Vintage fashion vs. Second-hand fashion

A valuation of the determinants of men’s purchase of vintage fashion vs. Secondhand fashion

Background Discussion

Historically, many influential women have publicized and popularized the notion of purchasing vintage clothing. With movie stars and other romance role models sporting items of fashion that resemble today’s fashion trends, vintage and second- hand fashion has become widely popular.

While some individuals aim to stand out by wearing vintage fashion items, a growing trend has emerged among today’s society hereby individuals aim to not only stand out, but look to save money and ‘go green’ by purchasing second-hand clothing (Hennessey, 2012). It is believed that several factors impact a woman’s decision to purchase vintage or second-hand fashion items. Recently, a research study has been undertaken to identify the determinants of women’s purchase of vintage vs. Second-hand fashion (Cornell et al. 2012). Although determinants have been identified which give light to the buying decisions of women, it is still unclear whether or not these determinants have an effect on the eying decisions of men, or if men even have a prominent influence on the vintage and second-hand fashion markets at all. Reason for the study An existing study conducted in 2012 called “Something old, something used” exists, which researches the determinants of women’s purchase of vintage fashion compared to that of second-hand fashion.

The abovementioned existing study has failed to include the impact men have imposed on the vintage and second-hand fashion industry. The purpose of this proposed research study is to determine if men eave an influence on the market for vintage and second-hand clothing, and if so, to identify the determinants that influence men’s purchasing decisions. This research proposal will make use of several keywords in determining the possible outcomes of the study, namely: Second-hand, consumer behavior, fashion, buying behavior, vintage, CEO-fashion, nostalgia, luxury.

Research Objectives

The main objective of the proposed research would be to determine whether or not men have a significant influence on the market for vintage and second-hand fashion. Once this has been proven or disproved, a further study can then be done in order to determine to what extent the identified determinants affect men. A secondary objective of the research would be to identify further determinants that appear to affect men’s purchasing of vintage and second-hand fashion items. Men and women may be affected by different gender-specific determinants, and this possibility can be further explored.

From the identified objectives, the following hypothesis can be formulated: HI: The market for vintage and second-hand fashion is influenced by omen as well as men, who are equally affected by the determinants of purchasing behavior. In order to achieve the identified objectives of this study, primary, as well as secondary research, should be utilized. In order to make use of secondary research, existing data should be examined concerning the frequency and purchasing patterns regarding second-hand and vintage clothing. Primary research needs to be conducted in order to gather data pertaining to the male portion of the market.

This data is to be collected through surveys as well as simple observation. Researchers can observe the number of male customers entering vintage stores and thrift shops. Thereafter a survey will be issued to the identified males in order to gain further knowledge of their buying behavior. A convenience sample will be utilized to determine how many customers of various vintage stores are male.