The apparel industry is targeting different demographic segments of customers primarily by age and gender. One such segment focuses on back-to-school clothing for teenagers. Brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, and Aeropostale have remained popular choices for most teenagers for shopping basic t-shirts, hoodies, and jeans. The target audiences of these retailers are aged between 13-22 years.

A recent survey done by a Minneapolis-based bank reveals that teenagers spend more than 40% of their budget on the fashion category, out of which apparel constitutes a large share. Teens are always looking for the trendiest outfit and celebrities and music stars have a huge impact on the apparel styles. The back-to-school teen market every summer is estimated to be more than $70 billion. However, 2013 has not been so fruitful for apparel retailers especially concentrating on teens due to the global economic crunch. Lack of jobs and unemployment has also influenced these retailers majorly.

American Eagle gave a weak forecast for winter sales and Aeropostale's sales fell by 15% in the last quarter. But there were companies that managed to set new trends and generated sales by chasing existing trends. VF's popular brand North Face managed to set some trends and increase revenue by 7.3%. Urban Outfitters also managed to increase sales and become popular among teens with their Free People and Anthropologie brands.

Discounts and sales have also been unsuccessful in driving sales of popular teen brands. Teenagers no longer want patent logo t-shirt styles and are moving their interests towards fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M, and Forever 21. The youth in recent times demand the most fashionable garments without having to spend so much, and fast fashion brands fit the bill perfectly to fulfill their needs.

Moreover, electronic gadgets have become priorities for teenage girls and boys, and a large amount of their money is spent on it. The emergence of new players in this segment has increased competition among the existing teen brands. Hence, flexibility is the way to survive in the teen apparel market. Meeting the demand for fast-changing trends in teen fashion is the key to push sales. Retailers who have time on their side are innovating trends, and those who don't are leveraging ongoing trends to get back into the game. Having a unique trend would help apparel retailers targeting teens retain their sales.

Trends for fall 2013-14

Teen apparel trends for autumn-winter 2013-2014 have glorious styles to indulge in and to get ready before the young fashionistas get back to school. Army jackets, pants, and vests are a growing trend in teen fashion for the fall. Knitted sweaters, tweed pants, and crisp buttoned-up cardigans with layering are the perfect way to step out in the cold.


Capes from the victorean era are back and not too long but calf-lengths can be worn for a casual day out or a dinner date. Wearing capes like one would wear coats is the way to carry them off this winter. The staple item for every fall fashion is leather. This time faux leather thigh high boots are very trendy. Leather pants in relaxed fit are must-have and can be teamed up with just about everything. Artificial leather coats that keep warm are a great investment and can be found in different lengths and styles at all major brand stores.


Break the monotony of solid colors in the winter by wearing a colored jacket or a bright colored bag. Lime green and rust orange are the pop up colors for this autumn winter season. Printed denims especially dots and stars remain popular choices of teens and are very much in vogue. High waist pants and pleated skirts in floral prints continue to remain in style for the fall look too.


Menswear fabrics like tweed work perfectly well for the back-to-school and academic look. Collared vests and patterns in droves will also become popular among high school goers this fall. Hats, baseball gaps, and fedoras can be found in retail stores for this season. Twiggy inspired dressed and in bright bold colors is just the way to keep the winter blues at bay. Another popular teen trend is of printed sweatshirts with quirky slogans for a cool look.


Just like adult fashion, womenswear, and menswear, teen fashion is growing and so are apparel retailers who are concentrating on this particular segment. The teen apparel market also has its own trends some imported from adults fashion and some of their own. The trends for teen apparel market change quickly hence retailers need to adapt according to the demands of their young customers or lose footfall. Trendy and newness are the keywords to capture this market segment and generate sales.


References:


1. Huffingtonpost.com

2. Teenvogue.com

3. Dailyfinance.com

4. Reuters.com