How fashion brands can capture Generation Z

Fashion is changing in all aspects and Gen Z is at its core because they are 40% of the total fashion consumers and are the biggest global generation with a $3 trillion indirect annual spending power.

The insights by UNiDAYS revealed passionate feelings towards clean-washing, conversation commerce, brand intrusion, third gender marketing and lack of trust when shopping through new social media checkout features.

How Gen Z feel about clothes

Gen Z’s fashion choices might stand out from the crowd, but they earned that by going against the grain and making bold choices, UNiDAYS revealed that 56% of Gen Z do not follow fashion trends.

87% of Gen Z agree that great clothes make them feel sexy and 79% state sustainable fashion is important to them. But they never pay full price for anything.

How Gen Z find their clothes

Instagram and more recently Tik Tok are the social media platforms to be active on, with 49% of Gen Z making purchases through these platforms.

Fashion brands need to create social media content aimed at Gen Z that feels genuine, if not these young consumers will swipe to the next video.

Fashion brands should also be looking at social commerce as part of their wider omnichannel retail strategy, driving consumers in-store because 84% of Gen Z are looking forward to returning to shops.

Advertising to Gen Z

49% of Gen Z don’t mind brands advertising to them on social media so long as it’s relevant to them. But half of Gen Z (56%) say they don’t follow fashion brands on social media.

85% of Gen Z research online first but 75% don’t trust shopping directly on social media.

Brands creating Instagram and TikTok content and those collaborating with influencers should be cautious, 90% of Gen Z believe it should be illegal for Influencers to use unlabelled and retouched images, while 93% believe social media promotes unrealistic life and body goals.

Furthermore, 76% of Gen Z would object to advertisements on their instant messaging stream

Gen Z may be leading the way with their daring fashion choices – but they’re still concerned about where their clothes come from and the impact they have on the planet.

LGBTQ+ Gen Z attitudes with fashion

Gen Z has been an integral part of today’s human rights issues, this includes LGBTQ+ concerns. This has had an impact on the fashion industry and Gen Z’s buying behaviour.

43% of Gen Z say that they believe gender doesn’t play a role in choosing clothes, and in fact – 79% said they’re not put off buying clothes that are marketed to the opposite gender.

Language is key too, as 23% said they think gendered language in stores is outdated or offensive.

What about Gen Z and luxury fashion brands?

Luxury brands obviously find engaging with young consumers difficult, as 71% of Gen Z feel designer brands are not relevant to them.

But not all is lost with Gen Z buying luxury fashion brands:

Just under a third (32%) of Gen Z follow designers, and 40% say they have an eye for limited edition pieces.

47% said they buy luxury clothing as a treat, and 27% make their purchase thanks to the quality of the clothing. So much so, that 30% have bought one to two pieces of designer clothing this year, and half have been buying more fashion in 2021 than they ever have before.

Gen Z has never been an easy customer to appeal to. They find it difficult to part with their cash, and scrutinise elements of brands that haven’t been discussed before.

Keeping up with the most recent trends and predicting them is vital in such a fast changing industry.

It is important for fashion brands to be transparent about their intentions and values, and having an ethical and eco-friendly approach to manufacturing will instantly win over Generation Z.