preferences, a person chooses what he can afford. However, now between the mass market and the luxury segment there is a so-called golden mean– brands that can be called “new luxury”. We are talking about brands in the middle price segment that offer things with attractive designs and good quality. We decided to identify the 7 main mass market brands on our planet. So as not to fool your head for a long time in beautiful words, let’s say right away that the only criterion by which this rating was compiled is the total value of the brand.

Total brand value:$19.2 billion

H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) – Swedish company, Europe's largest clothing retail chain. Headquarters in Stockholm. The brand was founded in 1947. In the same year, the first Hennes store opened (translated from Swedish - "For her"). The Mauritz prefix appeared in 1968, when the brand began producing men's and children's clothing.

Total brand value:$14.4 billion

Zara – leading retail chain of the Inditex group of companies. The head office is located in A Coruña, Spain, where the first store was opened in 1975. It is claimed that Zara takes only 2 weeks from design development to the launch of a new line for sale. Moreover, more than 10,000 new designs are developed throughout the year.

Total brand value: $9.6 billion

Uniqlo Co.– Japanese company that produces and sells clothing. The company was founded in 1949, and in 2005 the brand entered the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The label is very popular in the USA.

Gap

Total brand value: $2.3 billion

Gap– An American company, the largest clothing retailer in the United States and owner of the world's second largest chain of clothing stores. The company's headquarters are located in San Bruno, USA. The brand was founded in 1969. Few people know that Gap originally sold Levi's jeans and music records.

Calvin Klein

Total brand value: $2.2 billion

Calvin Klein– American fashion brand with a powerful mass market and lingerie line. It was founded by Calvin Klein in 1968 with a budget of 10 thousand dollars. At first, the brand created only coats and sold them in a store at the York Hotel in New York. First appeared in Vogue in 1969.

Bershka

Total brand value: $1.8 billion

Bershka – spanish youth mass market brand , which was founded in 1998. Owned by a corporation Inditex Group . Every year the brand produces more than 4,000 types of products. Currently, about 900 brand stores are open in 64 countries.

Massimo Dutti

Total brand value: $1.4 billion

Massimo Dutti – clothing company part of the Spanish group Inditex. Since its founding in 1985, it has focused on the production of men's clothing. Currently, there are over 500 Massimo Dutti stores in 45 countries, and the company employs about 4,000 employees.

Many people have a negative attitude towards the mass market in advance. But in fact, budget brands can please you with a wide selection and stylish design. For some, inexpensive cosmetics are suitable, and luxury products cause allergies. The mass market is also represented by clothing lines and accessories.

and is it worth contacting him?

In glossy publications, the concept of “mass market” began to appear more and more often. What is it? Budget brands are often mentioned in negative terms, compared to second-hand, but in reality they are completely different concepts. Mass market refers to a wide range of goods that is aimed at satisfying the demand of the largest category of the population - the so-called middle class. The concept is more often applied to clothing or cosmetics, but mass market in the general sense also includes other consumer goods.

Main brands: clothing

Stores (mass market) are numerous and build a marketing strategy on the principle of increasing brand awareness. The pricing policies of manufacturers are similar to each other: in the budget category there is no wide range of prices for the same goods. The quality of clothing from different manufacturers in the mass market segment (what kind of brands they are - below) is also generally the same.

Market leaders are represented by clothing lines:

• well-known Zara and Mango;
• Esprit (a Japanese company whose products are poorly represented on the domestic market);
• American Uniglo (the only state-owned company on the list);
• Hennes & Mauritz (the brand is better known as H&M).
• Calvin Klein underwear.

In addition, many mass market stores are also represented on the World Wide Web, so you can get acquainted with the full range, order and pay for the item you like online, without leaving your home.

For comparison, the photo shows models from luxury stores (on the left) and similar budget solutions (on the right). The difference in the cost of things amounts to hundreds of dollars.

In this photo, $2000 from Dior versus $100 from TopShop.

In this photo, $950 from Valentino versus $90 from Zara. Of course, the difference in quality is visible, but overall the dress looks quite good.

Leading cosmetics manufacturers

Mass-market cosmetics are represented by a wide range of manufacturers. Many of them are luxury divisions. Among the representatives of mass market cosmetics, we can list the following well-known brands:

• NYX (decorative cosmetics in bright colors);
• Garnier (skin care products and foundations);
• Sleek Make UP (cosmetics in soft shades for everyday makeup);
• Essence (the brand won the love of girls with its cute design and rich shades);
• L’Oréal (cosmetics of decent quality, you can find decorative, mass-market creams, and facial skin care products);
• Max Factor (somewhat reminiscent of the previous brand, but has its own twist);
• NoUBA (an uncommon brand whose cosmetics you should definitely purchase, if only because of the stylish design, large selection of shades and good quality).

How high quality are these cosmetics?

Mass market products (what kind of cosmetics brands are these are indicated above) are unlikely to help solve serious cosmetic problems: acne, acne, pimples, increased oiliness or excessive dryness of the skin, sensitivity. Also, such creams cannot slow down the aging process. Such cosmetics are intended, as a rule, for healthy skin and the middle age category (from 20 to 35 years). Even if the manufacturer assures “ unique properties” cosmetic line and “natural ingredients” that were used in production, you should not willingly believe such promises.

It is important to clearly understand that the low price of creams, balms and decorative cosmetics from the mass market is not determined by the generosity of the manufacturer, but by the low cost of production. This means that the components in the product are far from natural. In addition, each manufacturer strives to systematically increase sales volumes, which is directly facilitated by an active advertising campaign.

How does the mass market beat luxury cosmetics?

Mass market is a lot of competition and struggle for literally every buyer from the largest category of consumers of goods and services. That is why even relatively it has its advantages and often stands up well to comparison even with luxury brands.

Mass market cosmetics are distinguished by a wide selection of shades, stylish packaging and ease of use. What kind of cosmetics are these in terms of quality? Most products fit perfectly on the skin and last a long time, but lovers of luxury cosmetics do not miss the opportunity to point out the shortcomings of cheap brands. At the same time, testing lipsticks “blindly,” for example, showed unexpected results: absolutely all the girls called lipsticks from budget brands luxury.

This photo shows products from luxury manufacturers.

Dior and Armani look somewhat dry and cover the surface of the lips unevenly. Lipsticks “break” when applied and dry out on the lips. The participants in the experiment called the lipsticks “budget products.”

And here are budget brands. Oddly enough, girls liked these options much more than expensive lipsticks.

Oriflame is different natural flowers, uniform structure and softness. The lipstick is practically not felt on the lips. The test participants agreed that they were looking at expensive cosmetics from well-known manufacturers.

Shopping Rules

Despite all the advantages, the mass market poses a threat to purchase really bad cosmetics, but punctures also happen with expensive brands. It is important to determine for yourself the upper limit of cost and look for funds specifically in this segment, because you will be tempted by an expensive one (and therefore a high-quality one, as suggests common sense) cosmetics are very easy. It is advisable to study reviews about a specific product before purchasing and, if possible, use a sample.

Don't rush to apply makeup to your face. No matter how beautiful the new lipstick is and how perfect it fits foundation, you should test your skin for the presence allergic reaction. To do this, apply a small amount of the product to the cheek or near the ear.