What motivates us to buy a piece of clothing?

We’re all different. Everyone has their life experience, their tastes, their perceptions, that is, 7 billion unique and unrepeatable people. But there’s something that is intrinsic to all of us: we have motivation and, from it, we have behaviors that make us act in a certain way- human nature! This happens in all kinds of actions: deciding what to eat for breakfast, the holiday destination... and, of course, what to wear. We highlight 5 reasons that influence our choices when we want to buy a piece of clothing.

1. Need

If the motivation is to buy a piece of clothing is because we need it and there’s nothing to replace it, then we’ll have behaviors like avoiding going to the mall and, if we do, we don’t waste time looking for various alternatives: we go to the store and the article in question, without big deviations. And if the line is long, we’ll get out of the store and buy online, because we don’t want to waste too much time buying. In conclusion, we’re not demanding: this is what we need and that’s enough!

2. Stand out from others

We want to be seen as unique, with irreverent pieces, with something we don’t see in a fast-fashion store, so we have behaviors like buying vintage pieces, for example. And, in recent times, due to the fact that the world is dominated by Millennials, characterized essentially because they want to fight for meaning and for doing more and better, then the vintage plays an important role because they’re unique pieces with history.

In addition, we have behaviors such as buy in small street markets, where the pieces are made by small artisans and artists, and we know that no one will own anything like ours, or customize our own pieces creatively with fabrics, old lace, fur. In conclusion, the motivation is based on wanting to stand out from the crowd, to be seen as someone different and to not be afraid to risk.

3. Belong to something

Wanting to have the same style as our friends or wanting to belong to a specific group can also be a reason to buy a piece of clothing. In this way, the attention to social networks, and the very contact between friends determines the stores to visit (which are the best known within the group) and what style they’re currently choosing, among others. Basically, we try to belong to something that goes beyond what we wear, but rather, what it makes us look like when we wear a particular piece, and we act like it.

4. Look like a celebrity

How many of us haven’t looked at someone famous and said we wanted to have something they owned? The truth is many of us did! And to get access to these pieces, we read the magazines and blogs where our celebrities show up, and we try to keep track of what they’re wearing, so we can have the same. Or even special collections they release- we’re the first to buy!

5. Concern for social causes

More and more companies ally themselves with social causes in order to create an impact on society and people love it! When the consumer buys a piece of a particular brand that is donating 10% of the price of the sweater, he feels that part of what he has just spent has been invested in a cause- and thus he’s indirectly helping. So, we create a relationship with the brand and end up buying not only for the piece itself, but for what it means to others (and to us). Even brands that use biodegradable, recycled or animal-tested products are highly appreciated by the consumer and may be a reason to purchase (even if they don't need the product).

In short, attitudes, preferences, and motivations influence consumer behavior and it’s up to companies to try to understand as much as possible what goes on in the mind of those who buy, so they can provide an adapted service and a product that satisfies the customer. This way, we invite you to check our services to see how we can help in the detection of the consumers’ motivations and how to change them in your favor, so you can achieve success with your business!